Cork should repeat final feat

GAELIC GAMES:FANCY A rematch of the All-Ireland already? It's unbelievable how the football qualifiers repeatedly throw up such interesting storylines, especially given no one expected this one so soon. Truth is neither side probably expected this rematch so soon either – and yet it's just what they need if there are to get their title ambitions back on track, although probably more so for Down.

Cork’s defeat to Kerry in the Munster final seemed like a more temporary setback, especially given the fact they could well have won had a few more scoring chances gone their way in the second half, and they weren’t so poor in the first. Indeed, in a sort of moderate act of defiance Conor Counihan has effectively named the same team, leaving captain Graham Canty at full back.

Ciarán Sheehan is ruled out with the cruciate injury sustained in the Munster final, and this allows Fintan Goold to return to the forward line in what is the only enforced change for the All-Ireland champions from the team that started in that defeat to Kerry.

It’s easy to forget only one point separated the teams last September, although there aren’t great expectations that Down will get as close this time. Defeat to Armagh in the first round of the Ulster championship was a disappointment, but at the same time they’ve been recovering with wins over Clare, Leitrim and Antrim. Manager James McCartan has named an unchanged team from that 3-13 to 0-10 victory in Casement Park last Saturday.

Caolan Mooney is again kept in reserve, as is the fit-again Ambrose Rogers, and if Marty Clarke and Benny Coulter have their scoring boots on it could well be closer than some people expect, but still Cork should progress.

DOWN: B McVeigh; A Branagan, D Gordon, G McCartan; D Rooney, K McKernan, C Garvey; K King, A McArdle; L Doyle, M Poland, C Maginn; C Laverty, B Coulter, M Clarke.

CORK: A Quirke; J O’Sullivan, G Canty, M Shields; N O’Leary; J Miskella, P Kissane; A O’Connor, A Walsh; F Goold, P Kelly, P O’Neill; D Goulding, D O’Connor, P Kerrigan.