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Peter Sweeney

Peter Sweeney's Blog

Peter Sweeney is the Gaelic Games Correspondent with the Irish Daily Star Newspaper. He is a regular on television and radio and even though he isn't any good he still tries to play Gaelic football.

  • 3 Aug 2010

    Cork’s chances for Sam Maguire

    CORK may have been the least impressive of the four winning quarter-finalists, but they are the only team still in the competition that are under pressure to deliver. Down, Dublin and Kildare are all in bonus territory. Cork by contrast are even money favourites to take Sam Maguire and anything less would have devastating results for them. read more

    CORK may have been the least impressive of the four winning quarter-finalists, but they are the only team still in the competition that are under pressure to deliver.

    Down, Dublin and Kildare are all in bonus territory. Cork by contrast are even money favourites to take Sam Maguire and anything less would have devastating results for them.

    They have been knocking on the door of an All-Ireland for five years. If they win in September it may well be the start of a new era of Rebel dominance in football.

    By contrast, if they lose it would most likely mark the end of this team.

    The likes of Graham Canty, Paudie Kissane, Nicholas Murphy and John Miskella are all approaching the ends of their careers.

    Another crushing defeat would surely send them into retirement and leave the Rebels facing a massive rebuilding project.

    Last year’s All-Ireland final reverse against Kerry was a near-terminal blow and they have done well to bounce back as far as they have.

    But winning Sam is the only option for them this year and that knowledge can strangle even the best of players.

    So far this year they have been playing like a team with the burden of expectation weighing heavily on them.

    They should have put Kerry away in both the Munster semi-final draw and replay given the amount of possession that they won in the middle of the field.

    But sticking the ball over the bar has been a problem throughout this season, with manager Conor Counihan struggling to find his best combination up front.

    He can’t find the right centre forward, Ciaran Sheehan’s development hasn’t come along as he would have wished while Daniel Goulding and Colm O’Neill haven’t found their 2009 form yet.

    As a unit they played sensational football throughout 2009, peaking during the All-Ireland semi-final win over Tyrone and the first half of the final against Kerry.

    They stopped playing in the second half of the decider and they haven’t approached those heights since.

    Against Roscommon on Sunday they couldn’t get any sort of groove and they actually trailed at one stage in the second half before they finished strongly.

    Cork’s semi-final against Dublin on August 22 will be fascinating. The clash of these two is always something special, as it was in 1983, 1989 and 1995.

    The Rebels haven’t got the biggest football following and the Dubs’ fans deserted them for much of the summer, but tickets will be precious commodities for this one.

Home Away Date Time Venue
Mayo Dublin 11.02.2012 12:00  
Cavan Longford 11.02.2012 12:00  
Kerry Armagh 11.02.2012 12:00  
Waterford Kilkenny 11.02.2012 12:00  

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Home Score Away Score Date Venue
Clare 1-17 Waterford 0-12 05.02  
Kilkenny 1-01 Wicklow 3-25 05.02  
Leitrim 0-09 Limerick 1-09 05.02  
Armagh 0-10 Cork 1-07 05.02  

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