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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.

  • 16 Aug 2010

    Dublin v Cork this Sunday

    WELCOME to the build-up to what will unquestionably be the most anticipated game of the year. Dublin against Cork in next Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final has been 15 years in the making. read more

    WELCOME to the build-up to what will unquestionably be the most anticipated game of the year.

    Dublin against Cork in next Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final has been 15 years in the making.

    The last time these teams clashed in the Championship was the 1995 semi-final which the Dubs won on the way to their most recent Sam Maguire triumph.

    That was payback for their ’89 semi reverse against the Rebels. Cork won that year too and though they retained Sam in 1990 they haven’t been back in the winners’ enclosure since.

    This is a meeting of the two biggest cities on the island – the actual capital against the real capital. But it also a meeting between two success starved sides who have only one All-Ireland apiece in 20 years.

    Cork are favourites, but that’s courtesy of their performances last season and during the National League rather than anything they have done this summer.

    They have yet to deliver a single outstanding display since April and few of their leading lights have shone.

    Few people, not even the players and management, expected Dublin to still be standing at this late stage of the campaign. But here they are, thanks to their ultra-intense win over Tyrone last month.

    That was the Boys in Blues’ first win over a leading county since they lowered the Red Hand’s colours in the ’95 final.

    It was probably the best team performance of the summer, but no one is getting too carried away because Dublin have let their supporters down once too often in the past.

    Against the Tyrone in the quarter-final, the Dubs defended from deep and allowed their opponents to win every single one of their own kick-outs in the fullback or halfback lines.

    They may well try this again on Sunday, but Cork have the size and the strength that Tyrone lacked to kick long and trust that they can contest around the middle third.

    As the Rebels proved last year too, also against Mickey Harte’s team, they can ratchet up the intensity and they have the physical attributes to break tackles and turn the ball over.

    This negates a lot of what Dublin have going for them, but there is the small matter of Bernard Brogan – the in form footballer in the country.

    Cork are likely to put Michael Shields on him and don’t be surprised to see an extra man screening the fullback line just to be sure.

    This has been a brilliant summer so far for Gaelic football and Sunday could be its crowning glory. At the moment it looks advantage Cork.

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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