We’re facing potentially the year’s best game of football
What do I think when is I see a club fixture that involves Corofin and Dr Crokes? I see teams that believe. Team who sets out to reach the summit every year. Full of enthusiasts who just want to play football. Goalkeeper who can find his outfield player with a chipped pass or an arrowed pass through a throng of opposing intercepters. Goalkeepers who passes rather than kicks.
I see a defence which thrives on attacking football and who relishes the challenge of curtailing the opposing attackers. Defenders who can tackle on an individual and collective basis in equal measure. Conceding less than five scoreable frees to the opposition is their mantra. They are an outlet for their kick-out. They are an outlet for their midfielders and having a small number on their back doesn’t deter or unnerve them when the opportunity to score presents itself. They understand the importance of transferring the ball quickly to their forwards. Quick ball, I meant to say. Rapid ball.
More importantly, the inside forwards are already playing ‘cat and mouse’ with their marker, even when the ball is over 70 metres away. A quick point of a finger and the ball is delivered confidently into a pocket of space that the forward has somehow carved out. Then we get our first glimpse of attackers who think and revolve at the same speed. Synchronised attackers in full flow. One forward makes space. Two more make decoy runs. The forward in possession, given the absolute trust by his team-mates that he will make the right choice and that he won’t be left isolated.
Of course these forwards relish isolation in equal measure. The chance to skin their DD, designated defender (a defender who has tattooed a message like ‘EAT HIM’ with a permanent marker on his homemade wristband). Every forward on this team has a clear vision of what he wants to achieve. He wants to create and score.
Tomorrow presents us with an opportunity to witness two fantastic teams in full flow. It has the potential to be the best game of football we will see in Croke Park in 2019. It’s a final, so one must also expect the unexpected.
Dr Crokes are the challengers and I feel they will look to set the tempo. They will be physical and aggressive and will play on the edge. They got a good fright in the first half against Mullinalagha and there is absolutely no doubt that if they lose a player through ill-discipline this time, Corofin will show no mercy. Crokes will have studied how Corofin have been behind in several games this season. Against both Mountbellew and Ballintubber in the county and Connacht finals respectively, Corofin were trailing by a few points at half-time. Corofin recovered and composed themselves to execute victories. Key note: they were only trailing by two or three points.
The last time Corofin were really in trouble at half-time was against Dr Crokes in the All Ireland semi-final in 2017, when they trailed by five points at the interval (1-7 to 0-5). Crucially, Dr Crokes scored the first two points of the second half and pushed seven points ahead.
Corofin reduced the arrears to four half-way through the second period but that was as good as it got for them on that day.
A lot of football has been played since that battle in the Gaelic Grounds. Corofin regrouped and have been unbeaten in championship football since the summer of 2017. They have negotiated every hurdle since.
They have dispatched some great footballing teams and some horrendously negative teams along the way, playing in their usual purposeful and dignified manner. They enjoy the obstacles and live for football matches.
In order for Dr Crokes to succeed again, two years on, they must try to put Corofin on the back foot.
They have added fresh weaponry, namely David Shaw and Tony Brosnan, whose main tasks will be to score heavily, even if Brosnan isn’t exactly fresh meat as he made regular scoring impacts from the bench in their last Andy Merrigan triumph in 2017.
Both players will be looking to gain a regular green and gold jersey after tomorrow. The questions facing Corofin are: Who marks them and can they be contained?
Dylan McHugh and Cathal Silke are the regular corner-backs but I feel Liam Silke will be assigned to curtail David Shaw. The youngest member of the Corofin team, Dylan McHugh will be assigned with putting the shackles on Tony Brosnan. This could pave the way to move Cathal Silke out to centre back and ‘dog’ Gavin O’Shea.
Kieran Fitzgerald has had some real ding-dong battles of late, and Kieran O’Leary will ask a lot of questions again. Can Kieran Fitz deliver yet another inspirational display? He will need to and will have to ‘rattle’ O’Leary early on, as O’Leary is a confidence player who will score heavily if allowed any leeway.
As you can see, I have only focused on one line above and the permutations, duels and battles are fascinating! There are mouth-watering duels in every position in this match and that’s what makes it an unmissable spectacle and the result unpredictable.
Let’s be under no illusions; Dr Crokes are still licking their wounds from their defeat to Nemo in 2018; Corofin are still licking their wounds from their defeat to Crokes in 2017. Both teams know their cycle of dominance can’t last indefinitely.
Which team is the hungrier?
Both.
Three more key match-ups
The dynamic ‘Samson’ of the Corofin half-back-line who would play straight through for 24 hours if asked against the veteran of the Dr Crokes half-forward line who has played in 10 county finals, dating back to 2005. Molloy is edging closer to a starting Maroon jersey under Kevin Walsh and another powerful performance tomorrow will be needed to stifle the hard-grafting Looney. The Crokes man normally chips in with a score but Molloy is well capable of outscoring his marker and will rally his troops with swashbuckling foraging runs deep into Dr Crokes territory.
John Payne has a reputation as a tight-marking, tenacious defender made for the DD (designated defender) role. He was Dr Crokes’ Player of the Year in their All-Ireland winning campaign in 2017. He is the captain and he will look to set the tempo with his mission of keeping tabs on Ian Burke. Burke is almost unmarkable. When he is moving, it’s like watching The Gooch in his prime. I expect Dr Crokes to double mark him and allow him no space to influence the game. If he is not double-marked he will set up countless scores.
The Corofin pairing are immense and were instrumental in providing the platform for success against Nemo Rangers 12 months ago. They will have revenge on their minds tomorrow as they played second fiddle to Ambrose O’Donovan/Alan O’Sullivan in their last encounter. Casey and Buckley have moved to the middle to provide Dr Crokes with a more mobile and attack-minded midfield. Both sets of midfielders can score from distance, are direct runners and love the challenge of securing possession for their team. Casey is the most potent of the four on view and will look to raise a green flag.
