Cork footballers showed their emotion after beating Rossies but will need cool heads in Croker

Cork’s footballers greeted the full-time whistle at Portlaoise with an outburst of emotion which emphasised the critical importance of their victory.

John Cleary’s cool exterior on the sideline was immediately challenged as Ruairí Deane sprinted over to embrace the boss.

Ian Maguire was next over, galloping halfway across O’Moore Park to almost split Cleary in two with a hug.

It could’ve been so different. Up the line, Davy Burke was doubled over in disappointment. A couple of Roscommon players had hit the deck even before Seán Powter finally punted the ball into the stand.

Given the Division 1 scalps Cork have accumulated under Cleary – Mayo and Roscommon in ‘23, and Donegal in ‘24 – ending 2025 with a sole victory over Limerick would’ve represented a huge setback.

Having come so close in the extra-time classic with Kerry, they deserved something more from the Championship.

The lows are too often lurking just around the corner, but they retain that puncher’s chance to see how far they can go in knockout football.

In this topsy-turvy Championship, form lines are hard to gauge. Does Kerry’s defeat to Meath take some of the gloss off that Munster epic? Or does the Royal penchant for giant-killing erase some sting from that Páirc Tailteann defeat?

What we do know is that Roscommon have been a reduced force as the year stretched on. Since their 14-point victory on Leeside at the start of March, Davy Burke’s team have secured just one win from their last eight games. That victory came against London. No one should be getting too carried away with this success.

That doesn’t diminish the achievement of that 16-point turnaround from League to Championship.

Ballygarvan footballer Seán Brady has had an impressive first season featuring at this level. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

The first improvement was in Cork’s defensive discipline. Back in March, they coughed up 1-7 from placed balls, including a penalty and a handful of 50-metre advancements. This time, Roscommon didn’t kick a single free, and only had one long-range attempt after an overcarrying call.

Shooting efficiency offered another significant gain. Cork, strangely for a double-digit defeat, had more shots than the Rossies in that League demolition.

Here, the Connacht men took on 30 shots to Cork’s 28. They didn’t attempt a two-pointer for most of the afternoon, and then booted five equalising attempts from outside the arc in the final stretch. None found the target.

The Rebels were particularly productive in that second half. Playing into the breeze, they converted nine points from 12 attempts.

EDGE

In terms of kick-outs won, Roscommon held the edge. Yet, both teams posted identical scoring returns. Cork scored 0-5 off their own kick-out, while coughing up 0-6. Roscommon scored 0-5 off their own kick-out, while Cork raided it for 0-6.

Brian O’Driscoll’s early two-pointer came from a kick-out miscued to Paul Walsh. Their next point (and first goal chance) arrived after Conor Carroll pumped the ball over the sideline. Matty Taylor’s quick thinking sent Seán McDonnell clear, but he blazed over.

Turnovers were the difference. Cork had one more turnover and two extra points from those possessions.

Daniel O’Mahony’s expert rob led to Brian Hurley’s sole score. A lung-bursting tackle from man-of-the-match Colm O’Callaghan resulted in the first of Maguire’s goal chances. Both flew over the crossbar.

Cork had a tad more composure, too. Before half-time, Seán Walsh was penned into his own corner by a sea of yellow. He went back to Matty Taylor, who took on a risky pass to Seán Meehan. It paid off. After three consecutive kick passes, McDonnell curled over.

In a game which featured a remarkable 20 different scorers, the Mallow man was a leading light with 0-4.

In the circumstances, Chris Óg Jones was a surprising omission from the scoresheet. He endured a wretched first half, beginning with a misplaced pass, two wides, and a shot dropped short.

Cork need Chris Óg Jones at his clinical best to progress to the All-Ireland quarter-finals. Picture: David Creedon

Yet his resilience shone through. The Uibh Laoire leader switched to a linking role in the second half. He assisted a pair for Mark Cronin, one for Eoghan McSweeney, and his fingerprints were all over O’Callaghan’s second.

At the back, Cork coped with a talented Roscommon attack. Daire Cregg’s troublesome darts in from the left wing produced 0-5 from eight shots. Cian McKeon almost turned the game with two points and two assists off the bench. The others were well-restricted.

As well as O’Mahony’s match-winning block, Seán Brady came up with a handful of major moments. The Ballygarvan man carried the ball 80 yards, leading to a Cronin pointed free. He cut out a dangerous pass across goal. And when Micheál Aodh Martin saved late on, Brady came from nowhere to prevent a certain green flag.

With character like that, Cork aren’t done yet.

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