IAN: IT IS DO OR DIE FOR CORK
IAN MAGUIRE says Cork’s Super Saturday Division 2 fixture with Armagh is a ‘do or die Championship game’ for the Rebels.
Maguire powered John Cleary’s (inset) side to a significant win over Meath last weekend, securing their Division 2 status for 2025.
But they’re still not guaranteed to be in this summer’s race for the Sam Maguire Cup, with a strong League finish needed.
Meath ended up playing Tailteann Cup football last summer despite finishing sixth in Division 2 and Cork are currently fourth.
A win over Armagh at Supervalu Pairc Ui Chaoimh would ease their concerns but losing to the table toppers could leave them in bother.
Reaching the Munster final to make the Sam Maguire Cup competition is unlikely with wins against Limerick and Kerry required. Midfielder Maguire said: “This is a must-win game and that’s the stakes that are there, just like the stakes that were there going into the Meath game.
“I keep harping on about the same message but it is short-term focus for us – this is a do or die Championship game for us.
“It mightn’t be framed like that from an outside perspective but for us that is how it is.
“It is a big opportunity because no matter how it is framed anywhere else, we are playing at home, which is always a huge thing for us in Pairc Ui Chaoimh, in front of our own fans, and it’s northern opposition and that brings a competitiveness.”
Cork are fresh off three wins in a row having started the campaign with three losses to Donegal, Louth and Cavan.
And with their Championship opener against Limerick on April 7 just around the corner, they have plenty of reasons to want to beat Armagh and to maintain momentum.
They got a boost from their recent four-day training camp at the Quinta do Lago resort in the Algarve too.
Maguire said: “Funnily enough, the weather was very much like it is here. But we got a lot of work done, it was like you were training here and got a lot of work done, a lot of analysis. It’s all about building towards the Championship.
“The big thing with the split season is that it comes thick and fast compared to the old model so you are constantly training and putting the shoulder to the wheel, trying to gain momentum at the right time and we feel we are doing that.”