CORK FANS HAVE been urged to support ‘much-maligned’ midfielder Fintan Goold in the wake of their qualification for the semi-finals of Division 1 of the football league.
Goold played a central role in yesterday’s drawn encounter against Tyrone as Cork gained parity at midfield with the Cavanagh brothers, Sean and Colm.
His performance received glowing praise afterwards from manager Brian Cuthbert, who believes it is time the Macroom man was given credit.
“Honestly it would be remiss of me to go from this game and not say how delighted I am with Fintan Goold. I think he’s a much-maligned player in Cork. Look at him there, he was our leader against Tyrone and played very, very well.
“When the game was in the melting pot, I thought he drove us on big time. He’d a super game. I think Fintan is the full package, if the people of Cork would just back him and get behind him.”
The wave of Cork retirements last winter have created vacancies at midfield in particular with Alan O’Connor, Graham Canty and Pearse O’Neill no longer involved. Newcomer Ruairi Deane has been ruled out for the season with a cruciate injury while Aidan Walsh has been hampered by a hamstring problem.
Goold has stepped into the void and started at midfield in five of Cork’s league games to date while he began at centre-back against Kildare. A vital block down to deny Sean Cavanagh a second-half goal yesterday was pinpointed by Cuthbert while the 27 year-old nearly grabbed a winner for Cork at the finish.
“He made a great block down on Sean Cavanagh at the end to stop a goal”, remarked Cuthbert. “When there was a block down like that in an All-Ireland final, we saw replays of it for months.
“It was a big plus for us to keep a clean sheet. After conceding four the last day, we were adamant we wouldn’t concede a goal. We defended very well there. David Hanrahan made a great save as well.
“Fintan was also unlucky not to get the winning point. One of their defenders got a touch on it I think and it hit off somebody just as he kicked it.”