![\"Cork](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5109543_19_articleinlinemobile_309A2050.jpg\" "\\"Cork")
Cork manager Keith Ricken during the win over Meath. Picture: Diarmuid Brennan\/Sportsfocus<\/p>\nCork\u2019s dismantling of Meath at FBD Semple Stadium on Saturday afternoon ticked every box for manager Keith Ricken.<\/p>\n
The Rebels won 3-19 to 1-12 in the Electric Ireland All-Ireland MFC quarter-final played in front of 694 fans. It was emphatic on paper, but what pleased the St Vincent\u2019s clubman most was the composure, clarity and collective purpose behind the 13-point victory.<\/p>\n
This was Cork\u2019s most complete display of the season, delivered on the day it mattered most, and it sends them into their first All-Ireland semi-final since 2021 with momentum and belief.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are delighted with the win as I\u2019ve seen Meath play a few times this year\u2026 I thought they were a good side, they\u2019re only young lads, it\u2019s hard for them,\u201d he said post-match.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt took us a few minutes to adapt to the wind. Meath elected to play against it.<\/p>\n
Cork manager Keith Ricken during the win over Meath. Picture: Diarmuid Brennan\/Sportsfocus<\/p>\n
\u201cWe kicked some good scores then and had a couple of goal chances we were unlucky with. Even with a ten-point interval lead, I wasn\u2019t fully comfortable. With that breeze, that mightn\u2019t have been enough at times.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut our backs were playing well, midfielders were playing well, and the forwards were working very hard. They\u2019re a lovely bunch of fellas\u2026 humble, they listen, they apply themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you walked into our dressing room today, you wouldn\u2019t know who was playing and who wasn\u2019t. They\u2019re exceptionally united.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
If the Munster final win over Kerry was about grit, character and \u201cstickability\u201d, this All-Ireland quarter-final was about football \u2014 and Cork showed that in abundance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t play well in the Munster final, there were a lot of errors. We were a bit more polished today\u2026 not fully there yet, but better.<\/p>\n
![\"Cork's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5109546_19_articleinlinemobile_309A2968_20_1_.jpg\" "\\"Cork's")
Cork’s Tom Whooley shoots for goal despite pressure from Meath’s John Killoran. Picture: Diarmuid Brennan\/Sportsfocus<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was no let-up from our boys today. It was difficult for a couple of our lads who are doing their Leaving Cert and that\u2019s a different kind of pressure. Others then doing their Junior Cert. That\u2019s energy-sapping.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn fairness, the players were excellent, every single one of them. Overall, we have to be pleased, especially playing on a big pitch like Thurles. This was a knockout game; previously this year, we always had a second chance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe delivered today, but we have a lot to work on too.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The headline performance belonged to goalkeeper Rory Twohig, whose 0-9 \u2014 including three orange flags from long-range frees \u2014 gave Cork a platform and Meath a problem they never solved.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were crucial in terms of the timing and the execution,\u201d Ricken said.<\/p>\n
\u201cRory has them in his locker since he was a young boy\u2026 but it\u2019s not just the skill set, it\u2019s the mentality.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s exceptional at evaluating his thoughts, evaluating his kick. If something goes wrong, he\u2019s honest about it. He doesn\u2019t need anyone to tell him.<\/p>\n
![\"Cork's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5109630_3_articleinlinemobile_309A2799.jpg\" "\\"Cork's")
Cork’s Conrad Murphy scores a point against Meath. Picture: Diarmuid Brennan\/Sportsfocus.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m delighted he gets the accolade today \u2014 but he doesn\u2019t need it. For all of the players, for the rest of their lives now, they\u2019ll pass Thurles and have fond memories. Fond memories of playing with Cork\u2026 that won\u2019t be forgotten.<\/p>\n
\u201cFeelings and emotions are the currency we deal with. We\u2019re trying to get that into them so they want to play for Cork and in a couple of years\u2019 time, they\u2019ll want to play with the U20s.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cork\u2019s dismantling of Meath at FBD Semple Stadium on Saturday afternoon ticked every box for manager Keith Ricken.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":486644,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1964,42,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-486643","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-cork-gaa","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/486643","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=486643"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/486643\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/486644"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=486643"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=486643"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=486643"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}