Cork Dethrones Kerry in Munster

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Irish Voice Sport

Cork Dethrones Kerry in Munster

July 10, 2008

Sports Digest by Cathal Dervan

CORK are the new Munster football champions after a sensational second half comeback allowed Conor Counihan’s side to dethrone the All-Ireland kingpins in Pairc Ui Chaoimh last Sunday afternoon by a score of 1-16 to 1-11.

The Rebels were eight points down at halftime, lost captain Graham Canty to injury and the influential Nicholas Murphy to a red card early in the second half before producing one of the greatest fight-backs ever.

Goal scoring substitute Michael Cussen was one of the heroes as Cork turned that deficit into a five point winning margin as Kerry had the O Se brothers Marc and Darragh sent off.

New boss Counihan, roundly criticized after his team struggled to get past Limerick in the semis, was almost lost for words when asked what he had said at halftime to inspire such a turnaround.

“I didn’t say a whole lot to be honest,” insisted Counihan. “These guys are mostly self-motivating and know what has to be done when things are going against them. We pointed out all the positives we could find from the first half and despite the score, they were there.

“We had created 11 chances — the same as Kerry — so it wasn’t as if we weren’t doing some things right. We felt that if could pick up a few scores here and there, we could get back into it.”

Counihan refused any personal plaudits and asked that the credit for the win be given to his players. “This isn’t about me, it’s about the squad of players and those involved with them,” he said.

“People have been very harsh on this group of players but I knew from the day I took the manager’s job that they were a very genuine bunch,” added the former Cork star.

“They worked very hard all along and when you see what they did in the second half today, it shows the sort of spirit they have. Having said that, we’ll be keeping things in perspective. It’s clear that we still have an awful lot to do but the good thing is that we know how determined the squad is.

“We were eight points down at halftime and then lost Nicholas (Murphy) and Graham (Canty) so there were a lot of obstacles in our way, but the lads kept plugging away and were rewarded in the end.

“That’s football for you. We were lucky to be even here as Limerick came mighty close to beating us in the semifinal. It goes to show you never know what’s coming next.

“This result is one for a never-say-die attitude. We could easily have crawled into a hole at half-time and decided the game was lost, but these players are a very resilient bunch.”

Cussen’s arrival at half-time made a huge difference. Counihan conceded, “Michael Cussen’s introduction worked extremely well for us, as did James Masters and Fintan Gould. All three got on the scoresheet which is always pleasing when you make substitutions.

“I would have been very confident that no matter who we sent on, they could do a job for the team. Goals always win matches and Cussen’s one was a crucial score. It was a massive psychological boost. It gave us the impetus to drive on.”

Kerry, already without suspended captain Paul Galvin, must now resort to the back door if they are to retain their title, but manager Pat O’Shea categorically denied that halftime complacency caused their downfall last Sunday

“Absolutely not,” O’Shea told the Irish Independent. “There was no complacency in the dressing room at half-time. Fellas spoke well but we obviously came out in the wrong frame of mind. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly where we went wrong because we were all over the place.

“Guys spoke well at halftime. We felt we would continue to take the game to Cork in the second half. That was the plan. It’s hard to pinpoint where exactly we went wrong because we struggled all over the place. We didn’t keep possession, we gave the ball away too easily and defended poorly. In fairness to Cork, they really turned it on.

“They got on a roll and kicked some wonderful scores from all angles. They made it impossible for us to mount a challenge.

“I’d apologize for the second half performance because it wasn’t good enough. And you don’t deserve to win matches when you play like that.”

The qualifiers loom large now for O’Shea and Kerry and the manager admitted, “We’re going to go home and face plenty of criticism and that’s part and parcel of it. As manager team and players, that’s what we have to accept.

“It’s time for us to stand up now and take on the challenge. We’re going to take plenty criticism back home but that’s part and parcel of the game. The Munster championship is over so we now have to re-focus for the qualifiers. We’ve done it before and we have to try and do it again”

Kerry’s County Board have confirmed that they will contest the straight red card issued to Marc O Se during the Munster SFC final on a day when his brother Darragh was also dismissed.

“Marc actually turned to shield the ball and there was obviously momentum,” said boss O’Shea. “I genuinely thought that Marc’s one and Darragh’s last one weren’t even frees.”

Meanwhile, Cork captain Graham Canty could be back for the All-Ireland quarter final after a scan on his knee injury revealed a ligament strain but no cruciate damage.

Kilkenny Wins

KILKENNY, newly crowned Leinster hurling champions, want the provincial decider to stay in Croke Park despite beating Wexford by a score of 5-21 to 0-17 in front of just over 18,000 fans in last Sunday’s decider.

“Croke Park is the only place the players want the Leinster final to be played,” said Kilkenny hero Eoin Larkin as the GAA considers a switch next season.

“Croke Park is headquarters. I know supporters don’t want to be traveling to Dublin but it is very important to players to be playing on the best pitch in the country. That’s the bottom line. The players want to play here.”

Larkin also hit out at criticism of the standard of challenge offered to his team last Sunday and added, “If you were a player standing out there in Croke Park beside a Wexford player and you were feeling the hits and doing the running — we can only play the way we play.

“Back in the late nineties Wexford were winning these titles. It’s any given day. Wexford could have come out after half-time and destroyed us. We knew we had to up our game.”

Kilkenny remain on track for a hat-trick of All-Ireland titles and Larkin added, “It would be massive. It’s something we’ve spoken about. We’re over two of them now. We have one to go.

“It would be a massive deal for Kilkenny. We have to win an All-Ireland semifinal to get that far. We have two steps taken now. Hopefully, we will get there.”

Wexford manager John Meyler took some heart from his team’s first half display before Kilkenny hit top gear after the break.

“I was thrilled, delighted that we were there with them at halftime, the lads showed great composure and work-rate in the first half but then we got hit by a train!” said Meyler.

“They opened us up in the full-back line then because our half-back line was just pulled out 10 or 15 yards. Ball was being played in, held up, laid back and just run at us. But, like I constantly say, you’re seeing a fantastic hurling team in Kilkenny.

“It’s a team of artists, a team of athletes, a team of total strength and we didn’t compete in the second half. In the first half we fought with them, put them under pressure, got good scores and were maybe unlucky not to get a few frees but then the second-half and bang, bang, the game was over!”

Kilkenny boss Brian Cody was as generous as ever in his praise of Wexford after his team’s latest Leinster triumph.

“Wexford asked serious questions of us in the first half, which I expected, and like any game it was about weathering the storm and hanging in there,” said Cody.

“The stalemate was broken by a piece of outstanding skill. I’d no idea how Eddie got that first goal until I glanced at the big screen.

“It was suggested beforehand they were going to try and have a re-run of the 2004 game and, the movement in the forwards, they did that to a fair extent but you rely on trust with the players you have out there and they came up trumps

Galway Wins

GALWAY were left to count the cost of Saturday’s emphatic 1-26 to 0-9 win over Laois in the senior hurling qualifiers when full-back Fergal Moore aggravated a hamstring injury and Niall Healy damaged his hand.

Galway manager Ger Loughnane said, “The worrying thing for us now is that Fergal Moore looks as if he will miss two weeks, which is nightmare stuff. It is serious. His hamstring has always been a weakness, obviously he will now be very doubtful for two weeks’ time.

“There is a big danger that Niall Healy’s hand is broken. It was a complete accident, he just came in at the back of a swing and the Laois lad who was hitting the ball just didn’t see him coming. The end of the hurley caught him and he can’t move his fingers at the minute.

“It is looking fairly bleak. You always run the risk of injuries like that. We played Alan Kerins even though his toe wasn’t right, and at least Fergal Healy was able to get on and get 20 minutes into him because he is a vital player for us. Of anyone, I’d say the biggest worry of all is Fergal Moore.”

Waterford wins

WATERFORD made a winning start under new manager Davy Fitzgerald when they annihilated Antrim by 6-18 to 0-15 in the hurling qualifiers, but the Clare legend isn’t reading anything into the euphoria.

“It’s a nice reaction until we get ‘bate’ or I do something wrong,” said Fitzy. “All I can do is be honest and give it everything I have inside of me so when I look in the mirror, I know that I can say I’ve done all I can. Listen, the very best of them who’ve won All-Ireland have made mistakes.”

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