Not back to square one yet
Diarmuid Sheehan was in Pairc Uí Rinn on Saturday night to witness a most disappointing turn of events for the Cork senior hurlers
AWEEK is a long time in politics, in life and certainly in hurling. Cork went into their clash with Dublin in Pairc Uí Rinn last Saturday night on a high.
Albeit still just February, Cork hurling had generated an air of success about it. A Munster Hurling League success and a trouncing of Clare the week previous had brought back something of a sense of swagger in Cork hurling circles.
Of course, Kieran Kingston, his mentors and charges were playing down how things were going but it was fair to say that when the bus turned up in Pairc Uí Rinn on a nice, bright night for hurling there was plenty optimism in the air.
Dublin were the opponents. Whipping boys according to some publications and news outlets however unsurprisingly the men in blue clearly didn’t see things that way. Cork came out with all guns blazing and after only a few minutes it was clear to see that Dublin had their work cut out for them. Three quick points and you could hear the samba drums of Cork supporters heading up Jones’ Road in September.
Not even Dublin’s goal moments later quelled the level of expectation that was building around the men in red and white but suddenly, as if someone put a little pin prick in the Cork balloon air started to flow out.
The Cork balloon began to shrink and Dublin sensed it. The groans of the crowd must have been deafening to a side that love to hear their supporters roar them home. Cork were in trouble and Dublin, the unfancied side that were schooled in the art of hurling the previous week by Tipp, were about to make them pay.
It went wrong everywhere for the home side. Simple passes didn’t go to hand, Cork started to go across, and back and across again and Dublin pressed hard and took the ball off them over and over again.
Cork tried the short bullet-like pass from Anthony Nash to halfbacks or midfielders, but more often than not Dublin disposed them. Nash’s short puck outs
had worked a treat the previous weekend but on this occasion there was to be no joy.
Last but not least was the uncharacteristic wides by Pat Horgan. Normally clinical from any range, the Glen Rovers man struggled to get his eye in on several occasions – thankfully something that we don’t often say about this fine marksman. It was in truth the perfect storm for Cork.
Cork had plenty to cheer early on. Luke Meade and the boss’s son Shane Kingston are the future of this side and both started superbly. Both fought well, scored superb scores and linked as if they had old heads on those young shoulders but both failed to push on when Dublin took control. Neither in fairness can be blamed for this as the midfield was overrun with Dubs.
Cork looked fragile in the half back line which makes one wonder what has happened to Mallow’s Cormac Murphy.
A superb, solid performer for both club and county yet again left on the bench when his services looked like they were required.
Cork will have to go back to the drawing board after this loss but that doesn’t mean they have to remove all the sketches they had been working on. Kieran Kingston put it really well after the game.
“We are not as good as we were last week against Clare and we are not as bad as we were tonight.” And of course he is right. Cork just didn’t perform on the night and everyone knew it. Sometimes you just collectively lose your focus and forget all those things that work. Cork collectively ran up a blind alley last Saturday night and just didn’t know which way to turn to get out of it.
Playing the top sides in the country is always better than fighting with the lower sides in Division 1B
That may seem very simplistic but it is the case. Nothing seemed to work, and when that happens on the pitch, God himself can’t help.
So assuming that divine intervention isn’t going to save the rebels from their fate, what do Cork need to do now? Well, one win from two is far from a disaster and considering that only Tipperary have won two from two, this league is still up for grabs.
Cork need to bounce back immediately and this loss will be put into that box in the attic that no one dares to open. Lose heavily to Kilkenny next time out in Nowlan Park and the knives will start to glint.
Cork can’t really afford to get relegated this season as brining that kind of momentum into the championship will be catastrophic and that is a word that Cork fans could do without hearing.
This league campaign is important for many reasons. That winning feeling can’t be replicated in training, momentum is better than any tactic and playing against the top sides in the country whenever you can is always better than fighting with the lower sides in 1B.
Cork need to stay in 1A.