Three things we learned...
The Canning Factor
It was aday for the Cannings. Right from the moment nephew Jack Canning raised the first green flag to the moment his uncle Joe got his hands on Liam McCarthy it was all about the Cannings. Jack Canning is a sensational talent, that all going well for him and his county, will go on to have a great career and last Sunday he gave the Cork minor hurlers a schooling in what he can do. Jack bagged 2-2 on aday when his side needed his talent to shine and shine it did. Canning’s ability under the high ball, with the ball in hand and in front of goal is top-class and while it is inevitable that comparisons will be made between Jack and All Ireland winner Joe, it is clear that Jack will be another name to excite hurling fans for many years to come.
The Fightback
Often wha thappens in situations like last Sunday is one team gets the jump on the other and that is it. The game can be over before it begins. This is especially the case for minors and other underage grades as often the heads can drop before the towel deserves to be thrown in. Last Sunday Cork got the jump on Galway but despite all the talent and expectation surrounding this Rebel side, this Galway side showed they had plenty bottle. Galway’s heads never dropped, they battled through some really tough periods of the game and came out the other side inspired. This win was all about them and little really to do with Cork.
The Vanquished
It is hard to be tough on Cork for last Sunday’s display. They hit the ground running, put it up to Galway in the best way they could and for more than half of the game they were the side to beat. The loss was of course difficult for all in the camp to accept and get to grips with but that in no way should take away from their achievements this year. The early successes showed just what this team could do while the games in Croker showed some frailties, however, all that said, the season overall can only be described as a success. Cork will be back, and while the grade changes going forward there is little doubt that next season the Rebel County will be stronger for their exploits this year. – Diarmuid Sheehan