Nash: “We don’t see ourselves as strong favourites anytime”
IT’S hard to put a finger on why Cork performed so poorly in the first half, but keeper Anthony Nash dismissed the suggestion that complacency had anything to do with it.
Admitting it was almost impossible to analyse Cork's performance immediately after the game, the Kanturk clubman said it will be a case of reflecting over the next few days on the mistakes that were made, and hopefully find a way to remedy them for the replay.
“You never really know what going to happen in the first round of the championship, but you'd have to say we'd be very disappointed with the way we played in the first half. It's becoming a bit of a habit for us at this stage unfortunately, we're giving teams big leads far too often, and it makes things very difficult when you are in a situation like that at the top level.
“We were lucky to get out of jail today, but, in fairness to the lads, they really dug deep after Waterford got their goal in the second half. They could quite easily have dropped their heads, and decided we'd be looking at the backdoor, but they stuck with it, and we're just delighted to be coming back here in two weeks time for another crack at Waterford.
“I know people will be saying we have the momentum with us now, but just because we came from behind today isn't going to make the job any easier the next day. The reality is that Waterford outhurled and outworked us for the majority of this match, they showed they are a very good team, but we knew that going in, and we certainly weren't complacent,” he said.
Nash revealed there were no harsh words delivered to the players at half time, stating that the only instructions from the management were to implement the game-plan, which the players hadn't done in the first half.
“There was a significant wind out there, and we simply didn't get going in the first half, but we gradually pulled things together, although it really began to look bleak for us after we went nine points behind.
“Fortunately, we got a goal at the right time, and, while it was a scrambled goal from Bill Cooper, it gave us a great shot on the arm, and it turned the whole game around. Hoggie and Aidan Walsh got some fantastic points after that, as did Alan Cadogan, who was always dangerous.
“That Aidan and Alan, along with Mark Ellis at centre back, played so well in their first championship game was a big positive, but Waterford's new players also showed they are well able to hurl.
“I thought Waterford were fantastic today, and there is no reason why they can't play as well again, so I expect they are going to be just as hard to beat in the replay.
“If you look at it this way, there's none of us with a few All-Ireland medals in our pockets, we haven't won Munster for quite a while, so we don't see ourselves as strong favourites anytime we go out, and that's the honest truth.”