IT’S Easter Sunday, the morning after the night before as I write this week’s column, and the full range of emotions are still swirling around in Cork football hearts and minds.
Pride, yes, to an extent, for the gallant efforts of a Cork team universally dismissed in advance, but ultimately huge regret and crushing disappointment at a massive opportunity lost. This defeat falls firmly into the gut-wrenching category for several reasons, even if it was a game to win over the Gaelic football cynics in this county and beyond.
Kerry dominated a very poor Cork for the opening 25 or so minutes and held a seven-point lead which should have been substantially more. David Clifford stood over a two-point free from the top of the arc and missed, which was the cue for Brian O’Driscoll to thunder into the game. Five points from O’Driscoll including two kicks from beyond 40 metres hauled Cork back into contention. The margin was a scarcely believable two points at the half-time whistle.
Cork started the second half much better as a previously off-kilter Brian Hurley showed great courage and self-belief to take a free outside the arc and level the game with another orange flag for the Rebels. The game was tit for tat until a Kerry flurry in the middle of the half ended with Paudie Clifford placing Paul Geaney for a goal and Kerry led by seven.
Paudie Clifford, though, offered Cork a lifeline with a high tackle around the neck of Matty Taylor. A red card was very harsh but now Cork had a sniff of a chance. There was just under 59 minutes left when Kerry’s playmaker was sent to the line. Then the madness ensued.
An energised Cork team were quick to take advantage as Cathail O’Mahony kicked a two-pointer within 15 seconds of the dismissal. Sean McDonnell would follow suit less than a minute later. From the kick-out, Gavin White fumbled possession and Chris Óg Jones punished the mistake with a drop-kick to the corner of the net. In under three minutes Kerry had lost one of their key men and Cork had wiped out a seven-point deficit with three scores. The game was there for the winning and this is where the Cork world of regret begins in earnest.
Colm O'Callaghan and Seanie O'Shea battle for possession during the Munster SFC semi-final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. (Photo: George Hatchell)
The sides were level, less than ten minutes left, Cork had an extra man and all the momentum. Kicking two-pointers had served Cork well in the recovery but the obsession with going for them after drawing level was to prove costly. Eoghan McSweeney was off target from distance when there was space in front of him to manoeuvre a better opportunity. Ruairi Deane showed a cooler head moments later and Cork had a one-point lead with six minutes left.
The next crucial Cork mistake came from Cathail O’Mahony whose snatched effort for a double point turned into a Garryown gathered by Kerry replacement goalkeeper Shane Murphy. The play quickly transferred to the opposite end and the same Cork player over-committed in his desire to atone for the miss. Seanie O’Shea would then waltz past the Cork defensive cover, taking eight or nine steps in the process, before planting the ball in the net. There was a suspicion of a foul on O’Shea, but it was either a free in or a free out for over-carrying. Regardless, the goal stemmed from a litany of Cork errors in the same phase of play, and a rattled Kerry had their lifeline with just over four minutes to play.
To Cork’s credit, they refused to yield. A group tackle led to a close-in free converted by Mark Cronin. It was a kick easier for a right footer and the lack of a reliable deasóg would return to hurt Cork later on. Into the final minute and some patient play for Cork ended when the ball was worked into a good scoring position for Eoghan McSweeney from 30 yards out on the right to equalise with just ten seconds left.
Shane Murphy’s resulting kick-out could have been the deciding moment and Rory Maguire was the one to claim the break. Unfortunately for the Castlehaven man, he was not having the best of nights and the ball spilled from his grasp. Daniel O’Mahony touched the ball on the ground and a free was given even though Kerry were looking for the advantage with Clifford in behind the Cork defence. The free was called back and Kerry worked the ball to Dylan Geaney who missed from 35 yards. The game was over, extra-time would be needed.
How many people would have predicted this scoreline after 70 minutes? (Photo: George Hatchell)
The first half of extra-time was defined by missed chances for Cork and a pair of officials who decided to even the score after Paudie Clifford was sent off in normal time. Cork totally controlled the first four minutes of extra-time but contrived to miss three shots for points while Shane Murphy denied Jones with a good save from close range. Kerry’s first possession saw O’Connor claim another kick-out before Sean Brady tackled him. The contact was low but a combination of O’Connor making a meal of it, a Kerry crowd making some noise after perceived earlier injustice and officials under pressure in difficult conditions led to a ridiculous red card. Take it from someone who has been rightly sent off on a few occasions, and more harshly once or twice, referees need to be sure when they are making such big calls.
To compound Cork’s misery the free was brought forward 50 metres for tackling a player who caught a mark and Clifford put Kerry in front. The same man converted a superb two-pointer moments later and now Kerry had a three-point lead and the numbers were even.
Once again, Cork responded. Jones converted a free after Colm O’Callaghan pressure forced Tony Brosnan to over-carry. Cork claimed possession from the restart but McSweeney, Jones (twice) and O’Driscoll from a two-point free all missed chances to reduce the lead or even draw level. Mark Cronin went off injured which meant Cork’s designated free-takers were both off the pitch, the other being Brian Hurley. This problem would rear its head again in the second half of extra time.
Cork started the second half of extra-time in positive fashion as Chris Óg Jones pointed after direct attacking from Brian O’Driscoll and Eoghan McSweeney who, along with Sean Walsh, played very well from the bench. The Knocknagree forward followed up with a two-pointer from the centre of the pitch and Cork were ahead by one. Once more, Cork could not kick on and the Kerry kick-out slipped through O’Callaghan’s grasp to allow Kerry through for substitute Killian Spillane to equalise. To make matters worse, Ruairi Deane went down and would have to be replaced. Yet another major moment in a wildly oscillating game.
Another substitute, this time Conor Cahalane, restored Cork’s lead with a little over six minutes left. O’Driscoll then gained possession 45 yards out in space, but this time could not repeat his earlier heroics as tiredness led to a wild effort well off target. Joe O’Connor again lorded the skies from the kick-out and disaster would strike when he was on hand just outside the 14 to smash home a cracking goal.
It would prove the decisive score, but the drama was far from over as Sean Walsh claimed the kick-out and Conor Cahalane drove through the Kerry defence only to pull his shot wide off his less favoured left foot. Fisting a point or trying to pick out McSweeney in support might have been better options. Hindsight is easy though and it’s hard to be too critical.
Two points down with two minutes left, Cork would get two more chances and both would fall to Cathail O’Mahony. Unfortunately for Cork and the young man from Mitchelstown, his free from 45 yards drifted right and wide and his effort from play with time up went wide on the other side of the posts. The final whistle sounded to bring Cork devastation and Kerry relief.
For the Cork squad, they must regroup, but the hurt from this one will linger longer than most. Credit is deserved for the massive efforts, but improvements are needed so similar chances can be converted in the future.
