Cork pay for allowing Tipp space to prosper

Tony Considine, holds his hands up. He predicted a Cork victory and a classic. On both counts he was way off the mark.

Not alone was this a most disappointing result for Cork, it was a major setback and leaves serious question marks hanging over the future of this team in their quest to annex the Liam McCarthy Cup.

If this Cork team are not presently good enough, which yesterday proved, there is nothing coming through the underage factory to strengthen their hand in the campaigns ahead. Cork’s minors and U21s were very poor this summer, their U21s extremely disappointing in the Munster final. Yes, Clare were excellent, but Cork were nowhere near the required standard at that level.

When was the last time Cork won a minor or U21 All-Ireland title? When was the last time Cork won a Munster minor or U21 title? There was a time the county were winning underage All-Irelands at their leisure. What is coming through at underage presently is not of sufficient quality and it is evident the current seniors are not good enough either. Uncertainty looms.

Yesterday, Jimmy Barry-Murphy’s side came up short in every facet of play. They were hurled off the pitch.

I could not fathom the space afforded to the Tipperary midfielders and half-back line. Tipperary were collecting Darren Gleeson’s puckouts with consummate ease, collecting his deliveries uncontested. I could not understand the Cork policy of standing 10 and 15 yards off their men. There was no Cork pressure applied whatsoever.

It said a lot that at half-time that Cork’s top-scorer was Anthony Nash, with two frees.

Cork accepted defeat too easily. They lay down to Tipperary. They allowed Tipperary walk over them. Their defence, Mark Ellis aside, were completely outhurled. At midfield, they were completely overrun. Not alone were James Woodlock and Noel McGrath given the freedom of Croke Park, they were given the freedom of Dublin. Why was neither Daniel Kearney nor Aidan Walsh sticking to their man? It puzzled every spectator in attendance.

Who was marking John O’Dwyer? Six easier points he will not score, and on All-Ireland semi-final afternoon.

Cork have a serious amount of soul-searching to do. Their attitude was terrible. Cork supporters outnumbered Tipperary in Croke Park and I’d say if you picked 15 of them at random yesterday morning you’d have got a greater effort than what was given from the men in red shirts inside the whitewash.

People can talk about the five-week layoff and its side effects, but there is no explanation for Cork’s attitude. Compare their mindset to that of Kilkenny last Sunday week. Kilkenny’s work-rate got them over the line when they were bettered in the hurling stakes. Cork’s work-rate was non-existent. The Cork forward unit, Conor Lehane aside, collapsed. Harnedy, Cadogan and Cronin were all called ashore. There was questions marks over the form and fitness of Cronin. Should he have started?

I do not know why Cork strayed from the bullish style of hurling that delivered in such impressive fashion their first Munster title in eight years last month. They were in Limerick’s face that afternoon, hassling and harrying at every turn.

Pádraic Maher will have a pain in his hand this morning from all the ball he fielded, uncontested at that. The same applied to Cathal Barrett and Brendan Maher. The trio were superb, as was James Barry. Tipperary’s defensive effort was flawless.

That said, it is very easy hurl when you are let. The number of unforced errors from Cork was head-scratching. They lost the ball and weren’t prepared to fight to retrieve it. You must make your man fight at every turn, Cork didn’t. It doesn’t matter who is the manager, if the fight isn’t there, the level of success you can achieve is capped. As a result of Cork’s ineptitude, this game was a non-event. The crowd did not get value for money.

For Tipperary, man of the match contenders were in every line. Pádraic Maher was colossal. The midfield pairing of Woodlock and McGrath hurled up a storm. John O’Dwyer was magnificent, Seamus Callanan finished with 2-4. Enough said.

Tipperary had their match-ups spot on, their attitude was correct. They had a plan and they executed it. They were in a different league. They hurled with a freedom and abandon, and when Callanan blasted home their first goal, an effort Nash should have stopped, you knew they were in the groove.

And so we return to another All-Ireland final instalment of Tipperary and Kilkenny. The return of hurling’s two great powers of the modern era taints last year’s final. You can’t take away from Clare’s achievement, but it definitely taints the hurling revolution as it was.

I can already feel the crunching tackles of September 7.

A word briefly on Limerick minors. It was an excellent display from Brian Ryan’s outfit and testament to the underage work taking place in the county. I imagine the result will act as small compensation for the seniors’ defeat.