Capital gains: Rebels ensure all-Munster decider

Jimmy’s winning matches, Jimmy’s winning games, Jimmy’s close to bringing Liam back to Cork again.

Don’t be surprised if, in the coming weeks, we hear that some enterprising muso has contacted Donegal musician Rory Gallagher in Lanzarote for permission to put a new slant on his composition.

It would certainly warrant the price of a international phone-call, as justifiable hype now goes into overdrive about Jimmy Barry-Murphy’s second coming as Cork manager.

From the man who proved 14 years ago that kids can win everything, we shouldn’t have been surprised he had the capability to bring the Rebel County to its first hurling All-Ireland final since 2006.

And this occasion could be even more dramatic than 1999 after purging a panel and replacing it with promise.

Few, though, had seen it coming. Anyone who saw them struggle on cold days in Fraher Field and Pearse Stadium before they eventually fell out of Division 1A this spring wouldn’t have considered Cork All-Ireland contenders.

After losing a Munster final to Limerick, their stock fell again, only to soar further with the axing of Kilkenny.

But the massive Rebel presence among the 62,092 in Croke Park yesterday, no doubt spurred on by beating the Cats last month, certainly believed. And their faith was repaid, Patrick Horgan’s 66th-minute goal effectively sealing this affair after Dublin were reduced to 14 men after Ryan O’Dwyer’s second yellow card.

Jimmy had heard all the criticisms of his team before. That they were too soft. That they didn’t score enough goals. But he didn’t heed them. “We’ve been asked that question all the time: Does it worry me not to be scoring goals? It doesn’t; as long as we’re winning matches, you must be doing something right.”