O’Connor: We were fortunate to survive

YOU’D have thought a 70th Munster SFC title at the expense of arch rivals Cork would warrant mass celebrations in the Kerry dressing rooms at Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday.

You’d have been wrong. Relief was the order of the day in this pocket of the ground.

Manager Jack O’Connor was doing little to hide his, and his players’ feelings. But he always knew this was how it would turn out.

“Make no mistake about it we were very fortunate to survive out there today,” said the All-Ireland winning boss. “I knew it was going to be a very tight match. That’s a good Cork team and they’ll be disappointed at not getting something from the game.

“That Cork team would have beaten most teams down here today. They are extremely fit and had us on the back foot for long periods.

“However Kerry have been in this situation before and it was our experience which pulled us through in the end. We didn’t lose the head, kept tipping away and the goal was always going to be the crucial score.

“Thankfully Declan O’Sullivan got it for us and it gave us that bit of breathing space. Again I want to emphasise Cork were excellent, as good as we expected them to be. They have a lot of pace in their team and I can tell you there are many teams who won’t relish playing them in the qualifiers.

“Cork in Páirc Uí Chaoimh have never been easy down the years and today was no exception.

“In last year’s game against them we got on top after 20 minutes, but I told the lads that it would take the full 70 on this occasion to wear them down, and it took all of that and a bit more.

“In fact when we got the goal they brought the lead back to two points on a couple of occasions, and we could never quite put them away.

“Try as we might we could never get the insurance point and the game hung in the balance up to the final whistle. As long as there was time, there was a chance they would squeeze in an equalising goal.

“Cork looked extremely sharp in the opening half while we were very hesitant on the ball, a bit lethargic in places and looked a bit off the pace.

“And we will have to be more aggressive coming out to the ball, particularly in defence. Maybe Cork’s early intensity took some of our players by surprise, and we were at sixes and sevens for a while, but all’s well that ends well.”

Asked about the number of substitutions he made, O’Connor said that given the conditions it was always going to be a 20-man game.

“The intensity of the game and the heat of the day was always going to take a lot out of players and there were lads out there who were out on the feet and had to be taken off.

“Fortunately we have a very good bench and those lads who came in helped to turn the tide when Cork looked to be getting on top, particularly around the middle of the field.

“Cork appeared to have a lot of space in front of goal, but Tom O’Sullivan, Mike McCarthy and Marc Ó Sé were outstanding for us and we are lucky to have players with their pace and ability.

“Obviously there is room for improvement, but this game will hopefully bring us on a lot. It was a day for a bit of character and battling qualities and we had both in abundance.”