Rock: ‘We know what’s expected’

DIARMUID O’Sullivan is recalling last autumn’s heartbreak, the game he nearly rescued with a late foray up the field.

It wasn't the big show in Croke Park, however; it was the Cork county semi-final, when O'Sullivan's last-second penalty cannoned off the Blackrock crossbar, condemning his beloved Cloyne to defeat. It was a scant couple of weeks after the loss to Kilkenny, but he shrugs: "Every player would like more of a break but there was a county title to be contested, so we had to play."

At least it was a distraction after the misery of losing the All-Ireland final. "That was very bad, particularly compared to 1999. I suppose the disappointment stemmed from the fact that we knew we'd come so close. At half-time we felt we hadn't really played, then the second-half just flew there never seems to be enough time when you're chasing a game."