Galway left Cork coach red-faced

BERTIE ÓG MURPHY has admitted that Cork's display in the weekend Guinness All-Ireland hurling qualifier was not up to standard and that he had been embarrassed by their failure to Galway.

Óg Murphy made this clear yesterday, agreeing that while the management and team had a shared responsibility, he was not prepared to criticise his players.

"No player intentionally goes out to play poorly," he said.

Acknowledging that people had reacted emotionally, he said that it was a time "for reflection".

And, while Óg Murphy had not spoken to the selectors since the game, they planned to review the game together in a week or so.

"Obviously, you would have to be very disappointed. Normally, I am associated with a team that performs well, and if we are beaten, it's not through lack of effort or not playing good hurling," he said.

"Sunday was very disappointing. As coach, I was embarrassed by the standard of hurling we produced. I thought that we did not seem to want it as much as Galway as simple as that.''

Not surprisingly, he did not respond to an Evening Echo report which had an unnamed player saying that "eight or nine" team members might quit if there was no change in management.

It was claimed that relations had been strained since the start of the year, especially when many players joined the GPA.

A county board issue had become a management issue, it was suggested.

Óg Murphy said managements had to accept some responsibility when their teams were beaten, recalling that he had taken "fierce flak" after Cork lost to Galway in an All-Ireland Under-21 semi-final the year he was in charge.

But Cork bounced back to win the next two All-Irelands.

"You have to take a certain amount of responsibility, but everybody has to look in the mirror the following day and ask `Did he give his all?'.

"From my point of view, I would certainly stand over everything I did.

"I was actually very confident coming into the match that we were much sharper than even the Limerick game. But I certainly would not criticise the players. No one goes out to play badly on the day, but the players, the same as everybody else, have to take a certain amount of responsibility."

The irony is that the side's two training sessions last week were "the best" sessions all year.

"I thought the players were sharper and that the only time we matched that was coming up to the league final. I thought fellows were back on track.

"But, on the day, we certainly were not good enough. The dressing room afterwards was like a morgue. Fellows were very disappointed. I just spoke to players afterwards and we all shook hands.

"Emotions seem to be running high. In my opinion, it's a time to keep a cool head."

Interestingly, there was no criticism of the team's performance at this week's county board meeting, other than Diarmuid O'Sullivan's involvement in both teams being questioned.

Chairman Jim Cronin yesterday refused to respond to the reports of discord between players and management and remained upbeat about the future.

"I am quite happy that there is sufficient talent to put Cork up with the best of the teams in a couple of years."

Óg Murphy recalled being a player when Cork lost the All-Ireland final of 1982 to Kilkenny.

"They dug deep, came back the following year and won the All-Ireland of 1984."

Jim Cronin drew a parallel with Cork's displays in 1989 when they lost in a replay to Waterford and came back to win the All-Ireland the next year.

However, neither would discuss the alleged trouble in the camp, which many believe relates to the league final and the token GPA protest by players who did not conform to the dress code in the pre-match parade.

Óg Murphy readily accepted that Cork needed bigger forwards if they were to progress.

"We scoured the county over the last 12 months looking for players and in my opinion the panel we had up in Thurles was probably the best available.

"There are a number of young players who will definitely come through in a year or two, but it would have been very unfair to throw them in this year.

"Everybody is right. We do need to get some big physical men in the forwards to help out the like of Joe Deane and Ben O'Connor.

"They have to do a lot of the physical work where they would be better off being supplied with the ball. But, it's a tough job finding them, to be honest."

Until the group met, it would not be known whether all selectors would go forward.

But there was no doubt about Óg Murphy's priorities.

"Selectors and everybody else come and go, but it's very important that the Cork hurling tradition is carried on and that teams go out and play with distinction.

"That certainly didn't happen last Sunday."