Into the great wide open
While the Cork manager believes the drawn game will benefit his team, he admits the weekend tie will be unknown territory for them.
"It's a new situation and you don't know how you are going to go," he commented. "There isn't much time, but both teams are in the same boat. This was our first match in a long time so that possibly will stand to us. At least we're going back to the same venue and the experience of playing there will probably stand to us."
O'Grady admits to surprise at the way his team was installed as strong favourites, insisting he had regarded it all along as an 'even-steven' game.
"I don't know who makes who favourites, maybe the people who write in the press. But that could be five people in five papers giving their opinions. I think a lot of it was based on this 'traditional thing', that Cork had won against Wexford in the 70s. But, that's history. This is 2003 and has nothing to do with any other year.
"I was always very respectful of Wexford and I was fearful of them. I said it last week and it was shown on Sunday they are a team that never give up. We went three points ahead with a minute left and I felt we would go on and win it, but they kept fighting. They had a few chances before that if they had taken them they might have been level with us anyway.
"The difference was that we went for scores and we missed them.
"We went for points and they went just wide, drifted to the right or the left of the post at the last minute. "They actually were looking for goals and they had chances of tapping the ball over the bar."
Along with the respect which he had for Wexford, O'Grady conceded he had also been concerned by his team's lengthy break in the aftermath of the Munster final. Though the club championship was played and players were involved with the Cork u21s, O'Grady felt that preparations were less than ideal.
And he makes no apologies for such sentiment.
"These were my true feelings. I wasn't quite sure if the six weeks lay-off was a good thing or a bad thing. It could be good if both teams had the same break, but it was obvious Wexford had the advantage of playing extra matches. And they had the advantage of playing in Croke Park on numerous occasions.
"That was denied to us. I was very worried how we'd go. I said last week how a lot could depend on how we would play in the first 20 to 25 minutes. The fact of the matter was that in the first five minutes we were superb. After that I don't think we were able to match Wexford from then until the end of the first half, principally in the aggression stakes. I think they were far more aggressive than we were. I think they won the battle. We were lucky enough to turn over at half-time only four points down."
Preparations for the replay will centre around video analysis of the game in an effort to learn from mistakes made on Sunday. The players will be brought together for two nights of light work with more focus being placed on the mental rather than the physical aspect.
"We can learn from mistakes. I don't think we were tight enough as a team in the first half. And, as I already said, I don't think we were aggressive enough in the tackles. We gave them a little bit too much leeway in the middle of the field and around the half-forward and full-forward lines. These are areas in which we'll have to tighten up."
He envisages that it will be a tough encounter, but hardly as free-flowing as Sunday's fare. He points to the Munster championship meeting of Limerick and Waterford and the subsequent replay as a case in point.
"There was a lot of high scoring in the draw, but the second game was very tight and a bit of a dour affair. If that's what it takes to win, that is what we will have to do. We can only look at our own performance and see where we slipped up and where we can improve.
"Some players hadn't played in a long time and we hadn't played together as a team. Maybe we lacked that bit of sharpness for a good bit of the game."
Pointing out that the management had never set out with any long-term goals or ambitions, O'Grady acknowledged that 'it's nice' to be still involved in mid-August.
"It was also nice for this team to play in Croke Park, which is a fantastic stadium. It was great to be involved on such an occasion.
"It struck me on Sunday as I left the field how lucky the GAA are to have such players, to have such counties and such support. It was fantastic for an amateur association and for amateur players to serve up such a performance in such heat and to go back again next Saturday and do battle again."
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