McCarthy: we were ready for a battle

IN VICTORY or defeat, you couldn’t imagine much of a change in the attitude or demeanour of even-tempered Cork senior hurling manager Gerald McCarthy, but then again, maybe that’s what over 40 years at the top level, on and off the park, do for you.

Yesterday, however, on his championship return to the Cork management team, his first time as the sole number one, there was a smile on the face. “We got the right result, hard-earned I think really, even though it looked like we were going to run away with it at one stage.

“Clare came back strong. We settled in quite nicely but that was partly because Clare aided us by missing some very easy scores in the opening ten minutes. Had they got those it would have been much closer.”

He was being a bit generous to the opposition, was McCarthy. Clare did come back at Cork, twice actually, but on each occasion never with enough and never for long enough.

Mind you, on the evidence of yesterday’s play, probably the only chance Clare had was to try and make a dog-fight of it, because when this Cork machine gets up a head of steam, it’s a truly beautiful sight.

“We’re happy enough with our performance but there’s big room for improvement, there’s no question about that, and the lads know that,” said McCarthy.

“But it’s a relief really, first-round games are notorious. You don’t really know if your lads are up for it ‘till you’re into it; we discovered very quickly today that it was going to be a tough, hard battle,” McCarthy admitted.

“We were ready for that, quite honestly, we expected that it would be tough, hard, physical; we’re just happy we got the right scores at the right time to put us into a comfortable position for most of the game.”

Before this game — and afterwards — there was much talk that the losers actually have the easier road to the All-Ireland quarter-final. McCarthy, however, was having none of it. “No, I’m a bit old-fashioned, I’ve stated that our wish is to defend that (the Munster) title, go into the quarter-finals as defending Munster champions. That’s our aim.”

Next up for Cork is yet another game against Waterford, the Munster semi-final on June 17. In the latest episode of one of hurling’s finest modern rivalries, Waterford pipped Cork in the National League semi-final, several weeks ago, a cracking contest. Expect more of the same, says the Cork manager.

“The one thing you can take from Cork/Waterford matches is that they are always really good hurling games. The styles of both teams brings out the best in each of us, I think it will be another of those good games.

“We need to up our performances as we go along the championship now, the players know that. The main thing that showed out there, the experienced players still have the hunger for it.”

Significant also, the number of new players on view for Cork. From 2003 to 2006 (inclusive), the starting 15 barely changed, understandably given that they reached four All-Ireland finals, winning two.

Yesterday, however, a plethora of new faces. Cian O’Connor at corner-back, Kieran Murphy (Erin’s Own) and Pa Cronin in the half-forward line, Cathal Naughton and Kevin Hartnett brought on as subs; this is a manager not afraid to shake things up.

“We had a couple of hamstring injuries that went against us today, but it’s a 30-man panel now and we’re very happy with the subs we brought in. The strength of our panel is good.”