‘We’re licking our wounds’

GERALD McCarthy wasn’t offering excuses yesterday when he faced the press. Offered the bait of blaming Cork’s three games in 15 days for his side’s defeat, he shook his head.

“No, we played the semi-final against one of the teams of the decade. That’s where we wanted to be, no matter how many games we had to play to get there. We have to admire Kilkenny, they gave a marvellous performance up to the 23rd minute, we seemed to take our foot off the pedal a little bit and you can’t do that against Kilkenny — they rapped out an eight-point lead very quickly.

“Against a team like them, that’ll prove impossible to recover. With this group of (Cork) players you never know when it’s over or not, they fight to the end, and we had a couple of goal chances in that first half, to prosper we needed to get them. They didn’t happen, and you have to admire Kilkenny.

Their point-taking at the end was of a very high standard. We’re disappointed, but it’s no horror to lose to a team like that. We lose no caste in losing that one.

“It’s hard to judge teams of different eras, Kilkenny had some great teams in the 70s and 80s, but this team is certainly up there with the best of them. They’re a superb hurling bunch, very strong, very physical, and they have a great mix to their game.”

The Cork boss was left to rue some chances Cork missed or, to be more precise, some chances that never quite arose.

“We brought it from 10 points down to five, but all the time we needed a goal and it didn’t look like coming. They were very quick to close down our players in possession, and it took a huge effort from our players to close it from 10 to five, we just couldn’t sustain that effort really. Then Kilkenny came back into it and stretched that lead out again. They’re a superb side.”

Several Cork players first crossed swords with Kilkenny in the 1999 final, and nine years is a lifetime in modern hurling. However, McCarthy wouldn’t speculate about possible retirements — or his own future as manager.

“That’s something I wouldn’t dare get into — we’re licking our wounds, we’ve had a defeat in an All-Ireland semi-final, that’s enough to be dealing with on a Monday.

“I’m not talking about that today, and I won’t be talking about those things with the players. They need time now to assess things. They’re a very dedicated bunch, some of them are only 30, 31. Maybe that’s a bit old in current-day hurling, with the effort that’s required, but a lot of them are in top physical shape. I don’t see why they should be pin-pointed for retirement just because we were beaten by Kilkenny.”

Invited to gauge Waterford or Tipperary’s chances of beating Kilkenny, the Cork boss was circumspect.

“I’m the last one to answer that, having gotten a nine-point beating out there. It’ll take a huge performance from either Tipp or Waterford to beat them. I don’t know — after that display you’d have to say Kilkenny will be in the driving seat in the final against either team.”

Concise as ever, the former All-Ireland-winning captain summed up the proceedings neatly when asked if his side had been outclassed.

“We were outplayed for a lot of that game, but for the first 23 minutes we were doing alright — it was in that period that we lost it, they got a goal that shouldn’t have happened. We had three chances to clear that ball and it didn’t happen. It shouldn’t have been conceded and that made it a hell of a battle after that.”