Kenny content as Rebels get job done

IT WASN’T world-beating form, and certainly wouldn’t be enough to topple Kilkenny from their perch atop hurling’s pecking order, but ultimately it was a case of job done in Tullamore on Saturday evening for Cork’s Tom Kenny.

He explained: “Offaly were always going to be tough and they put it up to us for 40 or 45 minutes. It was a tight pitch, they had good support and if they had got a good run on us in the second half it might have been trouble. Aisake’s goal before half-time, though, and Patrick Horgan’s goal afterwards, gave us the cushion and the confidence to drive on. It was a tough draw in one sense, getting Offaly away from home but the best draw in another, because it focused the minds. It’s good to get behind us, (now) we’re looking forward to the next game.”

That draw takes place next weekend, and will pit Cork against the winners of either Clare/Galway or Wexford/Limerick. No matter who it is, however, on the evidence of Tullamore, Cork can again expect huge support. For some reason – they are, after all, championship matches, and knockout – qualifier games aren’t usually well supported, and this was a real challenge for even the most avid Cork fan. And yet they were there in their thousands, maybe even outnumbering the home support. This, according to Kenny, was a factor in the win.

“Pa Finn, one of our selectors, was saying to us in the warm-up: ‘Lads, we have huge support here tonight, we can’t let them down.’ And in fairness there was red everywhere – we’d like to thank them for travelling all the way up here, we hope we gave them something to cheer about.”

That they did, but no-one raised more Rebel cheer or more rebel cheers than giant full-forward Aisake O hAilpín. What Aisake had threatened in the loss to Tipperary was delivered on here, two powerful goals and a third shot that whizzed just over the bar. Without doubt, agrees Tom Kenny, a new hero is being cultivated in Cork.

“He was fantastic for us, and it’s been difficult recently for Aisake, only back from Australia six months ago. But the more hurling he gets the better he becomes. Hopefully he’ll be even better in two weeks time.”

For Offaly’s Ger Oakley, this was a chastening experience, one to forget. The Offaly captain has been outstanding all year in the centre-back position, but was forced out of this game in midweek with an elbow complaint and only appeared 10 minutes into the second half.

He revealed: “We were well in it at half-time, but crunch time is at around the 45-minute mark, and that’s when Cork pulled away; they got scores when they needed them. They have experience and you can’t buy that. They’re a nice team, old heads but with a good sprinkling of youth.

“It was a good game for them, will stand them in good stead – they should push on.”

Offaly manager Joe Dooley was more effusive about Cork, reacting strongly to a suggestion that his side had faded out in the second half of yet another big match.

“Cork have a very strong panel. Five of them have played in five All-Irelands finals, several more also have plenty of All-Ireland experience – they are a very, very experienced outfit and they overran us in the end. If you lose six or seven first choice players in a county like Offaly, against a county like Cork, it’s not easy to keep it going. They’re probably the second best team in Ireland at the moment, or very near it.”