Macroom relieved to put painful memories to bed

FOR a proud club which won the last of ten Cork senior football titles back in 1962, an intermediate championship success represents significant progress for a modern generation of Macroom players and supporters – all the more so since it marks the end of 20 years of effort.

Yesterday in Páirc Uí Chaoimh was all about celebrating the moment and looking to the future with renewed optimism. Yes, they wasted chances in both halves and needed the rub of the green to survive a powerful Kildorrery challenge, but that was quickly forgotten about in the after-glow of victory.

Team captain Fintan Goold, who has experienced the lows at club and county levels, best articulated those feelings.

“Days like this – as we saw with Cork this year – are all about getting over the line. Who cares how you win as long as you get on the right side of the result! We have had our fair share of bad luck in the past. Today makes up for it.’’

“You could see there at the bitter end, you could see the fight. We had lost U21 county finals before and those feelings stick with you. I think every lad gave it everything up to the final whistle.

“It could have gone either way – Kildorrery missed a penalty while we got a rebound. They will count themselves extremely unlucky, we count ourselves very lucky.”

Manager Noel Twomey agreed that the wides total signalled ‘a worrying trend.’ “We created so many chances but took wrong options when we should probably have been working the ball in more,’’ he commented.

“To come back the way we did showed great character and great strength. But, we were lucky that Andrew O’Brien put his (penalty) kick outside of the post because he was kicking great shots all day.’’

Twomey said it would have been ‘devastating’ to lose, adding: “All year long we were creating the chances, (but) one way or another we were not taking them. We should have had games put to bed right through the championship.’’

Kildorrery manager Ronan Sheehan agreed that their penalty miss had been “heartbreaking” for midfielder Andrew O’Brien. However, he praised him for the team’s ‘one stand-out performance.’

“Their penalty was so important because they had missed so many chances. We have to be realistic,’’ he stated. “We got on top in the 10 minutes after half-time and if we had driven it home I think we would have won.’’