Manager hails team character

CORK boss Denis Walsh admitted after Saturday’s All-Ireland SHC qualifier that Patrick Cronin’s dismissal “probably suited” his side as they adapted better to the ensuing space.

“It probably suited us because we shifted the ball fairly well. There was probably more space once we kept it away from the spare man, and the wind was a factor. Their danger men are down the middle and in the full-forward line and they couldn’t get the ball down there.”

Like most people in the ground, Walsh didn’t see what happened to merit a sending-off. He heard it.

“I heard the clatter but I didn’t see it. I think there’s no argument from our side, without having seen it – I don’t think there’s any argument – but it’s unfortunate because it’s against Pa’s nature.”

Walsh felt his side had always been in control due to the quality of their play after Cronin’s dismissal and the fact that Cork kept tabs on Offaly’s danger men.

“It’d be disingenuous of me to say to the team that we only won by a point after playing excellent hurling from the time the man was put off. We were four points up in injury time — if you put it that way, it was probably a three-point game. If it had stayed 15 versus 15 it might have been a closer game.

“That’s their strength, in Joe Bergin and Shane Dooley, are there two better players in the inside line? I know Joe was centre-forward for a lot of the game but we were worried about them, I’ll be honest.”

The manager had words of praise for Patrick Horgan and Ronan Curran in particular.

“I was delighted, he’s (Horgan) continuing his tremendous form, which is pleasing.

“Ronan did well, we felt we needed some experience and control down the middle at that time, and it worked well. They were strong down the middle, and even when Ronan came in, any openings they created were down the middle. By putting Ronan and Tom Kenny on the plan was to force them out to the flanks if we could.”

Overall the manager said he felt his team had displayed character to make it through a testing encounter: “I thought we played some great hurling with a man down – for long periods we looked like we had the extra man. At least that’s how it looked to me.”