Kingston: So near, yet so far

Disappointment diluted by a measure of satisfaction was Cork selector Kieran Kingston’s reaction to demotion to Division 1B of the 2014 Allianz Hurling League after yesterday’s loss to Clare.

“No matter who went down today it was going to be disappointing,” he surmised.

“We would still say we had a very good league campaign, a puck of a ball between being in a semi-final or being in a relegation final and now a puck of a ball between staying up and being relegated. In the end a deflected ball over the bar (Cathal Naughton’s last-gasp goal-bound shot) was the difference between winning and losing.

“We had two draws (against Waterford and Galway), could have beaten Kilkenny and then we end up being relegated.

“But it’s the same for Clare, if they had lost today and been relegated you’d be saying exactly the same about them.

“It’s tough on either team to have to go down, neither team deserves to be playing second division hurling next year.”

Kingston also dismissed fears that Cork may not be as fit as Clare, nor as ready for championship fare. “Clare play a running type of game so it’s going to look as if they’re fitter. We try to move the ball quickly, try and hit our full-forward line faster than Clare do so there’s more running involved in their game.

“We always said we’d use the league to develop a panel of players, give a chance to as many guys as we could and at the same time have as good a league campaign as we could. I think we did that, in the main, but we were unlucky. A puck of a ball in any of four games — Waterford, Galway, Kilkenny or today — and it would have been different.

“We can’t do anything about it. You play the cards you’re dealt. We have nine weeks now from today, June 23rd, that now is what it’s all about.”