Patrick Horgan: If Dubs had 20 men, they wouldn’t have stopped us
Top scorer with 17 points in Nowlan Park on Sunday, the 26-year-old said in the final 10 minutes, Dublin “could have had 20 men on the pitch (but) they wouldn’t have stopped us. It was just constant (pressure).
They couldn’t stop it, they did everything they could to do that and they couldn’t, so there is a lot of credit due to us for that.”
He regards the current attack as the best Cork have compiled for quite a while.
“We probably have our best forward pick the last number of years and we’re delighted with that.
“We keep working hard up there and we know we can get the scores and see where we go.
“Lehane with four points, Sham (Seamus Harnedy), Paudie (O’Sullivan) came on, touched the ball and got the goal. Luke (O’Farrell), (Alan) Cadogan are well able to score and there are lads coming off the line who are well able to score. Teams will be up against it trying to hold whoever’s in there.”
Horgan said Cork have learned not to lose faith, regardless of how far behind they are in a game.
“We went in at half-time nine down, and obviously people will think we had no hope but we’ve come back from that before.
“We knew we would get chances and it was a question of whether we were going to take them or not.”
Asked if the 2012 version of Cork might have transformed Sunday’s game as much as they did, he suggested: “Looking back, I’m probably not sure but we’re after building up a fierce character in this team and going in at half-time no matter what we’re down by or up by we’re still going to put pressure on teams in the second half — can they deal with it is another thing.”
The nature of Cork’s comeback was nothing like Horgan has ever experienced playing for the county.
“I haven’t felt anything like that since I started playing for Cork: coming back from losing like that and nick it with the last puck of the game. It’s just a great feeling and it can only give us confidence for two weeks’ time.”
Cork captain Anthony Nash also spoke of not just the faith but the depth in the set-up.
“We always have belief in the squad, from one to 32. Any day they go out there are lads on the panel who are fantastic and wouldn’t be there if the management didn’t feel they were up to it and there are no fears bringing them on.”
Meanwhile, Dublin chairman Sean Shanley believes the new advantage rule might be served better without a time limit. Referees have five seconds to call back the action for a free if they believe the team of the fouled player has made no gain from his decision to play on.
Shanley says unless a score has come of the advantage, a free should be awarded. He made the comments in the aftermath of Sunday’s semi-final, where Dublin failed to benefit from a couple of advantages in the last 20 minutes as shots, which went wide, came after the time limit. “Five seconds is a short period. What happens if the man loses the ball?
“Practically, any free inside the opponents’ half in hurling is a point. I know the idea is you could break a tackle and get a goal but when no score comes from it I think the ball should be returned for a free where the foul is occurred.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
