Coleman defends strength of Cork’s squad
Mark Coleman feels the Cork management were fully justified in the substitutions they did and didn’t make in the course of last Sunday’s epic All-Ireland hurling semi-final defeat to Limerick.
Diarmuid O’Sullivan, the county’s former defender and selector, has criticised switches made by John Meyler and his team and claimed that the reintroduction of some players highlighted a lack of depth in the panel.
‘The Rock’ was part of a management team under Kieran Kingston in 2016 and 2017 that blooded a new generation of Cork hurlers — Coleman included — and the young Blarney man believes the squad is packing a full punch.
“I think it was the circumstances, every game is different,” said the 20-year-old of the personnel switches. “Different players are suited... Daniel Kearney came back on.
"They obviously wanted him to play a certain role in the extra-time. He said he was able to. The management just thought he was the best decision to make at the time, which is fair enough.
"He went out and he had a good enough extra-time. I don’t think it shows lack of depth. I think we’ve definitely developed huge strength in depth over the last few years.”
Cork reappeared for the extra periods led by Seamus Harnedy who was clearly nursing a leg injury, but Coleman defended his skipper’s determination to battle on until substituted shortly afterwards.
A super team score by Cork with Séamus Harnedy finishing the move. pic.twitter.com/Rid0eS96uh
— The GAA (@officialgaa) July 29, 2018
“He obviously wanted to go back out and if he felt he wasn’t up to it he would have said it. He’s that kind of fella.
"He just showed huge leadership in wanting to go back out and wanting to be the best that he could for the team and for the county.
“I know that if he felt that he wasn’t able to give something to the team, he wouldn’t have gone out, so I wouldn’t see anything wrong with that.”
O’Sullivan was also critical of the trio of substitutions made midway through the second period of normal time, claiming the quickfire introductions of Mark Ellis, Robbie O’Flynn, and Tim O’Mahony disturbed the equilibrium of the side.
None of the three made a huge impact, in contrast to the return off the Limerick bench.
The Treaty’s replacements contributed 2-6 to the scoreboard. And yet it was still a game that could easily have swung Cork’s way.
Had Nickie Quaid not made that sensational block on Harnedy, or Patrick Horgan’s attempted point bounced closer to a Cork attacker from off the post, then no-one would be picking holes in the Rebels’ decision-making right now.
Check out this unbelievable save by Nickie Quaid! pic.twitter.com/Y3deg0CM18
— The GAA (@officialgaa) July 29, 2018
Coleman has accepted the disappointment with equanimity.
“That’s just sport. You’re going to have moments like that and there were moments like that in all the other games as well.
"Sometimes you win and sometimes you just don’t. Things went against us. We can have no regrets. We just gave it everything we could.
“Limerick got a purple patch at the end. We just couldn’t stop them. To be fair to them, it was a case of them winning it, rather than us just throwing it away.
"They had that never-say-die attitude and you have to give the credit where it is due. They got their win and they deserved it.”
Coleman is hopeful Meyler and his backroom will stick around for the second part of their two-year term. They may have lost at the penultimate stage again, but he is adamant progress has been made.
For now, though, the focus is on the U21s.
It didn’t escape the 20-year-old’s notice that a number of those leading the charge for their Munster rivals have one or two All-Ireland medals from that grade in their pockets.
Half of the 26-man squad, to be exact.
He has no doubt but that such high-end experience counted last weekend and the ambition now is to ensure that he, along with the eight other senior panellists involved in the Cork U21 setup, will report for duty next year with the same honours.
Denis Ring’s side have already claimed a first provincial title for the county at the grade in 11 years.
They face Wexford in an All-Ireland semi-final at Nowlan Park next Saturday and Coleman knows that this grade can act as a significant step for Cork hurling at large.
“It is important. You’ve seen over the last few years the teams that have won the U21: The Clare team went on and won a (senior) All-Ireland in 2013, obviously the two Limerick teams, the Waterford team that got to an All-Ireland final last year.
“I think it’s just creating a habit of winning, it’s coming back again to the culture. If you can kind of get that habit going it’s hugely important.
"It’s something that can hopefully drive us on into the future if we can go further in the competition,” said Coleman.
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