Ryan bemoans lack of energy and goals but content to see Cork get job done

The Rebels booked their place in the All-Ireland final four with victory over Dublin in Thurles.

ON WE GO: Cork manager Pat Ryan with Patrick Horgan. Pic: INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Before delving into his own team’s effort, Pat Ryan offered a perfect summation of an All-Ireland quarter-final that was as flimsy as it was flat.

“It was devoid of energy all over the place,” began the Cork manager.

“In fairness to Dublin, they play a very good running game and it’s hard to get traction at times. It becomes a bit congested and a bit unorthodox, really, for want of a better word. It made it a bit harder for our fellas to settle into the game and get their hands on the ball but we still put up a good score and we’ll build for two weeks’ time.” 

The much maligned 1.15pm throw-in time, of course, didn’t help matters. Ryan wasn’t critical of such. Again, he just perfectly articulated the consequences of fixing the game for a Saturday lunchtime start.

“I suppose it was a bit dead. That was the same for both of us, with wides and stuff like that. I think you could see, it’s very hard to have a really high-standard match at quarter past one on a Saturday and that’s what we saw.” Now, to Cork. A goalless championship outing for the first time in nine outings.

“Ah it’s a huge disappointment,” Ryan said of their failure to raise a green flag. Patrick Horgan - who drew level with TJ Reid as the leading scorer in championship history - and Declan Dalton came closest, the pair denied by stout Eoghan O’Donnell defending and superb Seán Brennan goalkeeping.

“We know where we’re at as regards the ability that we have in the inside forwards but, in fairness, they defended well. They kept fellas back, they were physical in the tackle. We knew they would – they have a very good full-back line, obviously Eoghan O’Donnell’s a fantastic player.

“From our point of view, we still created chances and probably could have taken a couple of them. We were disappointed to miss the one or two early – that would have given us a bit of a launchpad to go forward.” 

No goals, and no Alan Connolly score for the second championship outing in succession. But no concern, insisted Ryan, when asked about their top-scorer from play coming into this fixture again drawing blank.

“Alan's been one of those lads that's been under a bit of a cloud sickness wise and stuff like that. Probably shouldn't have played him against Offaly last week. Just wanted to get him over that. He probably hadn't trained for the two weeks prior to the Offaly game.

“Look he was still dangerous today but Eoghan O'Donnell's a very good player. He took minding and that makes space for other fellas.” 

Their 13 wides and shaky finish aside, Ryan declared himself a content man to be bringing a Cork team back up the road to Croke Park for the first time since the 2021 All-Ireland final defeat.

“It was fantastic for us to win there today. That's four championship matches in-a-row. I think Cork haven't done that in 17 years. Since 2006, Cork haven't won four championship matches in a row. So that was a huge driver for our lads.

“We’re delighted to be in the semi-finals. We’d have bitten your hand off for that after the Clare game. To now say we're going to Croke Park in two weeks' time, look that's a fantastic achievement for our lads.

“But look there's no point going up and just making up the numbers, so we'll see what way the games goes here (Clare v Wexford), if it's Kilkenny or Limerick, we'll prepare for them this evening and get ready to go.” 

As for Dublin boss Micheál Donoghue, he lamented a “draining” wide count that finished at 16.

“I thought we had opportunities and we didn't take them. At this level, when you don't take the opportunities, you can rue the result. I can't fault the boys' attitude because it was top-class. We took a fair bit of criticism, and understandably so after the performance in the Leinster final. But I thought they responded brilliantly to a man. When we reflect on it, we missed a lot of opportunities and maybe the chance to progress.

“When you reflect back, getting to a Leinster final and getting to this stage of the competition again is a plus, but we’re not ones for moral victories. When you’re here, you want to compete and you want to win.” 

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