Pat Ryan: 'A clean sheet is what we're expecting from our lads and that's what is driven into our goalies as well'

“When we put on a Cork jersey we expect to win every match, that is the way we go out and represent the fans."

Mon, 24 Mar, 2025 - 06:45

Therese O’Callaghan

On a cold and blustery night on Leeside, Cork were full value for their 12-point win over Galway at Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday. There were 11 different scorers including the returning Séamus Harnedy and Alan Connolly, while Patrick Horgan in his 18th inter-county season became the leading league scorer in front of a strong home support in the crowd of 20,010.

Of Cork’s 4-22, 4-15 came from open play. The Rebels have now scored 10 goals in the last two games and kept a second clean sheet in-a-row.

A pattern appears to be developing with competition for places crucial.

Spring silverware is on offer and a chance to bridge a 27-year gap with the Rebels going up against Tipperary in the league final in a fortnight - two weeks before meeting Clare in the Munster championship.

“We left a lot of goal opportunities behind in the first couple of league games but that is something we’ve been working really, really hard on, trying to take that final pass and take the scores,” manager Pat Ryan explained.

“When we put on a Cork jersey we expect to win every match, that is the way we go out and represent the fans. You see the crowd here again tonight, they expect us to win games and to win matches. That’s been the tradition of Cork hurling down through the years. That’s what we expect the lads to do. But our focus is on 20th April. This will be fantastic preparation for that day.

“Look, a clean sheet is what we're expecting from our lads and that's what is driven into our goalies as well, there's no shots coming in handy. Our fellas made good decisions and made good defensive plays and that's against a really, really dangerous Galway forward line.

“At the start of the year our plan was to build our squad and prepare for the 20th April. Obviously we view it as great preparation, we have two weeks off now. We have a game which is fantastic - the same as Liam Cahill. It is probably the league final nobody wants to be in but from our point of view it is a great opportunity to get better. Our focus all the time is on the 20th April against Clare.

“It would be very hard to get challenge matches because, obviously, we knew that if we won today's game, that we would be in the league final. Obviously, we wouldn't have challenge matches organised, whereas you can guarantee every other county has, so it's a great opportunity for us to get a game.”

It’s been a mixed league for Galway who started and finished their campaign with 12-point losses.

Kilkenny is the next assignment in UPMC Nowlan Park in four weeks.

“Firstly you have to acknowledge that we were up against one of the top teams in the country. And we know where we are at,” manager Micheál Donoghue accepted.

“The league has been up and down for us. The most positive thing has been that we got to see everyone and blood a lot of new players.

“In the first half, we created a lot of chances. Our efficiency was not as high as Cork and I think they showed their quality, then we made a few mistakes, they were able to go from back to front really quickly and punish us with goals.

“I thought in the first half we were really competitive.The lads were working really well and creating great opportunities. And we just didn't take them, similar enough to the Limerick game. That is a work-on for us. I can't fault their attitude or effort, they stayed at it when up against a top team.

“It is evident that Cork are a few years ahead of where we want to be. We have a few weeks now to keep the head down and get ready for championship, a month to work really hard. We can't really feel sorry for ourselves. We have to get back on the training ground, stay working, and look forward to the championship.

“I think when you come to places like here and Limerick a couple of weeks ago, that's where the big tests are, that's where lads see what the standard is. Cork obviously showed us again here tonight.

“It's probably the nature of where it is. The expectation when you put on the Galway jersey and go out there, the expectation is always really high. We are a couple of months in the job, the lads are working really hard, you have to roll with the punches.

“We had some really good performances in the league, as well, got game-time into young fellas and lads that had been out injured for a long time are making good progress. Over the next month we'll try get them all up to the level.”