Daniel O'Mahony: 'We don't intend going out in the preliminary quarter-final'

AMBITIONS: Cork’s Daniel O'Mahony intercepts a pass to Roscommon's Diarmuid Murtagh. Pic: ©INPHO/Leah Scholes

Important to clarify from the outset that Daniel O’Mahony offered the following thoughts before, and not after, the balls were swooshed, drawn, and paired on Monday morning.

Such is the quality of O’Mahony’s character, though, and such is his forthrightness, that had we played the interview back to him following Cork’s preliminary quarter-final pairing with the Dubs, we doubt there’s a single sentence the Cork full-back would have altered.

O’Mahony offered his thoughts outside the Cork dressing-room following Saturday’s season-saving and season-extending win over Roscommon. His main point was this: Cork ambitions are in no way sated by having reached the last 12 of the championship.

Micheál Aodh Martin didn’t produce an outstanding 59th minute save to deny Daire Cregg just so Cork could hang on in the championship for another seven days. Seán Brady didn’t fling himself at the rebound ahead of Ciarán Lennon just so Cork could say they’ve made a preliminary quarter-final in each year of the John Cleary era. O’Mahony didn’t fling himself at Diarmuid Murtagh’s beyond-the-hooter and beyond-the-arc equalising kick just so Cork could better their League ranking.

“There is three years of work gone into this group and we don't intend going out in the preliminary quarter-final,” declared the 25-year-old defender. “It is all hands on deck for a big game this week and try to win that and keep progressing.” 

Cork’s most recent clash with the Dubs was the 2023 Division 2, Round 3 League fixture at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Trailing by two at the death, O’Mahony of all people almost snuck victory with a goal shot that Tom Lahiff got in the way of. Cork came again. Brian Hurley unleashed a powerful drive for green that ‘keeper David O’Hanlon touched onto the post.

Prior to that, their most recent championship clash was the 2022 All-Ireland quarter-final where Dublin pulled away in the final quarter to preserve the 2010 semi-final as the last occasion they fell to the Rebels in Sam Maguire fare.

Neither of those defeats will register in camp this week. One defeat that will, and continues to live with them 12 months on, is the self-inflicted loss to Louth at this very hurdle last year.

“You can still feel it. That Louth game was the most disappointed I've ever felt after a game,” O'Mahony continued. “Our ambition is not just to reach the preliminary quarter-finals. It is not what we want for this group. We are going to be looking at that game as a massive target to progress further and hopefully we will put up another good performance.” 

Back to Saturday. Back to 27 seconds after the hooter had hooted. O’Mahony pushed out to the arc. He policed the movement of Diarmuid Murtagh and Enda Smith. He knew it would be one of the pair to attempt the orange flag kick that, if successful, would finish Cork.

Smith, you see, had nailed three two-pointers in the draw with Meath the fortnight previous, Murtagh had nailed 13 of them across the year. O'Mahony stalked the pair and got the match-winning hand in when Murtagh eventually let fly.

“It was either Enda or Diarmuid that was going to kick it because they are superb long-range kickers. Diarmuid has been doing it all league, so you could see him lining up. Luckily, I was in the right place at the right time, and just about got a finger to it. I was lucky enough, to be honest. Delighted with it and just relieved is the big feeling,” said the Knocknagree clubman.

Delighted too for oft-maligned Cork goalkeeper behind him and the earlier referenced contribution of Micheál Aodh Martin.

“Keepers at the moment, it is tough. Going back the last few years, kickout percentages would have been at 70-80% in games. That has obviously changed with the introduction of the 40-metre arc. The save he made in the second half was absolutely unbelievable. And Seán Brady's follow up was equally heroic.” 

The collective defensive effort meant this Cork team, for the umpteenth time, delivered the necessary result when their backs were fixed squarely against the wall.

“Been a tough enough year so far. The League didn't go the way we planned. We were looking at promotion at the start of the year, but it didn't pan out that way. The Munster Championship didn't go the way we planned.

“It was really back against the wall sfuff here. We lost our first two group games, so it was win or die here. They bet us by 14 points in the League, so that was in the back of the mind coming up. We stood up with our performance and thankfully came out on the right side.

“Obviously, it is a positive that we can come into games like this where your back is against the wall and win them, but at the same time, ideally, you wouldn't be in that position and that is something we are working through at the moment. Stressful enough game there, to be honest.” 

When is it not for the Cork footballers.

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