'They are getting the rewards they deserve': Bride Rovers boss Brian Murphy

Bride Rovers' players celebrate after defeating Castleyons the Co-Op Superstores SAHC final replay at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Pic: Eddie O'Hare

For what the Bride Rovers players have been through the past four years, said their manager Brian Murphy, Saturday’s come-from-behind Cork Senior A final replay win was fitting reward.

Murphy, a two-time All-Ireland winner in red, was part of the last Bride Rovers team in 2003 to elevate the club to the highest stage in Cork hurling.

The group of players he now oversees fell at the semi-final stage the last four years in succession. One of those - 2023 - was a controversial exit after their initial penalty shootout victory over Blarney was declared null and void, and a replay ordered, because of a 16th Bride Rovers player on the field at the time of their extra-time leveler.

Such hardship is now a footnote on their successful road to the Premier Senior ranks.

Murphy couldn’t laud enough a group who never “bitched or moaned” when confronted with adversity in recent years. 

The same attitude was prevalent in the closing 10 minutes of Saturday’s dramatic replay, Bride Rovers refusing to bend the knee to a six-point deficit as late as the 54th minute.

“If you are being totally honest, you are thinking, too much of a mountain to come back, but once we settled down and tacked over two points and got it back to four, then you are thinking, it is a manageable score,” Murphy remarked.

Dermot Foley, Co-Op Superstores, presents the 'man of the match' award to Bride Rovers'  Cillian Tobin. Pic: Eddie O'Hare

“The goal went in, I don't even know who it went in from, and from there on you had momentum on your side. Once we had momentum on our side, you are thinking, Jesus, we could actually do this.

“Castlelyons were outstanding today, but for what the lads have gone through the last two years, just different things, they were fantastic the last two years; their attitude, they never bitched or moaned about anything, they just got on with it. Fantastic attitude, never-say-die, and you saw that again today.

“They just keep going, keep going. They deserve this. What they have been through the last three, four years, it has been nothing short of phenomenal to come back here.” 

To reach the top table of Cork hurling, after six years away, they traveled in the most meandering fashion.

They left 22 scoring opportunities after them in the drawn game. Having surged three clear, into the wind, at the beginning of the replay, they returned to those dismal shooting ways and managed just two points across the remainder of the half.

Their eight first-half wides did not include two goal chances blocked and flicked away. They’d add another eight wides in the second period, including two scorable opportunities when chasing the equaliser and then winner in second-half injury-time.

“Look, there was a small bit of feeling sorry for ourselves [after the drawn game], but in fairness to the lads, they got straight back onto it again.

“After 10 minutes here, you are saying, we are three points to nothing up and they are in a good place. But then, all of a sudden, the wheels came off slightly from there to half-time. Sport is about momentum.

“They are getting the rewards they deserve. They have put in all the work. It is the club coaches from all the way up, we are just there for the last part of it. It is the work that has been put in all the way from underage.

“The population is increasing [in Rathcormac] as houses are being built, so that is always a big help. But a lot of these lads, they were playing in teams when we didn't have the population. It is not just population, it is hard work.

“The group loss to Watergrasshill was probably the best thing that ever happened to us. I won't say running ahead of ourselves, but we had two wins, good scoring difference. That defeat brought us back down to earth and got us going again. I can't praise the guys enough.”