Murray knows why Barrs coming good at right time

Paudie Murray has his own logic for why St Finbarr's didn’t flow until the championship’s second last weekend.

St Finbarr's Manager Paudie Murray during the win over Kanturk. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Composure. Composure amid the closing chaos. Composure when the scoreboard and momentum were earlier against them.

In the opening sentence of his post-match interview, Paudie Murray reached for the one word that so perfectly encapsulated a final quarter where the Barrs went from four behind to a seven-in-a-row sequence for an unlikely five-point victory.

“We showed massive composure,” was the right-on-the-money opening remark from the Barrs boss.

“We got hit with a sucker-punch [of a goal] but we spoke all week that they were going to get goals, and we just had to deal with it.

“We worked our way back into the game. I thought the five guys we brought in had a massive impact. All year, we're trying to build a panel, guys that can come in and make a difference, so I think they made a difference as well.” 

The sucker-punch Murray is alluding to was Alan Walsh’s 33rd minute goal for a four-point Kanturk lead. Walsh could have finished the hour with a hat-trick and Liam O’Keeffe a brace, but from five goal openings Kanturk succeeded with just one. It represented only the second time in this championship where they were held to a single green flag.

Credit in this instance falls squarely at the feet of Shane Hurley. The Barrs No.1 produced three outstanding saves, the last of which arrived at a crucial 48th minute juncture. A second green flag here and the Barrs would have found themselves six adrift.

“Shane is a good keeper. We expect that from Shane,” Murray continued. “We knew if we didn't give away goals today, we'd always have a chance. One goal, you’d have to take it - they were averaging three per game.”

After a campaign that began so meekly when falling to Midleton by eight on the opening weekend and then almost falling out of the championship altogether on the closing weekend of group action when scraping a draw against Newcestown, this second-half display was belated representation of the obvious talent and pedigree flowing through the Barrs team sheet.

Murray has his own logic for why they didn’t flow inside the whitewash until the championship’s second last weekend.

“The reason we haven't seen it, really, is that we’ve come together the Wednesday night before Midleton and that was the first time we had everyone inside the dressing-room together,” he explained.

“We're a new management team. There are new words being used inside the dressing-room, all those things have to be understood, and the way we want to play, as well, so that's obviously going to take time.

“So you're just working away and you're just trying to get better each game. Today was a better performance than the last day and again in two weeks’ time it needs to be better again, so that's where we have to aim for now.” 

Before burying themselves in final prep, though, they’ll allow brief savouring of their perfect performance timing and the first final appearance in four years that it has delivered.

“We have our issues with being a dual club, but as I said at the start of the year, it takes a special player to play both codes and they're all special players.”