Cork’s Easter parade

NOW we know why Conor Counihan decided to stay on.

We weren’t surprised when he accepted a two-year extension at the end of last October. Cork won an All-Ireland title grinding teams to the ground with power, almost belying their obvious superiority to most teams in terms of their quality on paper.

Sam was theirs, alright, but maybe not won the way they wanted.

Yesterday, eight points down in the 40th minute (2-12 to 0-10) and down to 10 of their All-Ireland winning team on the pitch they look goosed in their attempt to defend a Division 1 title.

Paul Kerrigan, John Miskella and Fintan Goold had also made way in the first-half with injuries.

Dublin, meanwhile, were sparkling.

Clearly not satisfied with burning Michael Shields once to set up Tomás Quinn for a first-half goal, Bernard Brogan repeated the trick again three minutes after the resumption.

The Hill was alive as was most of the 36,438 crowd but it was all so premature.

For the final 32 minutes, Cork outscored Dublin by 0-11 to 0-2, echoing their finish of last year.

Doing it with previously untested players such as Fiachra Lynch and Denis O’Sullivan playing prominent roles made it all the most satisfying.

But it was the confidence shown by his charges which stood above any other attribute of theirs. Not once did they panic as they attempted to — and succeeded in reeling Dublin in.

“We are very happy to win another national title,” said Counihan.

“We probably didn’t perform as well as we would have liked. I suppose you’d have to give credit to Dublin for that, allowing a team to go eight points ahead, we’ll have to go back and look at that.

“So a lot of pluses for us in the performance, in particular the result and the finish but a lot of issues to be addressed as well.

“It can be difficult having a seven- or eight-point lead at times because people see the finish line and focus is lost for a while.

“In fairness, we probably have an element of experience built up in the squad that can maybe exploit that type of thing but having said that we couldn’t afford to do that another day because we wouldn’t get away with it.”

Counihan’s counterpart Pat Gilroy was left defending his team after they appeared not to have learned much from last August’s defeat.

In conceding 21 points, gone was the wall that had shut out so many attacks in the round stages of the league.

Admittedly, the departures of Bernard Brogan, Bryan Cullen and Diarmuid Connolly to injuries hurt Dublin but Cork, even if they had more time to, recovered from their own setbacks far better.

Asked afterwards if Dublin have to overcome a mental block about winning major games, Gilroy was defiant.

“Do you think I’m going to say yes to that now, in fairness? If I really believed that I should walk out the door now and never be in front of that team again.

“This team have character and more guts to put up with the kind of stuff that surrounds them every day and they get back out there every day and they train and they work. I tell you, they’re the most honest guys and they’ll get stick for this — we had an eight-point lead and we lost.

“People will say what you just said and we’ll deal with that — and we have to deal with that because that’s our job because we are the Dublin team and we have to listen to that.

“And when we have the All-Ireland, some day, we’ll stop hearing that. That’s the challenge because that’s what everyone is going to think.

“I know what’s in that dressing room and they have serious character. Anyone who would question it might get a surprise… someday.

“That question is going to be asked every day over the next few weeks and we’re going to have to answer that. It’s as simple as that.”

The hunger Counihan explained was lacking in the February game between the sides was back here in spades. With the exquisite Patrick Kelly pulling the strings, they looked to be in a higher gear then back then.

“These guys had put down a good couple of weeks in September, October, November and South Africa in January so they had a bit to do and probably a bit more to do yet, but that was to be expected I suppose,” said Counihan of Cork’s round game defeat.

He had some words of solace for Dublin too: “We have been down that road before. It can either make you or break you.

“I know since he has come into that job Pat Gilroy has done a tremendous amount of work and I wouldn’t be suggesting for a one minute that it will break them.

“That’s obviously an important aspect of it but collectively as a team and a panel to grind out a result being that much was important for morale.”

So, for the second year in a row, a second-placed Cork come away with the Allianz Cup.

With Donegal being the only table-toppers to win their league final this weekend, 12 of the last 16 deciders have gone to the runners-up.

Dublin won’t find any comfort keeping the same company as Westmeath and Roscommon after this weekend.

For them, with the designs they have, there is no safety in such numbers.

The next few weeks will be difficult ones for them as they assess how they let this one slip.

They’re going to have build their wall back up, for one. Some shooting practice should also be on the agenda. Tomás Quinn will have to ask himself some questions after his two late frees, the first one a really poor attempt.

As for Cork?

Last night they held a surprise 30th party for Donncha O’Connor as they toasted a job well done.

A reaffirmation they are still top dogs. A confirmation they have enough bite to retain another and more cherished title. Dare we say, Counihan knew that all along.