O’Sullivan to lead from the front as Cloyne hope to snatch elusive title

IT WAS one of the images of the 2003 hurling season on Leeside. When Cloyne won a late penalty in the county SHC semi-final against Blackrock they needed a goal to win and this was their lifeline.

Diarmuid O’Sullivan’s effort hit the bar and seemed to rebound halfway down the Monahan Road and Cloyne were out. A cruel blow, given Cork had already lost the All-Ireland final to Kilkenny that year, but the Cork full-back looks on the bright side.

“We’ve been very lucky in the last few years, we’ve been able to come back from Cork duty to compete in the latter stages of the championship. We were in the semi-final in 2003 and everyone knows the history since then. We’ve been very lucky to have that to fall back on, other lads with Cork haven’t.

“It’s a change. I won’t say it makes you forget about losing an All-Ireland final, that’s never easy, but it shifts the focus elsewhere.”

It seems like only yesterday when Cloyne were winning the Intermediate championship, but it was nearly a decade ago, 1997. Where does the time go?

“Back then we were all 20, 21, 22, but time waits for no man. We know that ourselves from the last two years, if we don’t win this soon our time will be gone. Everyone has to accept that.”

Did he ever think he’d play in three county senior finals with his club?

“No, if you were to be realistic. When we started taking on the big clubs in the minor championship we began to realise there was a bigger and better hurling world out there for us if we wanted to go there.”

O’Sullivan has discovered something of a new world himself at centre-forward. Cloyne manager Sean Motherway outlines the reasoning behind the switch: “At the start of the year, it’s not something we’d really thought of. Diarmuid was always a left or right-half-back for us never a full-back. Against Killeagh in our first championship game our hand was forced a bit, we had injuries and it was a case of necessity.”

The move’s worked well so far — O’Sullivan’s 3-7 against Midleton in the quarter-final being the prime example — and the player himself is happy enough up front.

“I think I’ve done reasonably well, every day I’m learning something new about it. It’s hard to make the change from full-back up to the forward line, but it’s a challenge. But outside of myself, we’ve done well as a half-forward line.”

In the semi-final against Newtown, O’Sullivan came up against Cork teammate Pat Mulcahy, the latest in a line of talented centre-back opponents.

“You’ll never enjoy a battle like that — I hope Pat feels half as sore as I did on Monday morning! I knew I was in a game going to bed on Sunday night and getting up the following morning, It was different, marking a player of his quality.

“I don’t treat any player differently. I marked Dick Walsh against Killeagh, Aidan Ryan against Midleton, and then there was Pat. You have to respect every opponent, they’ve all put in as much time, effort and dedication as you have — maybe more, so if you don‘t have respect for your opponent you’ve nothing.”

For all that the club championship offers respite after the All-Ireland loss, it’s clear the defeat by Kilkenny still rankles.

“It’s always difficult,” says O’Sullivan, “It’s not something you’re going to forget about. When you look back the most disappointing thing is the fact we didn’t play. I stand by what I say, I don’t think Kilkenny beat us, unfortunately I think John’s words came back to bite him a small bit, we only beat ourselves. John would be the first to admit that.”

The big man is equally frank about the possibility of losing a third county final in a row.

“If you dwelt on the past in everything in life you’d never get on — what’s gone is gone. We’re all mature enough to realise we weren’t good enough in the last couple of years.”

Will they be good enough to beat Erin’s Own tomorrow and give a Cloyneman the Cork captaincy next year?

“Look at their starting 15; 12 or 13 have intercounty experience, between minor, U-21 and senior.”

And the Cork captaincy? O’Sullivan pauses.

“I suppose it’d be fantastic for Brian Corcoran to lead out Cork next year, we’d all look forward to that because it’d mean he’d have to stay on another year!”