One step beyond

The immediate rawness of the defeat might have faded but, even a couple of months after Cork City saw the league title slip from their grasp on the last night of the season at Oriel Park, manager John Caulfield still has to pause for thought when asked if his dominant feeling about 2014 is one of quiet satisfaction at a second-place finish and a return to Europe or haunting disappointment at the thought of the one that got away.

“It was the fact we were so close, especially when you look at the history of Cork City,” the manager reflects. “We’ve two leagues and two FAI cups in 30 years which just shows that, particularly for provincial clubs — with all the long travelling that’s involved — you don’t get the opportunity to win these things as often as some other clubs.

“On the other hand, the positive for me is that, from the first game of the season against Pats to the very last one against Dundalk, every game meant something to us. We were playing under pressure all the time. So, did it get away from us? Well, when you get that close you’re obviously hoping to get over the line. But, overall, when you look back on the season, they beat us on three occasions and you can’t argue with that. And, despite the disappointment in the end, the big satisfaction for us was that, apart from qualifying for Europe, the crowds were so big, the atmosphere at Turner’s Cross was fantastic and there was tremendous goodwill around the city to the team and myself.”