CORK HURLING MANAGER Pat Ryan says that failing to convert goal opportunities was the main factor in his side’s defeat in the All-Ireland final.
Robert Downey scored the first goal of the game in the 11th minute after catching a Clare puckout and surging up the field to drill the ball into the roof of the net.
However, Cork spurned chances to add more goals to their haul while Clare lifted three green flags.
Substitute Robbie O’Flynn had a goal-bound shot saved by Clare goalkeeper Eibhear Quilligan while Séamus Harnedy also had an effort that took a deflected out of play, although a 65 was not awarded.
Patrick Horgan took a shot at goal in the first half of normal time which hit the side netting. Referee Johnny Murphy called the play back for a free.
“We probably didn’t take enough goal chances that we created,” a disappointed Ryan said after the game.
“We probably had another four or five goal chances except for the one that we did take and we needed to take them.”
“That was probably where the game lay.”
Responding to a question about the Harnedy 65 that was waved wide by the umpire, Ryan said that he felt it looked like the wrong decision but added that, “I don’t think that that affected it. Clare are the champions and we won’t be giving out about any of that stuff.”
O’Flynn took the last shot of the game in extra-time after catching a free in from Patrick Collins, looking for a late equaliser to send the game to a replay. His close range shot at the posts trailed wide but replays showed that his jersey was pulled by Conor Leen.
“Somebody said that to me – to be honest, I didn’t see it,” Ryan replied.
“We can’t do anything about it now. We just have to move on and see where we go.”
Cork made a blistering start to the All-Ireland final, with Downey’s goal pushing them into a seven-point lead. But Clare quickly grew into the game and were level by half-time following a crucial Aidan McCarthy goal.
“We allowed too many short puckouts,” Ryan said in his assessment of how the game changed.
“They were able to work the ball out and we lost our shape inside in the full-forward line, trying to tackle from behind. They worked the ball out very well. I think their stats were very good on that, the stats on their long puckouts probably weren’t as good in the first half.”
Reflecting on Cork’s season as a whole, Ryan said that failure to deliver an All-Ireland after two years in charge is disappointing for him but that he is satisfied with the effort from his players.
“We came up here to win the All-Ireland. That was our job. So that is two years now we haven’t won the All-Ireland, that is a disappointment from our side of things.
“From my own point of view, I’m very proud the way the lads represented the jersey and the way they are playing for the jersey. That is key. We are a very proud county. We have a proud tradition and a lot of proud players have gone before us.
“It is key those lads would represent the jersey in that manner and I think they did today. Obviously we could have played better and we could have done different things and we might have made a few better decisions on the line but you’ll always look at that. The lads can hold their heads up high and be proud of their performance. At the same time, we go home without a trophy.”
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Pat Ryan an absolute credit to Cork..no excuses, no guff!
@James Dowling: 100% and this Cork team along with all the players that are coming along behind them will win All-Irelands.
@Stanley Marsh: Very sporting words by the Cork manager. It’s not going to get any easier for Cork to end what is now a 20 year famine. Limerick will be hungry next year and the likes of Tipp and Waterford will surely improve.
@John Manahan: Tipp yes, although from a very poor level this year.
Waterford seem to have very little coming through and have done very badly at underage for quite a few years now so I don’t know where they’re going to get players from.
Very disappointing piece by Eamonn Sweeny in today’s Indo about how Cork were robbed of an All-Ireland final replay by the worst end-of-game refereeing decision since Joe Sheridan’s goal against Louth was allowed in the 2010 Leinster football final.
“Conor Leen clearly pulled Robbie O’Flynn’s jersey in the last seconds of extra-time as the Cork sub shot for a levelling point. But Limerick referee Johnny Murphy decided not to award a free. One of the greatest seasons in hurling history ended on the sour note of a wrong decision.”
First of all it was 100% a free but to say that the ref “decided” not to award a free is just daft.
He didn’t award it becase he didn’t see it.
There is no reason to think that if he had seen it he wouldn’t have given the free in the same way he awarded at least 3 others during the game for Clare players pulling the jersey.
In real time I didn’t see it, nobody I’ve spoken to saw it and the entire Sunday game panel admitted they didn’t see it.
It’s one thing for certain idiots on here to be making outlandish pronouncments about incidents and the ref but for a national journalist to do it is very disappointing.
@Stanley Marsh: as a cork supporter 100% agree. Lots of them little niggles in the game. He gave us a few in first half the other refs wouldnt have. Fantastic game shouldn’t be put down to any decision yesterday. Ref did well overall to contribute to a classic.
@Stanley Marsh: They can see things that don’t even exist, like thrown hand passes but between the lot of them the referee, umpires, linesmen they can see an obvious pull of the jersey.
@Stanley Marsh: I do think everyone’s opinion is valid, whether you agree with them or not agree with them. I alike you didn’t see that jersey pull in real time, but I did see the numerous other fouls missed by the referee. If it was only a small few one would overlook his misses, but there were countless misses by ref of Clare infractions.
@WqM9AAv3: Like the clear penalty and black card?
I too like most people was sure that it was a black card and penalty but the excellent analysis on the Sunday Game last night showed that David McInerney didn’t in fact pull him down he just glanced him with his hand while he was falling backwords and as Jackie Tyrrell said Robbie O’Flynn probably went down a bit easy.
There was also another Clare defender between O’Flynn and the goal plus the goalie.
The ref calmly went to his 2 umpire, discussed it and to his credit came to the right decision.
Not a drag down, not the prevention of a clear goal scoring opportunity, free in.
A remarkable piece of refereeing by a ref a panel of ex Tipp, Kilkenny, Wexford, Limerick and Galway intercounty players plus a Cork presenter (discounting the Clare ex player) all agreed had an excellent game.
@Ray Ridge: Not that I would try to get involved in a sensible conversation with yourself but I’ve been advocating for years that modern hurling is way too fast for one person to ref.
At the minimum for intercounty hurling I would have a ref in each half and umpires who are also ex / up and coming refs.
@Stanley Marsh: I think the question that should be asked is….how in God’s name did he not see the foul considering his positioning from it. The man was out on his feet after 60 minutes normal time. Maybe fatigue meant he was unable to ref to the standard required after that because there was also a blatant chip down on a cork player who was attacking which resulted in a point the other end. That’s a two point swing alone.
@Stanley Marsh: Of course they got the black card and penalty one right, sure wasn’t it to Clare benefit? Just a pity none of the 3 of them was as calm and bright eyed when it came to the even more obvious 65 and free. It’s not good enough.
@Stanley Marsh: i had no mention on penalty/black card. Watch the game back over and tell me how many times a Clare man Marty Morrisey in real time said during the game “I thought that should have been a free”. And I think 3 times “that’s a two point turnaround” after Clare scored points from a missed foul by the ref on a cork player.
I wouldn’t take what the Sunday game pundits as gospel as they have scripts in front of them and are ordered what to say
@Ray Ridge: “Of course they got the black card and penalty one right, sure wasn’t it to Clare benefit?”
Ah well there you go.
At the root of it all you believe that the ref was biased towards Clare and not just getting decisions wrong therefore there’s no point in trying to have a sensible discusion with you.
@WqM9AAv3: “I wouldn’t take what the Sunday game pundits as gospel as they have scripts in front of them and are ordered what to say”
Have a good life.
@Stanley Marsh: well said
@Stanley Marsh: thank you kindly Stanley for the wishes
All I hope for in the football final is that the officials get the obvious calls rights. I’m not chatting about the 50/50 decisions out the field that probably won’t lead to scores anyway. But some of blatant 65s and frees that were not given yesterday, that were guaranteed scores is not good enough on all Ireland final day.
@Ray Ridge: I agree. Yesterday was an amazing game of hurling. Best team won, but by Christ that ref was diabolical
@WqM9AAv3: Between them, they missed some very clear and obvious frees, 65s and indeed sideline balls. All under their noses too. Need to get the blatent obvious game changing decisions right ffs.
@Ray Ridge: who do you have for the final Ray
@Conor: after yesterday, I think you ought to ask Sean Hurson that question. Very hard to legislate for what we witnessed yesterday.
@Ray Ridge: I totally agree, but hurling is the fastest game on grass in the world. Might be an idea if they brought in another ref and two linesmen and maybe replay technology to help them. It is very digging for one man to see that’s happening in real time
@WqM9AAv3: That is very true. I’d be more in favour of a TMO like in rugby. To advise referee on obvious ones. I mean, the 65 and the free were as obvious on the TV as I’ve ever seen. Job done.
@Ray Ridge: If that was another sport the Ref should have went off for a HIA. Later he was struggling to keep up with the speed of the game, was his hamstring effecting his movement around the pitch??
I think personally the Refs fitness level should at least be somewhat in Par with the players of the game.
Otherwise a great game of entertainment and overall Clare’s experience of closing out the game came to fro.
@Ray Ridge: well we need a prediction so we can go bet on the one you dont predict to win
@Ray Ridge: I played sport over 20 years – decent level. As a player you understand there is a human element to this including refereeing – there is subjectivity involved. Over a career, good decisions balance out bad ones – it is the normal distribution curve. No ref goes out to make the wrong call. The guy yesterday was fatigued in the latter stages which impeded him. Dont lose sight of the fact that this is still amanteur sport. Your writing suggests a “hurler on the ditch” mindset who has never neen in the arena to know the dynamism this brings (good & bad). I think you need to tone down your rhetoric …..
@JJB: just calling a spade a spade, I call it as I see it. We gotta be doing better with the clear and obvious game changing moments. Nothing more, nothing less.
@JJB: Well said. As a neutral The ref yesterday done an unbelievable job. Did he get the big calls right yes. Few minor ones maybe questionable. How many mistakes did the players make yesterday. How many questionable decisions did the mentors make. Was the ref tired at the end of the game course he was, he is being asked to keep up with play from one end of the pitch to the other, the players aren’t even being asked to do that. How many players went down with cramp or have to go off from fatigue. As Pat Ryan said Cork lost that game themselves
He has done a good job. That’s a devastating defeat though, did all the hard work overcoming one of the greatest teams of all time in the semi final but couldn’t seal the deal in the final. As crushing a defeat as Cork hurling has ever known. Some of their key players like Dalton and Fitzgibbon went missing when it came to the crunch. 20 years next year since their last All-Ireland. Wow.
@Aidan Farrell: I’m from Clare and I think you’re a jacka$$ for the way you’re piling into Cork on every thread.
I don’t know where you’re from (hopefully not Clare) but you’re not cutting a very mature or noble character with your childish carry on.
@Stanley Marsh: is one not allowed to express their opinions on here?
@WqM9AAv3: Obsolutely.
And that’s what I’ve just done.
@Stanley Marsh: I’ve commented on about two articles – that is not piling onto Cork. They lost a game that was extremely winnable, are we to ignore that? Anyway, congrats to Clare. The first team to ever win a senior hurling All-Ireland losing two matches.
@Stanley Marsh: so it’s ok for you to post your opinion but if someone else does, you attack him for it. Kinda tells me all I need to know about you
@Aidan Farrell: Sour comment.
@Stanley Marsh: 100 percent not a nice fellow
Was at the game, yes we played badly and Clare were better but Cork did not get the big important calls. They got a lot of uncontroversial talking point frees. If this game was played at any other time then the final then it would be refereed differently. It’s a different rule book.
Why are people obsessed with “letting the game flow” for finals. A foul is a foul!!!
@Barry Baz: Absolutely, the amount of people on forums saying the same auld nonsense ” ref had a great game, he let the game flow”. It’s not the refs job to “let the game flow”. However, it is his job to call a 65 a 65 and call a free a free. Again, this isn’t about a 50/50 call out the field. Under the nose of umpires to make it all the more bizzare.
It does seem to be Cork in the ascendancy for potential all irelands coming over the next few years but Cork have been here before – recently in 2021. A loss in the All Ireland was not followed up with what many expected to be Cork’s return especially with the 2020 & 2021 U20 winners to come through. Limerick do still look strong enough and have an age/experience profile enough to perhaps win another 3 out of the remaining 5 for this decade. Cork on paper with their players and their talent coming through should be the main competitor and take 2 of the next 5. Galway, Tipperary, Waterford are on rebuild journeys (Tipp have the best outlook of the three with what Woodcock has done with their minors). Clare and Kilkenny have a few retirees and changes that will affect their panels so might struggle to reach their consistency they have been used to over the last few years. Limerick and Cork have one or two possible players stepping away but have a strong enough setup to really push on as a rivalry for the next few years. Dublin are not in a bad shape, they might be competitive over the next few years in Leinster but will probably be targetting Semi finals for the next few years.
@Brian Hourigan: Whoever takes over the Galway job has a serious amount of work to do. Looking at both semi-finals and the final yesterday, it’s absolutely frightening how far off the pace Galway are. Absolutely miles off in terms of strength and conditions and skills etc etc. How an earth have lost so much ground since 2017/2018. Hit all time low at home to Dublin this summer. Serious clean out and rebuild job needed.
@Brian Hourigan: Clare have a lot coming through at underage as well.
They’ve been up there with Cork Tipp at u20 for the last few years but just havn’t gotten over the line in tight matches and their minors won the All Ireland in great style last year and got to the semi this year and 2022.
@Ray Ridge: Galway won’t be serious contenders over the next few years. One all Ireland win in the last 35 years. Paradoxically a win for their footballers next weekend probably not in the best interests of hurling in the county.
@Brian Hourigan: its a hard one to take allright but ive no fear cork will bounce back sure its Cork
Poor defending for TK goal. Why was C. Lehane not brought on? O Flynn and Lehane before Jack O Connor? Collins over hyped after Lmk game
How many times has he left in 3 goals? Bring back Dave Creedon! I was there in 1952 & 1954. What a full back line.