It’s been a tough week on Leeside.
From disbelief and devastation to wild rumours and recrimination. In a desperate bid to find a palatable reason for the Cork hurlers’ shambolic second-half showing at Croke Park, if that’s even possible, fans have turned to talk of a fractured squad. WhatsApp messages flying around have detailed a dressing room argument and a divided group returning to Cork on Monday.
None of it rings true because Cork forged into a six-point lead at half-time despite Tipp’s sweeper system causing them issues.Â
Their focus at the break would have been upping their intensity as forcing second-quarter turnovers yielded a series of scores, including Shane Barrett’s goal, and being more disciplined in their long passing to avoid pucking possession to Bryan O’Meara.
Any cracks in the panel would have been exposed by the trimming in the Gaelic Grounds on May 18; instead, Cork recovered to lift the Munster title three weeks later.
The harsh reality is, Cork made a fatal mistake in not replacing the yellow-carded Eoin Downey with ready-made replacement Damien Cahalane. Given Downey’s committed style of tackling, he was always going to be prone to another booking, even if it could have been a free out against John McGrath instead of a penalty.
Before that decision, which left Cork six points and a man down, some crucial breaks of the ball went against Cork.Â
Patrick Horgan missed a very straightforward free at the throw-in after half-time but worse, before John McGrath’s first goal, Darragh Fitzgibbon’s point attempt hit the post and rolled across the line. He also had Alan Connolly bombing into space unmarked in front of him.Â
A point would have put Cork 1-17 to 0-18 up, a goal four ahead. That first Tipp goal pushed them 1-18 to 1-16 up but Cork made it a two-point goal with a Barrett point on the puck-out. It should have been game on, not game over. Â
With 24 minutes of normal time remaining, there was no need to panic and the next few minutes were tight until Niall O’Leary was blocked down and John McGrath punished Cork with a point.Â
Even before the second goal and red card soon after, Cork squandered some quality possession. The penalty came from a Fitzgibbon pass across the square that amounted to nothing.Â
Cork were paralysed by the fear of failure in that second half.Â
Once they started missing chances, they wilted. The pressure they were under was ferocious, a lot of it was down to an animalistic Tipp, whose work-rate and focus put Cork to shame, but also the hype beforehand.Â
Cork goalkeeper Patrick Collins after Tipp hit the net last weekend. Picture: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
That was out of the players’ and management’s hands. Everyone expected them to bridge that 20-year gap to All-Ireland glory but instead they produced a performance far below last year’s cracker with Clare.Â
It was hard to comprehend and is even more difficult to stomach a week on.Â
The pain feels like grief, however trite that sounds when talking about sport.Â
Losing All-Ireland finals is a special kind of torture that Leesiders are far too familiar with.
But would we rather have lost that classic to Limerick in May last year, no Patrick Horgan penalty to save the season? Would it have been preferable this summer to be shocked by Dublin after an agonising penalty shootout Munster final defeat?
Rewind to 2021, would it have been better if Patrick Collins didn’t produce a wonder save from Tony Kelly or Shane Kingston hadn’t conjured seven points off the bench against Kilkenny?
After all, you can’t suffer heartbreak on All-Ireland final days if you don’t reach them. Cork spent seven seasons failing to appear on the big stage after the replay against Clare in 2013.
LAST STAND? Cork’s Conor Lehane after the loss to Tipp. Picture: INPHO/Morgan Treacy
Next season it will be all geared towards getting back there, whatever awaits if they do.