Farrell: Pace and a return to Rebel tradition key to Cork All-Ireland triumph
Pace was the key ingredient in Cork’s second-half comeback and resultant All-Ireland victory at Croke Park yesterday, according to former Galway hurling boss Cyril Farrell.
The Leesiders mounted an impressive comeback to get the better of Kilkenny in a thrilling All-Ireland camogie decider at the Jones’ Road venue after the Cats’ strong first half showing.
Goals from Jenny O’Leary and Angela Walsh sealed victory for Cork, with Walsh’s strike arriving after Kilkenny had a possible penalty claim contentiously refused.
Farrell, however, felt Cork were deserving champions on the day and that Cork’s extra pace –particularly in the forward division – made the difference for the Leesiders.
“Cork in the second half attacked. They had terrible pace down the wings: [Breige] Corkery; [Julia] White; [Katriona] Mackey, they took them on but the big thing was that they had support with them. They did that in the first half but there was no support, players were out the field but in the second half they pushed forward more.
It’s tough on Kilkenny but they were beaten by a team that bit better than them but with a lot more pace and as it went on the pace became more pronounced as it went on. Kilkenny got the hard calls against them; didn’t get the calls [in their favour] but you have to say Cork in the second half completely dominated,” Farrell said on RTÉ’s ‘The Sunday Game’.
The former Galway manager added that the renewed vigour with which Cork attacked in the second period was the hallmark of sides –both hurling and camogie- from the Rebel County down through the years which tend to play an open, expansive game.
“They’re just natural athletes, they have extra pace,” he said of Cork’s standout performers.
“Like Corkery can cover the ground all day, [Orla] Cotter was picked at full-forward [but] went all around midfield, Julia White inside, Mackey – they’d run all… They threw caution at the wind in the second half and went at them because they had to attack and that – [in] hurling or camogie –that’s Cork. They kind of play it open, that’s their style… and that’s what won it for them in the end,” he concluded.
Responding to a question put to her by host Des Cahill, four-time All-Ireland winner Mags D’Arcy of Wexford said that while Kilkenny have a youthful side, the loss will hurt no less than it would any other side.
“They are [young] but that’s not what they want to hear tonight… they probably don’t even want to think about the game at this stage yet they have youth on their side, I suppose in that [respect] but at the same time An All-Ireland final is an All-Ireland final- you want to win it no matter what age you’re at,” she said.
