Knocknagree needed their experience to see off gutsy Gabriel Rangers

CORK senior Eoghan McSweeney was both delighted and relieved to hear the final whistle in their 2-10 to 1-11 Cork IFC final victory over Gabriel Rangers on Saturday.

“I thought we were after throwing it away again. When Anthony (O’Connor) got the goal it put us nine ahead, but Gabriel Rangers never gave up. They had all the momentum when they got the goal at the end.

“I said here we go again. I thought it was gone from us, to be honest. We saw it three years ago. The exact same position. We were up eight points and they drew it. In the replay, they came back and they won by a point.

“Tonight we got hit by a truck, in the sense we haven’t met anyone that was up to the intensity that we bring. Gabriel Rangers brought ferocious intensity, but I thought we answered it for most of it. After the bad start, Patrick (Doyle) made two penalty saves.”

McSweeney’s goal on the brink of half time left them six points to the good.

“It came after they missed the first penalty. At half time, we were happy enough but we weren’t working hard enough.

“We knew there would be an onslaught, which there was at the end. If there were another two or three minutes, I don’t know what would have happened.

“It is great to win a game like this because it has been the toughest game since the Barrs beat us last year. Fair play to Gabriel Rangers, they will be back again in Premier intermediate.”

Nice to round off the week with a victory.

“The Duhallow loss was very disappointing, it just didn’t happen. We dressed ourselves down on Monday and said fellas from other clubs don’t have this opportunity.

“There was nothing better than to go back training on Wednesday night. The lads were great. Gary (O’Connor) said it there in his acceptance speech, football is everything down our way.”