Cork manager Pat Ryan: First-half goal missed chances were very costly

WITH Cork’s Munster SHC survival still alive by the slimmest of margins, manager Pat Ryan admits that the team’s confidence will need boosting ahead of a make-or-break clash with Limerick.

The All-Ireland champions come to Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday week, May 11, with Cork knowing that a victory that night and way to Tipperary eight days later are essential – but still may not be enough to ensure qualification.

While Ryan felt that the Cork performance in losing by 3-26 to 3-24 against Clare was better than the loss away to Waterford a week previously, the outcome was the same. As to what can be done before the trip, he feels that there were some positive aspect.

“If we’re after losing two games it’s going to affect the confidence,” he said, “but it’s up to ourselves to try and get the lads picked up and go again.

“Look, I think the lads know they were well in that game.

“There were plenty of opportunities where we could have won that match today and we’ll just analyse it and see what we can do and try and pick them up.”

Cork led by seven points, 1-17 to 0-13, after four minutes of the second half, with Patrick Horgan’s goal followed by three straight points. 

Clare came back well though and were within a point when Cork captain Seán O’Donoghue was sent off for a second booking.

Aidan McCarthy levelled from that free and Cork never led again, with Shane O’Donnell’s goal putting Clare into a lead that would not be lost.

Even so, Ryan felt that Cork could have done some things differently when seven ahead.

“Look, they’re a good team,” he said of Clare, “they weren’t going to lie down to being seven points down.

“Obviously, we had a great opportunity at six points when Shane [Barrett] went through but Eibhear Quilligan made a fantastic save and we went seven points up but we probably rushed a bit of puckouts, we probably could have got a bit of calmness onto it, that’s why we tried to get Mark [Coleman] onto the field.

“We got him on in the middle of the field and straight away you had a man sent off and then all of a sudden Mark is going back wing-back and you’re trying to reshuffle and you’re chasing the game then.

“In fairness to our fellas, they chased the game really, really well and Damo [Damien Cahalane] was a bit unlucky at the end for an opportunity. In fairness to our fellas, I thought they played well for the jersey for the 70 minutes.”

O’Donoghue’s dismissal, just after a great goal-saving block on Aaron Rodgers, left Cork with an uphill task and, for the second week in a row, they couldn’t overcome a numerical disparity.

Ryan had no complains with the decision for the sending-off, but he was perplexed by other calls.

“To be honest, I don’t think it was a dirty game,” he said.

“I think Seán made a very good challenge on the first thing. I don’t know did he do a third-man tackle then on the way out, that’s what the lads said to me, I don’t think it was for the first thing.

“To be honest with you, we’ve been down to 13 and 14 and I don’t think we’re the dirtiest team in the world. It wasn’t a dirty game today. I just thought there was too many yellow cards, that’s the way we go, move on.

“We had three or four opportunities [of goals] that we should have taken in the first half that would have put us in a good setting. 

"Obviously, in fairness to Clare, they got a great first goal. There were going to spaces open up when you’re playing with 14 against 15. They got a couple of opportunities towards the end to take their chances.

“The one thing I’d be disappointed about, we had a man down injured [Tim O’Mahony] and you’re asked to play away. I don’t think that’s very fair to be honest with you.

“There’s player welfare involved in that. We conceded 1-1 when the lad was down injured and I think that was a big turning point in the game.”

Thankfully for Cork, O’Mahony’s injury is not a serious one.

“Just cramp in his two calves,” Ryan said, “so he should be good to go in two weeks’ time.”