Selector Seánie McGrath backs Cork minors to learn from experience

Cork minor hurling selector Seánie McGrath accepted that the Rebels were beaten by a better Wexford team on the day but he expects the players to learn from the experience.

Saturday’s Electric Ireland All-Ireland MHC preliminary quarter-final defeat at FBD Semple Stadium brought Cork’s campaign to an end, the final score 2-16 to 1-10. While it was a disappointing way to end the year, McGrath viewed the squad’s journey as a whole.

“They tried valiantly,” he said, “and were probably beaten on the day by a better side that got a good goal against the wind to give them a good cushion coming up to half-time.

“When you’re playing with a wind like that, we were hoping to be the ones going in five or six ahead but to be chasing a lead like that against the wind…I thought they tried well and they were competitive in the second half but Wexford had that bit more guile.

“We started well enough, we were up 0-3 to 0-1 in the first five or six minutes and we were happy with the start but maybe we weren’t as clinical as we should have been in the first quarter.

“They were in the game, they stayed in the game against the wind and the goal was huge fillip for them.

“But you have to credit our lads, they’ve been fantastic. It's a development thing. For the last three years, we couldn’t have asked any more. They’ve been absolutely brilliant.

“It’s just very disappointing for the lads to go out with such a heavy defeat. The [Cork] goal was late, beaten by nine points, so very disappointed for the young fellas themselves.”

Wexford’s first goal by Adam O’Connell Byrne put them in front by 1-4 to 0-4 and they led thereafter, with the half-time lead 1-9 to 0-6. Cork couldn’t find the net until Joe Twohig’s goal at the death and McGrath rued the failure to create more in the first half.

“We didn’t really threaten a goal,” he said.

“We had two inside with the other coming out, so we tried to maintain the threat inside but there wasn’t enough ball going in or it wasn’t going in regularly enough.

“Maybe that was because their half-forward line and midfield had us under so much pressure. That middle section was really congested.

“Any strikes off we got were under pressure, where you weren’t arrowing the ball into the inside line. But, look, the young fellas just have to learn from that.”

Ultimately, the exposure to inter-county action will prove to be a valuable foundation.

“Inter-county is difficult,” McGrath said.

“The preparation that goes into it, physically and nutrition and everything else, even outside of the hurling alone. Then, when you come to grounds like Thurles and the Gaelic Grounds and Páirc Uí Chaoimh, the ball travels fast and the pitch plays big.

“Fellas’ touch has to be right, their striking has to be right, their teamplay and cohesion and everything. It’s difficult for them but other teams are doing it – Kilkenny won the Leinster title today and Wexford beat us.

“Man for man, we’re probably as good as them but I just think that, on the day, they were that bit hungrier.

“They’ll go back to their clubs now, go into the minor championship and give it a go and some of them, hopefully, when they’re 18 years of age, will make the 20s panel next year but they’ll know after this year how challenging and difficult it can be.

“We have four of five who’ll be under-age again next year. Hopefully, they’ll learn from the experience and, when it comes to Fergal McCormack’s set-up next year, they’ll bring that experience.”