Cork selector Brendan Coleman: We have to hope that this makes us stronger 

Cork senior hurling selector Brendan Coleman is confident the Rebels will bounce back after losing out to Clare in a thriller in the All-Ireland SHC final at Croke Park on Sunday evening.

The Rebels led by seven points on two occasions in the first 35 minutes but could never shake off the Banner. In what was a game for the ages, it went to extra time where Clare prevailed on a scoreline of 3-29 to 1-34.

The aim of winning the Liam MacCarthy trophy for the first time since 2005 will go on after losing in the toughest way possible. Cork did have a chance in the dying embers to send the game to a replay in two weeks’ time but Robbie O’Flynn was unable to put the ball over the bar from close range.

“It was cruel. Pat [Ryan] just addressed the players there and we have to take it on the chin,” Coleman says.

“We have to hope that this makes us stronger as a group. We are really, really, disappointed for the players, they have put so much into this all season. Unfortunately, Clare doubled down and came out on top which is very unfortunate.

“We raced into a great lead. Rob [Downey] gave us a foothold with that great goal but lost our way a little bit but that’s the way it goes. Clare have very good players, we knew they had very good forwards. We are disappointed with how we managed certain periods but we were really in the game and we felt we had the bench to kick on.

“It’s hard to look back on certain things but we had a couple of goal chances that we could have taken and Clare took theirs. They got runners from deep which hurt us a little bit. Our puck-outs weren’t as successful as they had been recently and once that happens, you’re on a little bit of a backfoot. We still kept in the game and showed huge resilience.”  

When the game was level after normal time, many fans were heading for the exits not knowing that there would be extra time and the Cork selector does admit that it was tough on the players after what had been an enthralling 75 minutes or so.

“It was difficult, two periods of ten minutes after such a battle,” the Youghal club man says.

“When we were coming down the home straight, we would have taken extra time as we were two points down but when the match went to extra time, you would wonder about it. Big players on both sides did not perform to their best. You would wonder about the decision over extra time but that’s the rules unfortunately and we have to play by the rules.” 

Since the Leesiders last claimed the All-Ireland crown in 2005, this is now Cork’s fourth defeat in the decider. Coleman has no doubt that this crop of players will respond.

“These lads have taken knocks before,” he said.

“We asked the players this year to represent the jersey really well. The fans have been behind them, everyone has been behind them. We can’t say that they did not represent the Cork jersey really well today so we thanked every single one of them for their efforts. Huge disappointment, but in terms of what they left out there, they gave it everything.

“We need to make sure this group gets stronger. Clare had nine guys 30 years of age and older, we had three or four, so we have time and youth on our side. We need to look to the future now. It will be tough to go back, it’s a long way back but we have got to double down and double our efforts and go again next season.” Coleman concluded.