Cork's Mark O'Sullivan: "All year we never panicked"

The aim heading into last Sunday was always going to be to see Cork win the double, especially given they were favourites to pick up both titles.

It certainly wasn’t made easy though – particularly for Donie Daly’s Intermediates, and Mark “Fanta” O’Sullivan was thrilled how they pulled through against Kilkenny to snatch the win.

“The buzz is unreal,” he begins. “I would have been happy with the draw coming up to the last two minutes. We’ve been a second-half team all year and the subs made a huge difference.

“I call them game changers, and the work rate from this team has been crazy, and no matter how hard we trained, the response we got back was unbelievable. They’re a great bunch of girls and they are a credit to their families and a credit to themselves really.

“I’m absolutely delighted today. To be up in Croke Park and winning All-Ireland medals coaching the Cork Intermediate team, I’m just delighted.

“We told them at half time in the dressing room, no excuses. I said it to them, I don’t want to hear nothing after, I want no-one blaming no-one.

“In fairness to them, they dug deep and you have to admire them for that, they dug deep to the very last minute. It must have been entertaining to be in the crowd, and to win by a point, but Kilkenny weren’t coming up here for a day out, they’re unbelievable.

I always say, fast direct hurling, and work rate, you can’t beat it. One hook or one block can win a match.

“I’m delighted for Lauren going up the steps, I told her to tonight it would be a dream for me if she went up the steps and collected the cup, and she did. Job done."

GAME CHANGERS

It came down to the wire for Cork, who were two points behind after struggling to score for large parts of the game, but they held their nerve and found a way to win.

“It's been like that all year,” says Fanta. “I thought against Offaly it was a big game, it took a lot out of the players and the time was going fierce fast. We said let's get the subs on, the ‘game changers’ and in fairness – it was unreal.

They never died, all year, we never panicked. 

"Being a point down with a minute to go, once we got the equalizer, and went ahead then, we just had to die for the puckout. It's been a whole panel of 30 incredible girls, and an incredible backroom team.” The game changer on the day was Charleville’s Fiona Nelligan, who came off the bench and got the winning score in additional time.

“I looked up at the stand, and I said to Donie; ‘Fiona, she's going well in training, we’ll give her the nod’. When she came in and the ball came across to her – no better girl.

“She’s fierce fast, but sometimes she’s hitting balls there in training at the far post, but today she came up trumps. I'm absolutely delighted for her. I’m delighted for everyone inside that dressing room.

“Donie Daly put a team together, we took it on at the end of January, where other teams were there since November. They were ahead of us, but we just put in the hard work.

“He asked me to be coach, and I was delighted to. It’s all about the work rate with him – hooks, blocks and tackles.” 

It certainly came down to work rate on the day – particularly with Cork’s full-back line who put on another superb showing to take the crown.

“Emma Flanagan was player of the game today, Aoife Barrett in the semi-final. They’re coming out with balls every time, hurley’s breaking off them. They’re unbelievable girls. First half our goalkeeper was very good, and the backs kept us in it all year.

“They've been excellent backs, one of the best full back lines I've seen around.

“Niamh O’Leary full-back, she missed the semi-final, came back today and only for the panel of 30, we would not be here winning an All-Ireland.”