Ben O'Connor happy to assess Cork's free-taking options

Ben O’Connor has yet to make a firm decision on who will take over free-taking duties for Cork – but it’s not something he is worried about.

With Patrick Horgan, who held the role for much of his career, having retired, Alan Connolly took the frees in Sunday’s Allianz HL opener against Waterford, scoring two dead balls. There were not a lot of opportunities – he missed two low-percentage long-rangers, while he was off receiving treatment after being fouled for another, which new captain Darragh Fitzgbbon converted.

Declan Dalton and Mark Coleman provide further options, O’Connor doesn’t see an urgent need to sort the issue.

“[Alan] was just taking them today,” he said.

“If you look at all them fellas, they're all hitting them for their clubs, so it's only to get decided on who we're going to go with.

“Alan took them today, we'll see who will take them the next day. But I don't think it's an issue when you have so many free-takers from centrefield up, they're all hitting them for their clubs.

“I suppose it is just inside in a different arena that they are hitting them – instead of being at home, hitting them in front of 200, 300 people, you have 20,000 looking at you. So it's just to get fellas used to that as well.”

In terms of the inter-play leading to the first and third goals, scoring by Alan Connolly and William Buckley respectively, O’Connor was very encouraged.

“Yeah, that's what we're looking for, we're looking for team play,” he said.

“There's no point having a shot that you've a 50 percent of chance of scoring if there's a fella inside with a 70 percent chance, so why not give it to him. So that's what we're looking for.

“We work hard in training at that. And look, it's nice when it pays off in a match out here because you can show the clips during the week. That's money in the bank for you, so delighted when things like that come off.”

Buckley, making his league debut, won the man of the match award and was naturally delighted with how things went, not least in finishing off the third goal after sub Alan Walsh had forced a turnover, allowing Alan Connolly to feed the St Finbarr’s man.

“It’s only the first day out,” he said, “but what Ben said was to play with freedom.

“First of all, you have to work hard but, after that, you can express yourself and you saw that out there on Sunday.

“We really played with freedom, popping the ball to the man in the best position, and it’s a joy to play in a team like that.”

Buckley was a part of the squad under Pat Ryan last year, but

“It’s always, great, obviously, to get off to a winning start,” he said.

“We’ve been doing a lot of tough running for the last two or three months, so it’s great to actually get out an express ourselves here with freedom and it’s great to get a win.

“There’s so many fellas here that want to push on, because, the journey the last few years the lads have taken us on, there’s so much experience there.

“We’re just hoping that us new fellas can help them push on and hopefully do our bit as well.”

Of course, Buckley is helped by having prior experience of working with the new manager, winning an All-Ireland U20 title together in 2023.

“It’s brilliant, to be honest,” he said.

“Ben, I’ve known him since the first year with the 20s and he’s been excellent.

“He pushes us very hard, in fairness – that kind of running game and working, it all comes down to workrate with him, if you don’t work, you won’t get the jersey.

“The hurling looks after itself after that. He pushes us very hard and you saw how hard we worked on Sunday. That’s what he’s really pushing into us.”