Chris Óg Jones: Páirc Uí Rinn crowd drove us home in crucial win

Cork forward Chris Óg Jones said the Rebels’ stirring comeback against Meath was built on calm heads, trust in the system, and a collective refusal to let the game slip away, even when they trailed by eight points at half-time. 

The Leesiders’ 0-30 to 1-24 victory in Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday evening not only opened their All-Ireland SFC campaign with a win, but also restored momentum after a disappointing Munster final display in Killarney.

Jones admitted the conditions and the new rules meant the scoreboard never felt as daunting as it looked. 

“It’s a brilliant win, our backs were against the wall," the Uibh Laoire player said post-match.

"I think we went in at half-time eight points down, but I guess the way the new rules are… an eight-point lead with the breeze is really a three-point lead.

"So we went out there in the second half with confidence. We actually played well — there was no big change needed. They just had a five-minute spell where they got on top of us, and we didn’t panic.

"You probably wouldn’t have noticed it from the stand, but the wind was quite strong. A shot against it had to be in and around the small D. But look, you’ve seen the likes of Steven Sherlock tapping them over from outside the two-point arc.” 

That reference to Steven Sherlock, who kicked a remarkable 0-14, was no accident. Jones repeatedly highlighted the St Finbarr’s man’s composure and self-belief. 

“One thing Steve definitely doesn’t lack is confidence. He backs himself 100 percent. It’s something I admire massively about him. He can go out and kick 10 points and he’ll stay kicking. The next day he can kick 15. That’s just the way he is. 

"It’s a brilliant trait to have.” 

Cork’s second-half surge was made even more impressive by the fact they played the final 20 minutes with 14 men after Colm O'Callaghan was given a straight red card. 

Jones said the group’s reaction was a reflection of their maturity. 

“We never panic, we’ve had loads of black cards and red cards — too much," Jones says.

"It’s something we’re going to have to look at. But we don’t panic. We stay with the system, we work extra hard, we try to kill momentum where we can, keep the ball, and tap over scores.

"We do train different scenarios, and one of them is when you’re a man down. You’d be 14 v 15 some days in training and see how you react. In this new game, it really is a big issue when you’re a man down. 

"We had our way with it today, but we don’t want that happening too much.” 

The win also carried broader significance. After the Munster final loss to Kerry, Jones said the players were disappointed not because of the result, but because they failed to execute the plan. 

“Killarney is a tough place to go, and if you go down there and play to the system the coaches prepared us for, and if we execute that and lose, we’d come out of it and say that’s fair enough," Jones states. 

"The thing is we went down there and we didn’t do the plan as players, and we lost badly. It was an opportunity and we failed to take it.

“Our attacks — we worked on them a lot the last two weeks. We just felt we were flat, we weren’t moving, we were standing still against Kerry.

"Today I felt we were much better. Some top-class performances out there. I definitely wasn’t one of them, but that’s the beauty of this team. If one or two forwards are having an off day, you have one or two who will step up.” 

Jones said the Páirc Uí Rinn atmosphere was a major factor in the turnaround. The decision to play the game there was made collectively. 

“Ian Maguire came around asking what lads wanted to do. It was really a team decision and nearly everyone wanted to play here. I love playing in Páirc Uí Chaoimh — the pitch is incredible — but you just can’t beat this atmosphere. 

"Going down the stretch when your backs are against the wall and the crowd roaring you on… it was incredible.” 

With three weeks now to Round 2A, Jones stressed the importance of staying grounded. 

“The important thing is not to get ahead of yourself. You’ve another game to play and that’s it. There’s no quarter-final, no preliminary quarter-final. 

"All it is is another game against what is going to be a really top-class team — that could be Donegal away. So it’s training Tuesday or Wednesday night, tip away, and go into that game with an All-Ireland final-type attitude.”