Cork defender Maurice Shanley: We just stuck to our process and ground it out

Cork defender Maurice Shanley said Saturday evening’s All-Ireland SFC Round 1 win over Meath was as draining to play in as it was dramatic to watch.

The Rebels overturned an eight-point half-time deficit to claim a 0-30 to 1-24 victory at Páirc Uí Rinn. 

It was Cork’s third meeting with Meath this season, and Shanley noted that the pattern has been the same every time. 

Colm O’Callaghan’s red card after 50 minutes made the victory more impressive. 

“It was a tough battle,” Shanley said. 

“We’ve played Meath three times this year and all of them have been tough battles, so there’s nothing in it at the end. 

"We got the rub of the green today and got over the line, and we’re happy with that.” 

The intensity was obvious from the stands, but Shanley said the players felt it even more sharply on the pitch, particularly with a packed Páirc Uí Rinn driving on the players. 

“Championship is always going to be intense, especially here,” he says.

“The crowd probably added to that as well, in on top of us. We love it here at Páirc Uí Rinn, so we’re happy out.

“Meath got a few two-pointers over, but we were still in a good place at half-time, so we knew there wasn’t too much in it.

"We probably missed a few chances in the first half that we could have scored, and we just stuck to our process and ground it out then — and we did.” 

That second-half surge was built on patience, improved shot selection and an ability to win their own kick-outs.

The win also carried a wider significance for a group still recovering from the disappointment of the Munster final defeat to Kerry. 

Shanley didn’t hide how much that loss stung, nor how important it was to respond quickly.

“We had to park the Kerry game quick enough,” he said. 

“We were very disappointed with that. We knew we’d meet Meath in two weeks down here, so we had to regroup and focus on that.

“We’ll just take it game by game from here on in.

“We’ll see who we get — I think the draw is next week — so we’ll see who we get there and take it game by game.”

For Cork, the win was about more than progression. It was about a response, resilience and restoring belief. 

All those boxes were ticked.