The Echo Sport Podcast: Hurlers collapse offset by minor marvels and Cork fans don't deserve any flak

The Echo Sport Podcast crew go from the high of an epic All-Ireland minor final victory to the low of another Croke Park hurling collapse on the show this week as the inter-county season, from a Cork perspective, concludes.

Now in its fourth season, every Monday, Éamonn Murphy is joined by The Echo team, including Barry O’Mahony, Denis Hurley, Rory Noonan, John Horgan and more to discuss all the latest Cork GAA news on and off the field. You can listen on Echolive.ie/podcast or where you get your podcasts.

The minor footballers gave the whole county a badly needed lift with a sensational comeback on Sunday. Down by nine points early in the second half at Newbridge and being outplayed by a slick Ulster side who landed the title last season, they gritted their teeth and delivered the massive scores to get them over the line.

A massive Cork crowd more than played its part as a three-point salvo from Joe Miskella and a goal by sub Alex O'Herlihy sparked the Rebel revival. Keeper Rory Twohig and wing-back Éanna Lynch made goal-saving stops and an injury-time 1-1 from Eoin Ahern and Tom Whooley saw Cork snatch the title.

It was a masterclass from manager Keith Ricken, whose experience ensured the young guns never stopped firing even when the cause looked lost.

Question marks

On another bitterly disappointing outing to Croker, the hurlers certainly didn't shoot the lights, aside from Brian Hayes, as they failed to build on a 1-12 to 1-7 advantage against a ravenous Galway. 

The Leinster champions got on top just before half-time and squeezed the life out of Cork in the second half, where Ben O'Connor's side managed just six points, even if they did chase goals late on.

Their inability to win long puck-outs, losing nine of the 11 they attempted in the second half, meant they had no platform at all to get in behind Galway's defensive structure and they took just six shots outside of the 45. In the first half, a patient approach paid off but when Galway gathered momentum, Cork fell apart, not helped by Darragh Fitzgibbon's red card.

It leaves huge questions now for the players and management, with supporters particularly bewildered by William Buckley falling down the pecking order.

The big question is, where to from here after being leading contenders for three years running without landing the big prize?