Cork Masters fall in extra-time heartbreaker as Galway claim All-Ireland crown

Cork Masters selector Seán Horgan says his players were “literally disappointed” but immensely proud of their efforts after Saturday’s agonising 0-13 to 1-9 extra-time defeat to Galway in the All-Ireland Masters Challenge Cup final in Cappamore.

It was a dramatic contest that swung repeatedly, and while Cork spent long spells chasing the game, Horgan felt the group showed enormous character to haul themselves back into contention and force extra time.

“We were kind of playing catch-up for a bit of the first half,” he said.

“But it was an exciting game and the lads are disappointed — literally disappointed — with all the effort they put in. 

"They probably deserved more, but we appreciate all the support we get. The players did their best and that’s all you can ask for.” 

Cork trailed by four points at half-time, having struggled to settle early on. Galway’s direct running and accuracy punished a couple of turnovers, and Horgan admitted the opening period left them with work to do.

“That first half wouldn’t have been good enough by our standards,” he says.

“We had a couple of chances we didn’t take, and we gave away a few frees. That probably cost us. We only kicked two points in that first 30 minutes.” 

But Cork’s response after the break was superb. They tore into the second half with renewed energy, overturned the deficit, and even edged in front.

“We came out of the blocks in the second half full of enthusiasm and full of energy,” Horgan states.

“We got on top and I think we went a point ahead at one stage. They got it back and it was tit for tat for the rest of the game.” 

Extra time brought its own challenges. With two five-minute periods to negotiate, Cork’s over 40s panel were stretched to their limit.

“We were rolling lads on and off because they were getting tired,” Horgan explained.

“You must remember the lads are over 40, so they wouldn’t necessarily be prepared for an extra ten minutes. We had no complaints — it just wasn’t our day. We are very disappointed. The players put in an awful lot of work this year.” 

Despite the heartbreak, Horgan was keen to highlight the strides made by Cork Masters football this season.

“We’ve made huge progress this year. We got to a final in football where earlier in the year we didn’t think we’d get that far. Registration was slow, but we got a number of players in and they really added to the squad.

“I personally want to thank all the players, and I’d like to thank Tony Leahy, our manager, for all the work he’s done. Tony is very disappointed because of all the work we’ve put in. But he has been brilliant with the lads.” 

Looking ahead, Horgan is already thinking about next season. Recruitment will begin almost immediately, and the group hopes to maintain momentum through the winter.

“We’ll give it a week or two and then start recruiting straight away,” he said.

“We’ll try to keep the squad together. The lads want to go training one night a week over the winter on the astro. They’re anxious to get back already and make amends for this defeat.”