Glen Rovers 'need to be playing for the hour' if they're to go beyond the quarter-finals

The six-point winning margin hardly reflected the level of control Glen Rovers exerted over their opponents in Carrigtwohill on Sunday, but the northsiders were almost their own worst enemy given the way a certain game was shaping up in Mourneabbey.

Prior to the final round of group games, Blackrock (+11 scoring difference) led Group 1 with four points. Glen Rovers (0) were ahead of Kanturk (+11) on head-to-head; both teams were tied on two points.

With Kanturk comfortably ahead against Blackrock, and the Glen leading O’Neill’s, it became clear there would be a three-way tie on four points. The Glen were the team coming from behind on the scoring difference front.

With the flurry of late scores O’Neill’s tacked on here, it threatened to eliminate the Glen. Though the positive news eventually filtered through of their place in the quarter-finals against Charleville, selector Kieran O’Callaghan was keen to take the lesson on board.

“We were good in the first half, but we've a lot to work on with the second-half performance,” he said after the win against Fr O’Neill’s. “[It was] nowhere near where we want to be or we expect to be or if we want to stay in this championship going forward, That's not good enough.

“It’s fits and starts. We play well for 20 minutes, then we take our foot off the pedal and let the other team back into it.

“As I said, going forward in this championship, there're big teams coming and if we want to stay in it we need to be playing for the hour.

“Against Blackrock we felt we played well in periods of that game but we lost our shape, they caught us at the end,” he explained. “I think the victory against Kanturk, in the manner in which we did it, really kind of typified the spirit within the camp. But it's just about producing those performances for the hour.” 

Classy

One man who did shine for the full 60 was Cork senior star Rob Downey. He was seldom more than a few inches from Declan Dalton at any point during the contest. Every time that Dalton gathered possession, he had Downey breathing down his neck.

Rob will do that, Rob is one of the best hurlers in the country as we all know.

“Deccie Dalton brings a massive threat,” O’Callaghan added. So, to keep him to one point from play is an excellent return for us, and for Rob to be able to achieve that on a top-quality player.” 

Rob Downey wasn’t the only one of their current Cork crop on song – Micheál Mullins and brother Eoin were both outstanding – but they also needed the experience of veteran goalkeeper Cathal Hickey and former Cork star Patrick Horgan when O’Neill’s ramped up the pressure.

“Cathal Hickey's an excellent goalkeeper, he's around a long time,” remarked O’Callaghan. “He knows when to go long, when to go short and to who. And Eoin Downey moving up there [to centre-forward], we just felt we knew he'd give us that. And Patrick [Horgan] as well, came up with a score there, one catch out of the air as well and stuck it over.

“Two guys, two of the best hurlers in Ireland, Patrick still is as well. You'll get that from them and Cathal knows that, Cathal knows who to hit.” 

The swapping of Eoin Downey and Micheál Mullins was key too late on, as the latter excelled in the sweeper role while the former took the no. 11 slot to add some aerial threat.

“Micheál brings so much energy and we felt we needed it back there and we thought Eoin on the other end then could give us that ball-winning ability.”