Leo O'Connor lauds 'phenomenal' Offaly support but laments 'cynical' Cork hurling

OFFALY manager Leo O'Connor lauded the “phenomenal” Offaly support while lamenting some of the “cynical hurling” displayed by Cork, particularly in the first half, as he spoke immediately in the aftermath of his side's defeat in the All-Ireland Final at Semple Stadium on Sunday.

The Limerick man was loud in his praise for the Offaly supporters and he vowed that the team would be back again searching for All-Ireland glory.

“I've said it and I've spoken to a lot of people over the last couple of weeks and I'm going to tell you, that Offaly Army that was there today, the support has been absolutely phenomenal. You see the hunger that is there for this and certainly one that we won't go away, we'll be back and we'll come back next year fighting. Ten of the starting team today are underage next year, three or four more came on that will be there next year as well. It's positive, but yet you don't just do these things at certain times and today was one of those days and we were beaten by a better team, there's no doubt about that.”

Despite acknowledging Cork's dominance there were certain aspects of their play that didn't please him. “One or two things happened I thought in the first half with absolutely cynical hurling and it leaves a bit of a sour taste. But we were beaten by a better team. Cork physically dominated us in the second half, that ten minutes after half time where they really pushed on. Fair play to them, they were a better team than us today, they showed it on the scoreboard and that's the way it is. But that cynicism, an Offaly player went through there with 15 minutes to go, pulled straight to the ground. Penalty in the first half, there's things that happen and it's not our responsibility on the sideline. All we can do is ask questions and as they wear on the sleeve 'Give respect, get respect'.”

“Cork were the better team today, physically dominated us in the second half. It was easier for us to play against the wind in the first half as the ball was going in easier as it was going in at the right level and where we wanted it to be. But it is very frustrating. We had three players rounded Cork defenders, going straight in on goals and three times they were pulled down. One of them was a penalty and two other occasions, so it's just very, very frustrating.”

He was asked if a lot of off the ball stuff was intimidation of the Offaly players?

“This is what I am getting at. We went to the fourth official, we spoke to the linesman – as I said give respect, get respect. We were constantly speaking to them.”

When a reporter asked him if he thought the concession of the penalty could have resulted in a red card for the Cork player Leo said “You tell me.” When the reporter said he thought it should have been, Leo replied with a smile “Thanks”.

Asked if it could have been a black card, he said there is no black card at under 20 level, it is only at senior level. “My father refereed three All-Irelands, refereeing was in my house all my life. I'm not giving out about the referee but I am saying you have got to question him with the cynical nature of what went on in the first half today.”

It was a game midway through the second half that could really have got away from Offaly but they battled on bravely to the end, reducing the gap to six points at the finish.

“It was one of those games with 10-12 minutes to go it was getting really, really tough,” Leo said. “You saw the physical conditioning of the Cork boys, you know that's a team I know that there are a lot of them underage next year as well, but we'll be back. We are a work in progress and that's the way I look at it.”

Offaly were ahead by two points after 24 minutes but Cork got five of the last six points of the first half and he was asked was that a momentum switch?

“There's a lot of things. That game was really, really tough, a lot of things happened. I wouldn't say it was the five points, I think that just straight after half time, the five minutes after half time, conceding that 1-3 very, very quick, and that's one of the things, but we dug in there, and we didn't give up on it.”

The age profile of this Offaly panel is very young so the future is still bright.

“27 of the extended panel are underage next year. There is a huge future still ahead. I've said it to a few of you that getting back up to McCarthy Cup is the most important thing. Two years in a row is hard to take at times but when you look back on it we have had a great two years but we haven't got over the line. We will get there and get back up to McCarthy level which I hope we do, but in terms of everything else I think that it is hugely positive for us.”