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Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Conor McManus: Everyone stands behind their penalty takers but you are ultimately on your own
It was hurling finals weekend with Munster unusually scheduled on Saturday for the first time. It made no difference to the crowds, who filled out the Gaelic Grounds. I was attending a function that evening and so missed the live drama. The round-robin championship has been great but it's a bit unfair on teams who keep running into each other. Cork and Limerick are already expected to be sorting out the All-Ireland in July's final. Ulster football is closest to Munster hurling when it comes to generating interest and local rivalry. I never liked playing the same team twice, let alone the prospect of three times in eight to 10 weeks. We faced Tyrone as Ulster champions, having beaten them in the province – almost double the stress! – but at least there was a decent few weeks between the games. [ Cork crowned Munster champions after penalty shoot-out victory over Limerick – as it happened Opens in new window ] Cork turned around a 16-point margin in the final but narrower margins cause even more anxiety for both teams. The losers are almost expected to turn it around the next day and the winners can feel a bit like sitting ducks. READ MORE From Limerick's point of view, it would have been quite difficult to reproduce the form of three weeks ago. You play so well and then have to go and do it all over again. The penalties brought me back. I understand the need for them, given the nature of the calendar and everything else. But for two teams like Cork and Limerick to have to finish a game like that doesn't sit well with the prestige of a Munster final. When you have two teams as well matched as they are – the game was level 17 times – for us not to be fit to say, 'right, we'll come back next week to do that all over again', I think is wrong. I remember the penalty shoot-out two years ago, against Armagh. It's funny that taking a penalty during a match is so routine. Unless you get one right at the end, it's usually relatively relaxed. Because if you miss, it's not great, but it's probably not going to be life or death either. When the outcome of an All-Ireland quarter-final depends on these kicks, it's a different scenario. You know the pressure is on you and you have to score because there's a strong chance that if you don't, the team is going to suffer. They're not something we practised on a collective basis. I used to take a few at training, but there was no organised session. That was for a reason. Some people might be really good penalty takers on a given evening and nail all of them. Then, when there's a pressure moment, they don't deal as well with it. England at the 2006 World Cup brought on Jamie Carragher late in extra-time because he had been banging in the penalties at training. He didn't wait for the ref's whistle, scored and had to retake it. I don't think anyone in the global TV audience of millions expected him to do it again, and sure enough, he missed. Anybody can miss a penalty; that's the reality of it, but another reason for not making it part of the collective preparation is that you don't know who's going to be on the field at any given time. Monaghan's Conor McManus at the final whistle with Seán Jones after the penalty shoot-out win over Armagh in the 2023 All-Ireland quarter-final in Croke Park. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho By the time you get through 70 or 80 minutes and then you have your two 10-minute periods of extra-time, you actually don't know who's going to be left on the pitch. So, it's very hard to say, 'yes, we have practised penalties, but we don't know who is going to be there to take them'. There's a certain element of luck attached to it in that sense. I saw Limerick bring on Diarmaid Byrnes just before the end of extra-time on Saturday, but teams have often used all of their bench options by then. You also need people who want to do it. You can't be putting any man under pressure and in that particular game against Armagh, it was a case of who's going to hit these? Look around and, hopefully, there are five hands up. If a man sticks his hand up, he's going to have the backing and the trust of all the other players. That goes without saying, but he's still on his own when the time comes. At that point, there's nothing else happening, only you and the goalkeeper and trying to see who comes out best. So, there is a fair bit of pressure attached to it, but at the same time, it's a strangely enjoyable experience to be in the middle of it all. The focal point. I suppose, though, that's strictly the experience of a winning shoot-out. On that day, we had done such little preparation that we weren't even aware that teams could change the order of their penalty takers. Although the idea is borrowed from soccer, there are variations. You can use the same five players if the teams are level after the first five penalties and shuffle them around. Armagh knew, and they changed the order of their kickers. If you take and score the penalty, there's a little hint of smugness as you head back to the huddle. At least that's me done for today. But both teams got four out of five, so I was up again and the second time, the pressure's rising. I had huge respect for Gary Mohan because he didn't score his first and it must have been a nervous walk-up for his second, but he nailed it. Football is back this weekend and the most striking thing about the fixtures is the jeopardy for some top teams. In Group 4, Dublin, Derry and Galway are all battling for their lives in this year's championship. A year ago, these teams were All-Ireland champions, league holders and three-in-a-row Connacht winners, also regarded as Sam Maguire front runners. Come Sunday evening, one of them will be gone. And in Group 1, there's a strong chance that Mayo will be joining them. Next week's landscape will be very interesting.
Irish Times
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
If we want free-flowing hurling we must accept the refereeing that facilitates it
On the raised television gantry at the Gaelic Grounds on Saturday night, Alan Connolly leant on the barrier, while on the pitch behind him Cork fans belted out a chorus of 'After All'. When he turned around to take in the scene below, the decibel levels rose. Liam Sheedy, Donal Óg Cusack and Henry Shefflin were all standing beside him. Hurling royalty. But for those draped in red and white below it was clear that Connolly was the star attraction. Such was the level of the noise, Shefflin had to lean over at one stage to repeat his question to the Cork forward. During the entire interview Connolly – still in full gear and boots – carried the chilled-out disposition of a man who had just perched himself at a poolside bar in their flip-flops. There were the usual questions about the game and then host Joanne Cantwell interjected: 'Can I ask, when there was a change in referee – because Thomas Walsh referees a very particular way, and James Owens referees a very different way – what was it like?' READ MORE Connolly smiled apologetically, seemingly recalling the sight of Walsh requiring treatment on the pitch for cramp. 'It was funny, I hope he's all right,' he said before wondering if it had ever happened before where a referee had to leave the field. Informed that it had indeed, he continued: 'It was interesting, they reffed the game the same enough I thought, to be honest. There wasn't too much of a change, I don't know.' Plenty of others seemed to know. A quick scroll through social media on Saturday night would have demonstrated one of the main talking points from a gripping Munster final was the performance of the referee. Walsh was lauded by many for letting the game flow, his approach credited with contributing to the match, but for others the officiating facilitated a level of lawlessness that went too far. It quickly became a Marmite debate. A couple of days on and still many conversations about the game eventually arrive at the referee. Cork's Alan Connolly has his helmet tugged by Limerick's Diarmaid Byrnes. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho Strip it all back and it leaves one very straightforward yet complex question about hurling: What game do we actually want? For those of us currently in a space where we spend many Saturday mornings ferrying kids to Go Games, hurling can seem a very different sport at either end of the chain. But children learn the game not only because of their coaches, they also learn from the referees they encounter. The referees at Go Games are predominately teenagers who have been persuaded to take up the whistle. Many of them spend a lot of their time during matches patiently instructing seven- and eight-year-olds on what to do next. They'll give the goalkeeper a second chance at puck-outs, or on spotting repeated fresh air shots the referee might encourage the young player to hit the ball along the ground instead. When it comes to juvenile sport, both the coaches and referees are heroes. But retaining referees is an ongoing problem for the GAA. Earlier this year Dublin GAA arranged a training course to try attract new referees to deal with a 'chronic shortage' of officials. Gaelic football and hurling are different sports but they share a common indistinctness in terms of some playing rules. Hurling, in particular, can exist in different forms depending on whether the referee wants to swallow their whistle or blow it. So, what game do we want? At the start of each half last Saturday, Walsh held the sliotar in his hand while a pair of opposing midfielders locked horns in that perpetual dance of bouncing off each other and snarling like a pair of bucking bulls released from their pen for the first time in months. Limerick's Shane O'Brien celebrates winning a free. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho As their shoulder-fest found its rhythm, the intensity spread across the pitch and several little replica dances sparked off. The roars from the stands increased, the Gaelic Grounds becoming a sporting tinderbox. The atmosphere, electric. In those few seconds at the start of each half, the terms of engagement were being set. If the referee was allowing those battles to fester, the players had a fair idea that a decent level of aggression would go unpunished. And so it played out. There were fouls not blown, flaking ignored, players got away with stuff. Both management teams then surrounded the referee at half-time – presumably to check if perhaps he could arrange it that only their lads would be allowed do the flaking. One of the positive outcomes of the FRC's new rules in football has been a greater level of respect towards match officials. Gaelic football referees at club and county level have seen a significant decrease in verbal abuse. And yet another of the FRC's rules has been to have a one v one throw-in at the start of each half. Instead, you now have two players standing on opposite sidelines and then dashing in when the ball is tossed in the air. For all the progressive FRC changes, the start of Gaelic football matches has lost something. It's lost that edge of physicality and aggression. But perhaps that is the game we are trying to manufacture now in football? Are we saying we don't want those displays of hostility at the outset of matches? Are we saying we want a game where players hand the ball back to their opponent? That, of course, is football's journey of discovery right now. But those are the kind of questions hurling might eventually have to answer too. As a sporting contest, what the Cork and Limerick players served up on Saturday was captivating. It was a game full of endeavour and desire, two tribes going full-blooded to represent their people. You couldn't take your eyes off it. They deserve great credit for producing such entertainment and drama, but at the same time those matches are also almost impossible to referee. If we can at least agree on that, perhaps we're not far away from having the game we want.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Limerick's reign ended as Cork win Munster final classic on penalties
Cork ended Limerick's long reign in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship in the most dramatic fashion, winning 3-2 in the competition's first penalty shootout after an extraordinary final ended in a draw after extra-time. Conor Lehane, Shane Kingston and Alan Connolly netted penalties for Cork, and while Diarmuid Byrnes and Aaron Gillane converted for Limerick, misses by Barry Murphy and Declan Hannon either side of Patrick Collins' save from Tom Morrissey handed the Rebels their first provincial triumph since front of a crowd of 43,580, Cork midfielder Darragh Fitzgibbon drilled over a '65 in added time at the end of extra-time to force penalties after 90-plus minutes in the Gaelic Grounds ended 1-30 to O'Connor and Shane O'Brien scored goals in either half in regulation for Limerick, with Shane Barrett raising Cork's green flag. Limerick, who were chasing a seventh consecutive title, now drop into the All-Ireland quarter-finals while last season's beaten finalists Cork progress to the last four. "Our fellas really dug in. It took an awful lot of effort over the last three weeks," Cork boss Pat Ryan told RTE. "We were embarrassed when we came up here the last time [losing by 16 points in the round-robin stage]. We had to get over Waterford [in the last game], which was a really tough game."I knew the lads were going to fight on their backs today."
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Cork end Limerick's Munster dominance after epic battle at the Gaelic Grounds
Munster Hurling Final: Cork 2-27 Limerick 1-30 AET (Cork win 3-2 on penalties) Cork are the new Munster hurling champions, an unexpected outcome that sent hordes of their delirious supporters, in a crowd of 43,580, on to the pitch at the Gaelic Grounds, as Robert Downey accepted the Mick Mackey Cup. Dismissed as having no more realistic ambitions than making inroads into the 16-point mauling suffered at the hands of Limerick less than three weeks previously, their understrength team rallied magnificently to confound the serial champions. It took penalties, a first ever shoot-out in a provincial final, to separate the teams at the end but by hanging on when it looked as if the champions had irresistible momentum in the second half and indeed after Darragh Fitzgibbon had seen their first penalty saved by Nickie Quaid, the new champions were well deserving of their 55th Munster title. The final was a smouldering, frantic affair, loosely refereed by Thomas Walsh, who went down with cramp in extra time and was replaced by James Owens. READ MORE It included an ill-tempered confrontation between the backroom teams at half-time, which will presumably attract the attention of the disciplinary authorities. Cork's goalkeeper Patrick Collins saves a penalty to win the game. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho After the near humiliation of the group match, Cork were viewed by many as akin to a political party, having suffered a landslide defeat and needing two more elections to catch up. Happily, hurling isn't politics and this match was completely different in its dynamic, respective performances and crucially, outcome. Although their bench appeared to compare unfavourably with the multiple All-Ireland winning opponents' reserves, it was the Cork auxiliaries who proved decisive, providing 0-6 of their extra-time scores, the lion's share from Shane Kingston (0-3) and Conor Lehane (0-2), who also hit penalties in the shoot-out. For John Kiely, it was a first defeat in 14 senior finals, spanning leagues, provincial championships and All-Irelands. Having posted a powerfully authoritative display in the group match, which matched their best efforts of recent years, this was a more fallible performance. They hit crucial wides when faced with the prospect of pulling away and winning a seventh successive Munster title, particularly in extra time when they looked a tired collective and even in the penalty shoot-out when their last three efforts were weary strikes. Limerick's Gearoid Hegarty with Cork's Darragh Fitzgibbon. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho Cork brought a greater urgency to their efforts both in defence and in attack, getting pressure on Limerick and disrupting the smooth patterns that had effectively monopolised the previous meeting. They started with intent, opening a three-point lead in the first six minutes and even though they were reeled back in on many occasions, always responded either to equalise or nudge back in front. An attack that managed just 0-3 from play in the entire 70 minutes on the last day out had 1-10 from play by half-time, at which point they led by four, 1-14 to 1-10. The goals had spiced up exchanges, first Aidan O'Connor equalising 1-5 to 0-8 in the 20th minute after a pinpoint ball from Cian Lynch had given him a run at Eoin Downey. His batted effort beat Patrick Collins at the near post. Seven minutes later, a Cork attack ended with Brian Hayes, under real pressure, slipping the ball out to Shane Barrett, who whipped it sharply into the net, putting his team 1-9 to 1-7 ahead. Having regained the initiative, they pulled away by half-time. There had been fine individual moments, especially from debutant Diarmuid Healy, who would finish with 0-3 from play. Referee Thomas Walsh receives assistance from Limerick's Adam English after suffering cramp during extra time. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho Limerick were unable to establish the same puck-out domination even with the wind in the second half, but with the half-forward line of Tom Morrissey, Cian Lynch and Gearóid Hegarty, the Shannonsiders had their go-getters. It was Hegarty, who launched a quick free into the forwards, which Gillane got to and cleverly kicked the ball into Shane O'Brien. The replacement finished emphatically and tied the match at 2-13 to 1-16 after Cork had largely protected the lead in the third quarter. It went point for point for most of the remainder of the contest. When Limerick appeared to be making good the momentum of their goal, Cork kept hitting back. It was all hands on deck with points on the evening for two of their full-back line, veteran Damien Cahalane and Eoin Downey. Limerick lost the better chances. Aaron Gillane had a free before the end of normal time to win it but Horgan also was ready to fire a point when blocked by Kyle Hayes, who was less imposing on this occasion than he had been in May. It was the wides in extra time that really cost the champions. They managed six, some of them really poor shot selection, whereas Cork had just one, a free attempt from Fitzgibbon, who nonetheless had a storming match at centrefield, making up for his subdued outing at centre forward three weeks previously. Cork's Darragh Fitzgibbon celebrates scoring a late point to take the game to penalties. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho It was who took on the final act of extra time, a 65, awarded when the usually flawless Nickie Quaid spilled a long-range free from the same player and it went out of play. It cleared the bar, wiping out Gillane's free for a foul on Cathal O'Neill, which briefly looked to have taken the champions home. Their manager, John Kiely, was unhappy at James Owens playing well over the allotted one minute of injury-time at the end but there had been stoppages within time added on. Finally, the dice were rolled with the first penalty shoot-out in MacCarthy Cup history. Diarmuid Byrnes scored first and Fitzgibbon fired his straight at Quaid before Gillane made it 2-0. But from then on the champions were curiously lacking in conviction and Cork seemingly energised, as they seized the day. LIMERICK: N Quaid; S Finn, D Morrissey, M Casey; D Byrnes (0-1f), K Hayes, B Nash; A English (0-3), W O'Donoghue; G Hegarty (0-2), C Lynch, T Morrissey (0-2); A Gillane (0-9, 7f), A O'Connor (1-1), D Reidy (0-3). Subs: S O'Brien (1-2) for O'Connor (42 mins), P Casey (0-1) for Reidy, C O'Neill for T Morrissey (both 55), D O'Donovan (0-1) for O'Donoghue (65), B Murphy for M Casey, D Hannon (0-1) for Byrnes (both e-t), D Morrissey for Hegarty (79), D Byrnes for Lynch (90). Penalties: Byrnes, Gillane, Murphy (wide), T Morrissey (saved), Hannon (wide). CORK: P Collins; D Cahalane (0-1), E Downey (0-1), S O'Donoghue; M Coleman, C Joyce, C O'Brien; T O'Mahony (0-1), D Fitzgibbon (0-4, 1f, 65); D Healy (0-3), S Barrett (1-3), S Harnedy (0-2); P Horgan (0-7, 4f, B Hayes (0-1), A Connolly (0-1). Subs: R Downey for O'Brien, T O'Connell (0-1) for O'Mahony (both 59 mins), S Kingston (0-3) for Connolly, R O'Flynn for Harnedy (both 65), C Lehane (0-2) for Horgan (70), N O'Leary for O'Donoghue (73), B Roche for Healy (80), A Connolly for Coleman (84). Penalties: Fitzgibbon (saved), Lehane, Kingston, Connolly. Referee: T Walsh (Waterford) replaced by J Owens (Wexford) from 73rd minute.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Live GAA updates: Cork look to halt Limerick's drive for seventh consecutive Munster title
Saturday's fixtures Munster Senior Hurling Final: Limerick v Cork, Gaelic Grouds, 6pm Tailteann Cup: Offaly v New York, O'Connor Park, 2pm Westmeath v Laois, Cusack Park, Mullingar, 5pm 3 minutes ago Here is how Seán Moran has called today's Munster SHC final: 'If the intrigue surrounding the counties' earlier meeting centred on how convincingly Limerick could regain their form of old and how successfully their opponents could iron out troubling inconsistencies in their performances to date, the resolution made tough viewing for Cork.' [ Munster SHC final: Limerick look too far ahead to be caught on this occasion Opens in new window ] 10 minutes ago Good afternoon and welcome to our live blog for today's eagerly awaited Munster senior hurling final between Limerick and Cork at the Gaelic Grounds. This one has all the ingredients to serve up a classic. It's Gordon Manning here and I'll be keeping you updated on all the action from Limerick. Seán Moran and Denis Walsh are both in place at the stadium so we'll be getting their thoughts and all the latest team news from the Gaelic Grounds. So put the kettle on, open the good biscuits and get ready for an evening of high entertainment and drama.
