Conor Lehane
By John Harrington
Conor Lehane’s performance in today’s Munster Hurling Quarter-Final against Tipperary was a coming of age moment for the 24-year-old.
His quality has been apparent since he was drafted onto the Cork senior panel as a teenager in 2011, but he tended to produce it in flashes rather than consistently grab matches by the scruff of the neck.
In a way, he was symbolic of a Cork team that too often flattered to deceive over the course of the last couple of years.
Today, though, he was inspirational throughout for the Rebels, as he finished the game with five points from play, five from placed balls, and led by example in the crucial final 20 minutes of the match when he arguably did more than anyone else to drag his team over the line.
From his demeanour after the match, it was clear he felt it was time he and this Cork team produced a performance of such magnitude.
“You’re farting around there the last few years, just going through the motions,” said Lehane.
“There’s only so many years you can do that before you get fed up.
“We’ve seen the way we play in training against each other. We’re always like, why can’t we put this together in a match?
“Through the League, we put our attitude into practice, when things go wrong or we’re up against it, how are we going to react to it? It was how we respond to things mentally, more than anything.
“Even in some of the games in the League, we’d play a half each and even against Kilkenny, we had a good first half but fell away in the second.
“It’s very frustrating but a huge effort went in and we’re absolutely exhausted. There were lads cramping, that’s how intense it was. In Thurles on championship day, it’s kill or be killed. It’s brutal but enjoyable at the same time, kind of a weird mixture.
“When it happens, it’s unreal and on the day for it to happen when you want it to is most satisfying. Like I said, we knew we had it in us, it was about finding a way to get it out.”
Cork hurled beautifully from first whistle until the last, but just as impressive was the character they showed.
It was never tested more than the moment John McGrath scored a 56th minute goal to put Tipperary one point ahead.
Damien Cahalane
Cork’s response said a lot about the team’s mindset as they outscored Tipp by 1-6 to 0-4 in the final 18 minutes of the match.
“When they got the goal I saw it as just a challenge I was like ‘right here we go'”, said Cork full-back Damien Cahalane after the game.
“This was a real test to us now you know I didn’t see it as ‘oh Jesus we are going to get beaten here’. It wasn’t like that and I think the whole team was like that.
“We didn’t say oh no we are going to get beaten here, we said here wo go now this is a challenge lets prove what we can do. That’s what it is like that’s the difference of mindset that we have now you know.”
Cork manager Kieran Kingston was hugely satisfied with the manner on this team’s win.
They’ve come a long way since last year’s heavy defeat to Tipp at the same juncture of the championship, but he insists they’re still not the finished article.
“As soon as the draw was made we were underdogs, and we started the year as favourites for relegation from the league,” said Kingston.
“Next thing was being hammered out the gate by Tipperary. It can be very difficult to keep that out of the camp sometimes, but I said all year that all we’d continue to do is to continue to prepare as best we can, to get the best fifteen available on the field, and to get them to put in the performance that you’d expect from a hurler wearing the Cork jersey.
“That’s what we kept on about, but it sometimes takes a while to develop that culture in a team.
“I'm not saying we have it, don’t get me wrong, it’s one game and that’s all it is - one win, and we’re happy with it, but it’s no more than that.”
