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Michael Fennelly Offers Honest Analysis Of Offaly's Struggles Against Cork

Tuesday, 15 February 2022 14:57

He answered a variety of questions in Birr.

There was a refreshing and continued honesty in the approach of Michael Fennelly to the Allianz Hurling League last weekend. 

The former All-Ireland winner (if he wasn't aware already) was reminded that his side are very much playing catch up, after a few years away from the upper echelons of the sport. 

Steamrolling teams in division two or second tier championships matters not when the big boys roll into town. Small margins make all the difference at this level, but Fennelly will know his team have to make strides in a number of key areas of the field if they're going to claw their way back towards competing for wins against the Cork's Galway's and Limerick's of this world. 

With that said his assessment of the game in Birr on Sunday struck the perfect tone, even when summing up the opening defensive lapses:

Yeah without a doubt the start killed us. Three goals within a few minutes and I think one of them was from our own mistake from a puck out maybe but Cork came at us and came flying through.

We actually planned for their goals, we had an extra man back there because we knew they were going to be challenging looking for goals today, they got two the last day and probably didn't play as well as they wanted to so we expected it and unfortunately they just came at us with serious power and speed and caught us.

On how Cork were able to create their goals by coming through the middle of the Offaly rear-guard:

We're very disappointed with that to be honest. Last week Gearoid McInerney came up the field as well fairly untouched in terms of getting his goal so they are things that we have to look at and look at our structure so it's disappointing but the lads kept at it.

We could have easily dropped our heads and forgot about it but they didn't, they kept at it and put some nice pieces of play together. We came out with 1-15 against a very strong Cork team, a team that has a good depth to their panel.

They won the 20s the last two years in a row as well so they are definitely going to be contending massively this year for Munster and All-Ireland titles, we knew we were going to be in a difficult position today and we have a lot to learn still and the boys put in a good shift to be fair to them.

When asked to pinpoint the reason for the gulf between the faithful and their opponents in the opening two contests:

I don't know is it belief or not, I just think the speed of play and the speed of touch realistically. The Galway's and the Cork's, these teams are at a higher level and if you maker a mistake, you're punished.

It's very difficult if you are punished within that split second and they get a goal or a point. I wouldn't say belief but it's just very hard on the team in general. Compared to last year, you get away with making some of those mistakes and you're fine.

Here, you get punished and I think we're trying to bring it up, the lads even Wednesday everything was increased in terms of the speed of play and everything else but there's still a gulf there and you can't go from not competing at underage in finals to be able to compete against teams that are at Liam MacCarthy level to be honest about it.

How can Offaly close the gap?: 

The structures are starting to be put in place, GPOs are being put on the ground. I think Cork started that process in 2010 maybe and they're maybe seeing some of those fruits, they're obviously a county that has been competing well enough at senior level but their underage have been competing and now I suppose they're beginning to compete at that level.

So I think there's a long road for Offaly but you have to start somewhere and these lads are putting in huge shifts and they're genuine and they're honest and they're trying their best to be fair to them.

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