O'Connor: Cork have put 2025 final 'out of their head'
Cork manager Ben O'Connor said his players had put the 2025 All-Ireland final "out of their head" in the wake of their Munster SHC victory over Tipperary in Semple Stadium this afternoon.
The Munster champions ground out a four-point win over Tipp in Thurles, the Rebels hitting eight unanswered points in the middle of the second half to take control of a contest which had been cagey and tit-for-tat prior to that.
The home side failed to score a point from play in the second half until the 65th minute and Cork's championship debutants were especially impressive in attack, Man of the Match William Buckley and Barry Walsh hitting 0-06 and 0-04 respectively.
"There in the first half, when scores were hard to get, we were working hard but fumbling the ball on the last pass and not getting the scores," O'Connor told RTÉ Sport afterwards.
"But the boys stuck at it and it opened up a bit in the second half. We got into our stride a bit but lucky enough to come out with a win at the end of it.
"I was delighted with the way the boys applied themselves. Two debutants there as well, the two of them were outstanding and fitted right in."
It was a somewhat cathartic win for Cork following their traumatic loss to the same opposition in last year's All-Ireland final. It stretches Cork's unbeaten run against Tipperary in Thurles to 10 years.
"There's pressure. Given the game that it was, after being beaten by Tipp in the All-Ireland final last year.
"That was extra pressure around the place coming over here. But the boys had it put out of their head long ago.
"Even though we'll be asked about it all the time, we've that put out of the head.
"We're focusing on every game. We were focused on this game from the very start of the year. We've Limerick this week and that's all we're focused on again.
"This is only the first round of Munster. We've the best team in Munster over the last 10 years coming to town next weekend. So there'll have to be a big improvement."
Tipperary manager Liam Cahill admitted his side were second best in terms of energy and execution, though he praised their persistence in going to the death, Alan Tynan's goal as the game entered injury-time giving the home side a faint hope of rescuing a result.
"We're hugely disappointed. Credit to Cork, they came with that little bit more energy. And their execution was that little bit better than ourselves.
Michael Breen dives to prevent William Buckley gaining possession
"Really proud of the way that our lads stuck at it right to the end. Even in a game where we weren't really in our flow, we still felt towards the end we might get something out of it - even if mightn't have been deserved on the day.
"We have to turn the page fairly quickly now and get ready for six days time [for Waterford].
"We have huge experience in our dressing room. Three or four of our key men will get in behind some of the younger guys over the next couple of days.
"That's Munster championship hurling. This could all change very quickly."
