Bond's future for another day

Twenty-four hours after surrendering their All-Ireland title with Sunday's semi-final loss to Cork, the Offaly hurling panel was still in despondent mood yesterday, not just that they lost, but the way they lost it.

Following a game which manager Michael Bond admitted "could have gone either way" but eventually saw Cork reach their first All-Ireland final for seven years, the temptation is still to look back rather than forward. Any thoughts on the future will be addressed some time down the road.

"People are saying it was such a great game but it's harder for me to see that from the losing end of things," said Bond. "I still feel devastated. It's been 13 months non-stop and right now I'm just mentally and physically exhausted. You don't make any decisions about the future until things slow down a little. But you have to take your defeats like your victories, and just remember that I wasn't responsible for them winning."

It was as recent as mid-season last year when Bond stepped in to lead Offaly to the All-Ireland crown in a Leinster final rematch with Kilkenny yet when decision time does come about the future, it will, Bond believes, be whatever is best for Offaly hurling. "I'd say the management are down the most. We couldn't have asked for any more from the players, they just gave it everything. They dived in for every ball, and you just have to be proud of their display. I know they can take this defeat in their stride and I know they'll be back for another day.

"We were unfortunate as well to be so ravished by injuries in the weeks before this game, with the likes of Hubert Rigney and Kevin Martin missing so much training. In the end we were just beaten by a better performance by Cork, even if they were working somewhat harder for their scores. The backs, though, were very impressive considering the conditions."

The indications are, however, that Bond will remain in charge for another year at least. Any question about the future of the two veteran performers Joe Dooley and Martin Hanamy also awaits another day. Dooley was making his 45th championship appearance which began back in 1984 with Hanamy playing senior match number 38 and between them they have five All-Ireland medals and four All-Star awards. Yet long-serving selector Paudge Mulhare believes both players have plenty of hurling days ahead of them.

"You certainly can't expect them to make any sudden decisions," said Mulhare. "We are a small county in terms of hurling numbers but I honestly believe that both players have a big part to play in the future." Mulhare's association with the Offaly team stretches back before any of the glory years of late but he certainly doesn't see this as an end of an era. "They are 24 players on the panel, they're all fully committed and we have some developing players coming through as well. It wasn't a disappointing day for Offaly, only a disappointing result. We saw a spectacular game of the highest standard and you didn't know who was going to win it until the final whistle." The one issue that Mulhare was unhappy about, and echoed by most Offaly supporters coming out of Croke Park on Sunday, was the performance of referee Dickie Murphy - a man more accustomed to praise than criticism.

"I'm not one to criticise referees," he said, "and I know Dickie personally. But I questioned a lot of his decisions on Sunday and I still do. You have to wonder why he allowed three and a half minutes of injury time at the end of the first half when there was maybe a minute at most. That definitely helped Cork get a few points back. I also feel that Donal Og Cusack got away with far too much with the Cork puck outs. There were plenty of other decisions which can be questioned.

"It still doesn't take away from our performance. We will need to give the future some thought when the time comes, including myself and whether they want me to stay as well, but I'm as proud of what we've done this summer as anything else that has gone before."

Cork, meanwhile, succeeded in that late run for the train shortly after their victory. Yet according to manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy, there were no mad celebrations on the journey home.

"No, the mood was actually fairly quiet," he said. "Nothing crazy or anything like that. We're just looking forward to the final now and we know we have a big test ahead."

While few were arguing with the standard of the play, Jimmy Barry himself was just happy to get the win. "I was a bit surprised to hear everyone say how great a game it was. Offaly did make it very hard for us and deserve great credit in making it such an exciting finish. I suppose we might have got that extra rub of luck on the day but that's the way it goes."

The entire Cork panel will now take a few days off before setting out on their final period of training ahead of the All-Ireland final on September 12th. "We have a few club games this weekend which some players have to get out of the way. We'll plan our final campaign then, and, of course, after having a look at the game this Sunday as well."