Reflection sweetens bitter pill for Dublin

The Dublin dressing room was observing the precise level of mourning appropriate for the passing of somebody whom they knew well but never much cared for. Quiet sober reflection, but hey life goes on, you can't grieve forever. By the time they were leaving the dressing room, the odd smile could be detected.

Dublin manager Tom Carr said: "Those two points in it at the end didn't reflect the superiority Cork had in the first half and for 10 minutes or so of the second half.

"We drove at the game and I think we were tipping away looking for goals. It came 10 or 15 minutes too late. Disappointed, but it wasn't an essential game to win. It would have been a nice one to win."

Anything learned? Anything heaved back to the drawing board?

"I think it is too easy to draw conclusions too quickly after a game. We have had good performances and we have had mediocre performances. Today was a poor performance. Teams have those. The big thing is you can't panic and say we aren't this and we're aren't that. I think we will learn. It is part of the building blocks. . . It is too early to say what is in the summer for us."

Carr's short managerial career has been composed so far of days on which he can plainly hear the sound of his own voice. It was disappointing to find that yesterday was another of them. The sombre atmosphere of Pairc Ui Chaoimh stole something from the occasion.

"No matter what you say or how you build up players, everyone likes the big crowd and the big day. It was a bit hollow at times that there wasn't a crowd there. That doesn't take away from the Cork victory though."

Dessie Farrell's face registered the downbeat mood at the end of a downbeat afternoon.

"I'm disappointed with the way we played. All credit to Cork, they are a good team and they were a better side on the day."

At the cutting edge of the full forward line Farrell couldn't have helped noticing that the machine around him was clunking and misfiring badly. "There is a problem maybe. We've had days like this when we haven't clicked together in the past and today was another one. You know, you prefer it to happen this time of the year than later on in the summer. We have something to work at.

"It's hard to gauge. The pitch didn't allow us championship conditions. It was very heavy. You'll get wet days in the summer. but at least the surface will be hard. The bottom line is we came down to win and we didn't do it."

And in the middle of May with Louth drumming their fingers patiently to the north have Dublin got a clear picture of what the next few weeks hold?

"We probably have a bit to go before we know the championship 15. A bad performance like that, well there'll be question marks afterwards, but you shouldn't really lose face on bad days like this. I'd be optimistic that we'll get things together."

And the atmosphere by the Lee? Anything less like the carnival of 1983 could scarcely be imagined.

"The crowd and all made it a bit of a damp squib. Very disappointing to have a National League final and a poor turnout like that."