ALL-IRELAND FOOTBALL FINAL:CORK'S VICTORY in yesterday's All-Ireland final offered a classic illustration of the importance of a strong panel and how it can change the ebb and flow of a contest. Conor Counihan looked to his bench during the second half and they provided the solution. His Down counterpart James McCartan didn't have that luxury.

Cork had the facility to continue to work their patterns at a high tempo when introducing fresh faces with no diminution in quality. The arrival of Nicholas Murphy and Graham Canty in particular galvanised their team’s comeback for different reasons.

Murphy ensured that the Leesiders’ vice-like grip on midfield never waned while Canty provided a soothing balm to frayed nerves.

Down couldn’t live with Cork’s second-half resurgence as they physically ran out of steam. The virtues that they had embodied in the first half, clever movement, intelligent support play, vision, athleticism and canny shooting were gradually eroded by diminishing energy levels. When that happens, the accuracy of execution suffers.

It’s a wonderful testament to their character that they came back to run Cork to a point because at one or two stages in the second half it looked like the eventual champions would pull away to win convincingly.

In the first half, Down’s forwards had their markers chasing shadows and the team could and probably should have been further ahead at the interval. The backs hunted in packs and this, coupled with the laziness of the Cork inside forwards who rarely deviated from straight lines, saw Down very much in the ascendancy.

Donncha O’Connor and Daniel Goulding had difficulty in securing any decent possession and after Cork’s impressive opening five minutes, their opponents took a stranglehold in most facets of the first half exchanges. The Cork forwards were very static and there was a nervous anxiety to some of their play.

Counihan has spent the last few years assembling a formidable squad, most of whom are tried and tested performers on the big stage at Croke Park. Murphy brought a quiet authority apart from his ball-winning capabilities, although in fairness to Aidan Walsh, my man of the match, there wasn’t a shortfall in possession prior to that.

Walsh gave a superb display over the 70 minutes, his work ethic in both attack and defence an integral reason for Cork’s eventual success. Their dominance in midfield after the restart significantly reduced Down’s share of the ball.

Whatever was said at the interval had the desired effect on the Cork forwards as Ciarán Sheehan, Paul Kerrigan, O’Connor and Goulding provided a more energetic presence.

The latter deserves credit for his contribution to the scoreboard, a reward for unerring accuracy and some beautifully -struck 45s. Noel O’Leary sacrificed his own game in sticking assiduously to his man-marking duties. He managed to limit if not negate Martin Clarke’s influence on proceedings.

Canty’s introduction had a galvanising effect on those around him and his organisational skills at the heart of the defence gave his team a more solid look. His hamstring wasn’t really tested in any lung-bursting sprints, he was content instead to play a holding role without the need to venture forward.

Down were forced to live off scraps and, given the composition of their team, couldn’t change their patterns. They possess some superb, pacy forwards Mark Poland, Paul McComiskey and Danny Hughes but the manner in which they attack teams requires tremendous energy and saps the legs. To maintain that sort of tempo they needed to introduce players who could continue in the same vein but they didn’t have that quality on the bench.

In the first half they had managed to stretch the Cork defence and exploit the space to fashion scoring opportunities but they no longer had that vim and vigour.

Down didn’t have the option of the long, high ball unless it was very accurately delivered to Benny Coulter. He was the one Down player who was dangerous right to the end. James McCartan’s team deserve great credit for the manner in which they kept going and guaranteed a nervous finish for their opponents.

Cork tried to freewheel a little to the final whistle, dropping the intensity in the final throes of the contest; it almost allowed Down an escape route.

The heartache of previous disappointments will definitely have eased after yesterday’s victory especially for players like Murphy, Canty and panel member Anthony Lynch, who have soldiered with the county down through the years.