Big test of O’Connor’s Under 21s in Pairc Uí Rinn

KERRY travel to Páirc Uí Rinn on this Wednesday for a much anticipated meeting with Cork in the Eirgrid Munster Under 21 championship final, a game that has a 7:30 throw-in time.

Kerry folk need little reminding that the Kingdom have not beaten Cork in this grade since Killian Young’s side of 2008 worked the oracle in Austin Stack Park back in 2008 with a team that included the likes of Shane Enright, David Moran, Kieran O’Leary, Johnny Buckley and Tommy Walsh.

That team went on to claim Kerry’s last All Ireland in the grade, but since then Kerry have had to suffer a raft of disappointing defeats at the hands of the Rebels including four in the first round, one at the semi-final stage and three finals.

What is surprising is that Cork have gone on to win just two All-Ireland titles in the grade in those years though it must be conceded that they were particularly unlucky in a couple of finals when lady luck did not smile on them.

Kerry, under Jack O’Connor, have been busy building on the success of their minors over the past three or four years and they were unlucky with injuries last year, but on this occasion they are picking from a full squad although it has been a struggle to get the full panel together with Sigerson and All Ireland Club activity ongoing right up to the St Patrick’s weekend.

It has been all of twenty years since Kerry have won on Cork soil at this level and that replayed final in Páirc Uí Rinn will be remembered for the last minute penalty save by David Moloney of Dr Crokes from Fionán Murray. That Kerry side included the likes of Barry O’Shea, Eamonn Fitzmaurice, Tomás Ó Sé, Denis O’Dwyer and Mike Frank Russell.

The Kerry team to do duty on Wednesday contains eight of the side that started in last year’s final against the same opposition while four more starters were on the injured list for last year’s decider.

Cork are an experienced side, have matched Kerry at minor level in 2014 and 2015 and will as usual be a difficult nut to crack. Kerry, with a squad who are accustomed to a winning mentality, will be attempting to finally end the hoodoo that has hung over them in the Under 21 grade in recent times and only an Herculean performance will see them through on this occasion. Referee is Alan Kissane of Waterford.

County MFL

SELDOM has the Minor County football League been hit as hard with bad weather adding to the problems associated with the successful passage of colleges teams through the Munster and All-Ireland series.

Last weekend saw a total of fifteen games being played the majority of which were in Round 4. However, there are still quite a number of back games to be played and the problem is that in many cases it is the same clubs that are affected by these back games.

This weekend Round 5 games are down for decision on Friday at 6:30pm but again, East Kerry teams in the Killarney area will be hit due to the Hogan Cup final involving St Brendans College. It will be necessary to play back games mid week next week to try and eat into those back games.