Rebels eyeing first Munster junior crown since 2013

CORK will be bidding to bridge a four-year gap when they take on Kerry in the Munster junior football final at Pairc Uí Rinn next Tuesday evening.

Their failure to lift a provincial title since 2013 constitutes a bit of a famine considering the success they enjoyed in recent times, winning five All-Ireland between 2005 and 2013.

They were expected to go a long way last year, as team manager Paul McCarthy and his co-men- tors John Geaney (Kilshannig), Pat Mackey (Youghal), Stephen Calnan (Nemo Rangers) and Alan Whelan (Brian Dillon) has assembled what appeared to be a very strong squad on paper.

They went under by a point against Kerry in the Munster final in Tralee, however, in a game that McCarthy contends they should have won.

The Kinsale man said his charges paid the price for a very poor start, which left them chasing the game all the way, and, while they dominated in the last ten minutes, they just ran out of time in the end.

With quite a number of survivors from last year on board, McCarthy is hopeful that Cork can turn the tables, especially since they will have home advantage for the fixture.

“We feel we have a nice blend of youth and experience, and we’d be happy enough with our preparations, although we weren’t tested in the semi-final, so it’s hard to know how we’re going to shape up against Kerry.

“Still, I was pleased with the way the lads performed against Waterford, particularly in the second half, but we are under no illusions it’s going to be a massive challenge against Kerry, who are hot favourites to retain the All-Ireland.

“I know Kerry won’t have any of last year’s team available, but from what I can gather, they are every bit as formidable this year, and we are really going to be up against it.”

McCarthy revealed that, apart from Don O’Driscoll (Clan na Gael) who started in the Waterford game and has gone to America for the summer, Cork have a full squad to pick from and he says the team to face Kerry will be along the same lines otherwise.

It includes Kieran Histon (Cobh), Ronan O’Toole (Éire Óg), Ryan Harkin (Mallow) and goalkeeper Anthony Casey (Kiskeam), who featured on the Cork Under 21 team that qualified for an All-Ireland final last year.

Providing the experience will be such as Micheal O’Laoire (Naomh Aban), Eoghan Buckley (St Michaels), both of whom won All-Ireland junior medals in 2013, and Bart Daly (Newmarket), an All-Ireland junior medallist in 2011.

Killian O’Hanlon (Kilshannig), Peter Murphy (Bandon), Padraig Clancy (Fermoy), Seamus Hickey (Rockchapel) and former Cork senior hurler John Cronin (Lisgoold) are others who will be expected to play leading roles in Cork’s bid to dethrone the Kingdom.

“I’m satisfied the lads will give account of themselves, and that we have the potential to win the game, but it’s going to to be all about delivering a top performance on the night.

“If we produce that, we’ll just have to wait and see where it gets us, but I’ll be disappointed if we aren’t there or thereabouts at the finish,”said McCarthy, who steered Cork to All-Ireland glory at this level in 2013.