Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Emotion seems bottled up with Cork
THE extent to which the Cork footballers are unloved by their own was really pressed home to me after their win over Tipperary. Following Luke Connolly’s dramatic late goal, you would have expected some level of euphoria at the final whistle but there was nothing of the sort. No supporters milling around and clapping the players on the back. As I left the commentary box in Pairc Ui Rinn and walked across the field, I was close to the players as they began to make their way off the pitch. I caught Peadar Healy’s eye and he recognised me and shook my hand. We spoke briefly and he came across as a gentleman. He may be old school and probably struggles to command the same respect of other managers but the affection he had for his players was plain to see. He warmly embraced several of them. But the episode told me everything I needed to know about the lack of esteem in which the footballers are held in Cork. If any other team had scored a last gasp win to reach a provincial final at the expense of All-ireland semi-finalists who had beaten them the year before, I wouldn’t have been able to get near them. Granted, Cork’s players haven’t endeared themselves to the supporters with certain performances but you must meet them halfway too. Regardless, Cork have a big opportunity in Killarney tomorrow. Everything is set up for a Kerry fall. I’m not saying the game is there for the taking for the Rebels, but it’s a chance for them to stand up as Cork men. At times they seem almost apologetic for wearing the county jersey. When have you last seen a Cork player put an opponent, legally, on his backside? Or really manning up and showing the character reminiscent of former Rebel stars? It just doesn’t happen often enough and, with the odd exception, it’s like they just want to go out and play football and are oblivious to the game’s other essentials. One of the things that sets Kerry apart is that they always have their chests out; there’s an innate pride about how they play that Cork lack far too often. Tomorrow, they need that and more. They must come out like mean, starving dogs rampaging the streets of Killarney for scraps of food. Take a leaf out of Down’s book last weekend. Down stood accused of many similar charges to those hanging over Cork right now. They hadn’t earned anything else but they outfought Monaghan and it’s a different story now. Cork have some really good players and Connolly has been a real find. If they can marry their ability with a war-like mindset they can make a real game of it. The time has come where they simply must get stuck in. It’s not even about the result, it’s about the performance and the attitude. They are the biggest underachievers out there for the level of talent they have. The odds of Kerry at 1/7 are crazy. If Cork move away from lateral passing and play a little more direct they can really trouble Kerry. There will be stages when Kerry are vulnerable. The question is, can Cork hunt them out of Fitzgerald Stadium?