Arriving down to Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday evening, the mood was sombre and the weather was foul. It reminded me of a McGrath Cup game in the depths of winter, when you’re already thinking of getting out of there even before things get started.
It didn’t help that so many people had completely written off Cork. Including myself. I did question if they were hurting enough, had any of the old anger on their side when it came to playing Kerry. And despite my best efforts, I couldn’t make an argument for Cork getting anywhere close.
Now, the last thing I’m going to do is take any credit for Cork’s performance, although a few Cork people did remind me afterwards of what I’d said. In my defence, it was very hard to see that performance coming from Cork.
For a good while after the game started, and even with about 15,000 people there, the place felt dead. From a Cork point of view it was all too pedestrian. It was midway through the first half, after Kerry went up 0-7 to 0-1, when of all a sudden Cork just got stuck in. The crowd, in fairness, got behind them, the players got a lot more physical and it was cracking stuff from there.
I do think some of this questioning of Cork did get to the players. Even the fact Kerry went off on the training camp to Portugal the previous week – and there was always going to be some hangover from that – wouldn’t have gone unnoticed across the border.
These are the kind of things that you can tap into on the day. Especially these days, when you’re putting so much time into this thing. Of course you’re going to be worried what people are thinking about you, how you’re perceived.
You wouldn’t take it personally, most of the personal criticism would go over your head. But if there is that general perception about the group, especially if they are mocking your general application, you wouldn’t stand for that. It’s hard to stomach. And that anger will eventually manifest itself in some way.
When I started out with Kerry in 1994, we were being written off on a regular basis. By our own as well. So I know that feeling. I’m not talking about pinning articles to dressingroom doors or any of that craic. But you hear things back and eventually that must create some sort of siege mentality.
So it was great to see some of that old fire back in the Cork bellies. You can go on all you like about systems and set-ups and structures, but there’s still no match for sheer appetite and work-rate. Once Cork started to show that, they were in twos and threes for every breaking ball and wiped Kerry out in the middle of the field.
Granted, Paudie Clifford was a huge loss for Kerry, and I don’t think it was a sending off. The same with Seán Brady for Cork in extra-time. In fairness it didn’t take from the spectacle, and given all their misses, especially in extra-time, my sense afterwards was that Cork should have won.
I also think it’s a huge win-win for Jack O’Connor. The league final was a big bonus, as was winning on Saturday night without playing great. And they’ve still a shed load of work to catch up. Kerry will have to come out of their shell a bit more, they were a little overly defensive on Saturday and still got caught for six two-pointers.
The new rules are still evolving, we’re all learning as we go. Everyone was saying the kick-out would be the big thing, but the two-pointers have really taken off. If anything, that’s what all the weekend’s football games will be remembered for.
You must reward teams for getting away from the blanket defence. Let’s work with the rules. We’ve been watching enough bad football for the last 10 years. Look at the results across the board last weekend, they were more like hurling scores.
Before we had buzz words such as “the press”, or “on the loop”, now the buzz word is “jeopardy”. Look how Cork wiped out Kerry’s seven-point lead in two minutes just before the hour mark. That’s getting into the players’ mindset now. Before, if you were seven or eight points down you’d be thinking the ball is already burst. Now, eight points is only four kicks if you get into the right position. That’s making for better games and for some great entertainment.
So Cork did very well to do what they did. Now it’s the age-old question: do they still need to see the Kerry jersey to do this on a regular basis, or are they going to regress again into some of the inconsistencies we saw during the league.
They’ve loads of ammunition now to build on this, but what they do next is crucial. This isn’t a huge shock a to anyone who’s been watching Cork underage football the last few years. And they’ve been playing schools and college football against most of these Kerry lads all the way up. Cork know their own ability, and to be still underperforming must bug you.
Kerry are exactly where they want to be, having got the kick in the backside that they deserve, and have something to build on. Joe O’Connor made a huge contribution when generally Kerry were being beaten in the middle of the field and on the breaks. David Clifford was outstanding again, especially given the attention he got from all the Cork defenders.
Kerry’s lack of two-pointers has been mentioned again, but I think they are the best team in the country to create goal opportunities against packed defences.
Cork still have a bit of soul-searching to do. This is another real test now, their next few games. They’ve clearly proved they can do it, but can they do it again? Because Saturday night is all for nought if they don’t kick on. And I’m still not sure they can.
