Cleary knows Cork face a huge task in Tralee

By Noel Horgan Saturday March 13th, 2010

JOHN Cleary has been involved with the U21 footballers since 2004, serving as a selector under coach Tony Leahy until 2007.

With Leahy stepping down following the All-Ireland final win over Laois that year, Cleary was installed as team boss in 2008 when Cork fell at the first hurdle to Kerry.

He steered them back to the top in his second season at the helm, and he is hoping that his charges will come up trumps again when they open the defence of their provincial and All-Ireland titles against Kerry in Tralee on Saturday.

He is fully aware, however, that it’s going to be a very difficult assignment, and that there will be no repeat of the facile win which Cork enjoyed in last year’s first round clash between the counties at Páirc Uí Rinn.

“We will have a fair few survivors from last year’s panel, and we have seven who were more or less regulars during the 2009 campaign.

“Aidan Walsh, Liam Jennings, Chris O’Donovan, Kevin O’Driscoll, Ciaran Sheehan, Paul Honohan and Mark Collins all started in the All-Ireland final, while Barry O’Driscoll, who was out with an injury for most of the year, and Lorcan McLoughlin came on as subs against Down.

“Eoghan Buckley made an appearance during the second round win over Waterford, so you would have to say that there is plenty of experience there,” Cleary admits.

But he suggests that it’s a whole new ball game for Cork at the same time, and that developments last year will have no bearing on how the team will shape up in the campaign ahead.

“What happened in 2009 is all done and dusted now as far as we are concerned, and, to all intents and purposes, a new year brings a new team, because fellas tend to come in and out of form at this time of the year, and you have to focus on the present.

“Our preparations have gone reasonably well, although Denis O’Sullivan, who was another member of last year’s squad, is out for the season with a cruciate injury.

“Aidan Walsh has a hamstring injury, and we are keeping our fingers crossed that he will be ready for the Kerry game. It’s a bit different this year in that we couldn’t commence training until January 1, and the weather prevented us from doing anything for about three weeks after that.

“It was equally frustrating for the other teams of course, so we certainly won’t be using our disjointed preparations as an excuse if we are beaten.

“I suppose the fact that we had about six guys involved with UCC, who went to the final of the Sigerson, cut across us a bit as well, but that’s part and parcel of the U21 set-up, and overall we are happy enough with the situation at this stage.”

Cleary accepts that Kerry will be all out to make amends for last year, and he feels that they will enjoy an advantage playing on their home turf in Tralee.

“Kerry have a very good team, and obviously they will be smarting from last year, so we know we will have a huge task on our hands.

“To get a victory in Austin Stack Park will be no small order, because if you look back at U21 games between Cork and Kerry over the years, away victories are very much a rarity. “But we will be drilling it into the lads that a pitch is a pitch, and maybe the experience running through the team will stand to us.

“Aidan Walsh and Ciaran Sheehan are involved in the Cork senior set-up at the moment, and we are hoping the newcomers like Rory O’Sullivan at the back, who was a minor last year and is a tremendous prospect, will come up to the mark.

“We believe we have achieved a good balance, and if the lads perform as well as they have been going in training, and we get the bit of luck on the day, I feel we could be in with a shout.”