MORE than one week later, and if the disappointment still lingers with me, then I’m sure the players and management of the Cork senior football team feel it far more keenly after the Munster SFC semi-final loss to Kerry.
We covered the details of what transpired on the pitch last week so now we’ll look at the bigger picture and the takeaways for Cork for the remainder of championship 2025, both positive and negative.
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POSITIVES
TOE-TO-TOE: An unfancied middle of Division 2 Cork went right to the death with the Division 1 champions and the outright favourites for the All-Ireland. No, this is not me celebrating any sort of moral victory, more that we can look at this as evidence that Cork can mix it with the best in the country when the stars align. Granted, we have to get away from the habit of turning up in big games as underdogs before struggling when wearing the favourites tag, but the chance of an extended run into the knockout stages is still alive if Cork can get their heads right for the group stages. With no team or teams that look way ahead at the moment, maybe Cork can yet play a significant role in this All-Ireland championship.
CHARACTER: Cork showed great character at different times against Kerry. Firstly, in the latter stages of the opening half of normal time when Cork took advantage of Kerry’s poor finishing, inspired by five points from Brian O’Driscoll, to get within two for the second half. Character was shown again when Paudie Clifford was dismissed and Cork thundered into the game to go ahead, before poor finishing and a lack of composure and the concession of an unlikely goal allowed Kerry to secure a draw. Unfortunately, those same traits carried into the first half of extra time, and when Sean Brady saw red and Kerry went ahead by three, Cork looked on the ropes again. To their credit, Cork never gave up and clawed their way back into the game to take the lead in the second half of extra time. Lightning struck twice for the gutsy Rebels, though, as yet again the very same poor finishing, absence of composure and concession of an unlikely goal allowed Kerry to escape to victory.
PERFORMANCES: There were some outstanding performances in red jerseys in this contest. Brady and Daniel O’Mahony defended manfully in the full back line, with Daniel O’Mahony v David Clifford turning into a rivalry to savour. O’Driscoll did most of his damage in the ten-minute purple patch before half-time but was available as an outlet for possession all through. Ian Maguire covered every blade of grass one more time for Cork, albeit without his deserved reward, and Sean McDonnell showed he belongs at the highest level. Chris Óg Jones shone as the game went further on, while Eoghan McSweeney and Sean Walsh made excellent contributions from the bench.
CONDITIONING: After putting it up to Kerry for long periods in Killarney at the same stage last year before wilting late on, Cork looked to have the legs on Kerry this time around. Cork also matched up to Kerry in the physical battles, apart from Joe O’Connor’s dominance in the air, which we haven’t been able to say too often in recent years.
Ultimately, despite the valiant efforts of the Cork players on the night, it wasn’t quite enough. And so, we can’t pretend it was good vibes only for Cork, either on the night or in the aftermath, so here’s a look at the more disappointing aspects of the game, beyond the final result itself, of course.
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NEGATIVES
OPPORTUNITY LOST: It has been said many times since the final whistle sounded, but after Paudie Clifford’s red card and the immediate scoring blitz from Cork (1-4 in less than two minutes), Cork should have secured this victory. Wins over Kerry and the opportunity to secure Munster medals have become a precious commodity in these parts, and I have to feel particularly for the likes of captain Brian Hurley, Ian Maguire, Ruairi Deane, Micheál Aodh Martin, Sean Powter and Matty Taylor. All players who have toiled for Cork for around a decade or more with nothing of significance to show for their efforts. Some of the younger players can take more positives and look to the future, these guys have no such luxury. Thirteen years and counting is a drought in any man’s language, and Cork should be looking at a Munster final against Clare and an opportunity to put that right. Instead, Kerry will likely pick up yet another title that will barely register in the greater scheme of things.
LACK OF ACCURACY: Cork’s composure and accuracy failed them when the need was greatest, and the nine wides in extra-time when the game was there for the winning smack of a team that has forgotten how to close out championship games. The efforts were unquestionable, however the ability to make smart decisions and execute the chances that presented was missing. Again, it’s something I’m not entirely unfamiliar with, given how often we got within touching distance of winning a county championship with Ross before finally succeeding in 2016, but consistently coming up short can play on your mind until you finally get to right the wrong. The inability to land the knock-out blows on a staggering Kerry side was symptomatic of a team that has lost the winning habit in Munster.
SLOW START: Cork were fortunate that Kerry didn’t bring their usual killer instinct with them in the early stages of this one, as Cork struggled to get out of the blocks. For 25 minutes or so, this looked like a cakewalk for the visitors, and a seven-point lead really should have been double figures. There wasn’t a single Cork player that looked to be on their game until Brian O’Driscoll and Ian Maguire started to lead the fightback. Given Meath’s seismic win over the Dubs, which only serves to remind us still further of what could have been, Cork could be looking at a very tasty group as fourth seeds for the All-Ireland. We cannot afford to be so sluggish in future and end up chasing games against good teams.
POOR SKILL EXECUTION: As much as Cork battled their way back into this game, the performance and execution of basic skills left something to be desired at times. Handpasses hit the ground instead of the chest, ball handling on the greasy pitch was inferior to Kerry’s and Cork didn’t find the inside forwards with the same quality of ball either. A number of players didn’t reach their best level, with the likes of Rory Maguire and Matty Taylor having had far better days in the Cork jersey. Sean Powter and Brian Hurley weren’t at their best either, even if Hurley did improve significantly in the second half. Cathail O’Mahony had the proverbial mixed bag off the bench, landing a lovely two-pointer during the comeback but failing with four other attempts at goal.
The squad will have completed the painful internal review process and will be gearing up for a tilt at the All-Ireland series now. Meath’s long overdue victory over Dublin gives credence to the notion that this is a very open All-Ireland. Kerry looked vulnerable defensively against us as well so there is no clear favourite, could we have another unlikely All-Ireland winner akin to Armagh last year?
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The aspirations of Cork’s U20 footballers were extinguished by a far superior Kerry side on Monday in a one-sided Munster final, the Kingdom winning 2-15 to 1-10. The game went along predicted lines, with Kerry building an insurmountable lead before a late fightback made the scoreline more palatable from a Cork perspective. Jack O’Connor took the opportunity after the senior semi-final to assert that Cork football is ‘alive and well’, but those of us who pay closer attention know that is far from the truth. The senior squad could well yet be competitive and bloody a few noses as the year progresses, however the county’s results at underage level need forensic analysis. What are Kerry doing right to keep producing quality teams and players year in year out and why can’t we match them at minor and U20 anymore? Some communication from the board of what that might entail would be welcome too. Maybe when the dust settles on inter-county action for 2025, we might hear more.
