SUNDAY, July 5th is a day that the Cork minor footballers will remember for a long time.

Keith Ricken knows how important it is to cherish these moments. Every block, tackle, save and score contributed to a second-half display that resulted in a comeback from nine points down to All-Ireland glory.

‘It’s moments and we had lovely moments there,’ the Cork boss said.

‘We turned over a couple of kick-outs. Éanna Lynch got in a couple of super blocks. When I saw that second block coming in, I said to the boys, being seven points down, “lads, we’re in this.” That was the catalyst. His blocking gives people a bit of hope and energy.

‘Rory (Twohig) was superb in goal. His kick-outs and his saves, which is predominantly what he’s there for, were fantastic. It didn’t faze him when his kicks went wrong. He went back and we chatted about that. Kicks can go wrong, but the basics must go right.

‘I was delighted to see Gabriel (Oronsaye) come back on the pitch. Conor Downing struggled in the first half but dug deep as any Beara man would do, and Kieran (O’Shea) would do.’

Even with the Rebels 1-10 to 0-6 down at the break, Ricken still had faith in his side to turn the game around.

Tyrone were 1-10 to 0-4 ahead after Aodhan Corry converted a penalty but that didn’t affect Cork as they found a way to win.

They have won seven championship games in succession for a reason.

‘You always believe in them. I was saying to them at half time, if we could just settle into the game, get a few scores on the board and if we could get close coming down the home straight, I thought we’d win it. They have that kind of tenacity about them,’ Ricken added.

‘They tore into it. If that game went on longer, they could have won by more. They find that second wind in them.

‘It’s very mixed emotions. You’re thinking about what Tyrone lads are going through and going home. You are also thinking about all the young lads here in the stand that were part of this process. They were in the trials and the extended panels. We’re thinking of them too. They’d love to be here. Their hard work pushed up the standards that created what we saw outside.’

Managing Cork is a privilege for Ricken having led the county to an U20 triumph in 2019 with Maurice Moore alongside him on that occasion too.

Modest as he is though, the St Vincent’s man gives the credit to those behind the scenes.

‘I never think about things like that, to tell you the truth. This was a year my wife warned me, “Keith, there’s no more years of coaching. We’re going to take a holiday.” I’m just delighted. I was coaching the U13s with Cork, the U14s and U15s too. I’m happy to be able to do something. I don’t look at it as if I won it, because I didn’t win it,’ the manager said.

‘Maurice Moore is one of the best coaches around, a top-class coach. Billy O’Connor is another. John McNulty. Clive Cremin, Vince Cronin. They know loads about football. They’ve contributed to all this. I’m just lucky to be the man they give the jersey to, that says bainisteoir.

‘I know I can get around the players, do a bit of that and steer the ship a bit but these lads are the engine in it. They genuinely are.

‘Do I get the glory that I’ve won an All-Ireland? I don’t. They’ve won the All-Ireland. I’d swap this day for one more day of junior football that I could play myself. There is nothing that beats playing. If there’s a second best, this is probably it.’