Cork football rewatch: A missed chance in Kerry that had a devastating impact

Cork’s Mark Collins reacts as referee Padraig Hughes awards a penalty to Kerry during the Munster final at Fitzgerald Stadium in 2015.
Remember this Cork group and management had spent most of that spring trying to recalibrate from the previous summer (2014 was a year of learning) and mostly succeeded — they hammered Kerry and Donegal and beat Dublin in topping Division 1, before a bad collapse to the Dubs in the league final which would have longer-term implications for mentality.

Anyway, the first thing about the game that almost jumps off the screen: Cork’s absolute positivity in every single aspect of play. This was a team primed for months to be let off the leash at the right time and generally, they reacted in the way expected and planned.

It’s not something you see as often even now. Barry O’Driscoll got in for a goal chance after a lovely combination between Paddy Kelly and Colm O’Neill. Kevin O’Driscoll tore down the middle for a point.

Steven O’Brien had a really tough time following him. Colm O’Neill kicked two wonder points, one special on the turn and then a little clip from a tight angle.

The game management in the last five or six minutes could have been more controlled, Cork kept it scrappy and lacking pattern (which had worked to then to be fair) just got caught in the end by Fitzgerald’s punt.
