Tony Considine: Cork's U20 hurlers have to be pushed into action
Ciarán Joyce of Cork is shown a black card by referee Michael Kennedy at Walsh Park. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
WHAT a weekend to start the hurling summer.
The finest weekend in a long time, weather-wise. The kind of weather we used to get for the Munster championship.
Above any county, Cork always love the summer-time hurling. That is why Walsh Park was made for them, dry sod, sunshine on their backs, and the red jersey all well matched together.
A big Cork crowd was there, in expectation of victory, but I cannot understand how they could feel like that, especially taking on Waterford. A team that was down in the mouth all year, with stories out of the camp that things were not going too well.
I am always very suspicious when I hear stories like that. Especially when the media are informed of these things.
I'm sure Pat Ryan was perhaps thinking along the same lines, but sometimes things can creep into players' heads, and they cannot do anything about it. One thing I want to say about Waterford is that they have a lot of very talented players, very skillful and very physical when they want to be. In fairness to Waterford's management, they had them well primed. Davy had the players playing with complete freedom, whether that was his decision or the players', it doesn't matter.
Every Waterford player put his shoulder to the wheel and gave their supporters plenty to cheer about. They played in a manly way and put their bodies on the line for every ball. Sometimes that is nearly good enough to win games. And it was on this occasion.
This was an entertaining game, and Cork played a huge part in it, but they still had the same problems.
Consistency seems to be a big issue. They either start well or finish well, and go missing in between.
They were in a similar position in three of their Munster games last year, drawing one, and beaten by a score in the other two.
Is that because some players are around too long without winning? I think Pat Ryan will have to do a lot of soul-searching this week. The young fellas on his team, namely Shane Barrett and Alan Connolly, were excellent. Pat has more of them on the bench.
It is time to be pulling the tent down on some of the older players and have them as impact subs. I know when you have soldiers for a long time it is very hard to do that, but those are the calls needed. And that is where management have to be strong.
A county like Cork will always have good young talented players, as they have at the moment, but they have to be pushed into the heat of battle the only place that you will find out about them.
Other guys like Darragh Fitzgibbon, Seán Donoghue and Mark Coleman are around for a while now, they should be the real leaders of the team. Add in guys like, Robbie O'Flynn and Shane Kingston and of course, Ciarán Joyce, these guys are the future of Cork. A lot of other guys successful at U20 level are around the scene as well, so there is no shortage of players.
Believe in them and they will deliver. At a young age that is what it's all about, they become leaders overnight. Do not moddly-coddle them.
I think Joyce was unlucky with the black card, and I do not think it was a penalty as Jack Prendergast had lost control of the ball. When Damian Cahalane was sent off on a second yellow Cork played some of their best hurling and pegged Waterford back.
So sometimes you can't blame the sending-offs. Alan Connolly was causing all sorts of problems and got a great goal. He is pacey and he is brave. He knows where the goals are. That is the target man Cork should be using.
They have a big game next week, at home, which is a big plus, and Clare will be a bit deflated the way they lost to Limerick. This game could decide which one of them stays in the championship. A real knock-out game.
Isn't that something to look forward to? The Páirc will be hopping next weekend. The real summer has arrived.
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