Cork minors to look to tap into seniors' mindset as they face Clare

Given the general feelgood factor in Cork hurling at the moment, minor manager Fergal McCormack is keen to tap into the attitude and mindset that has made the senior team favourites for championship glory.

The minor side opened their Electric Ireland Munster MHC campaign with a 2-25 to 0-21 triumph away to Limerick last Friday week and tomorrow they are on the road again, taking on Clare in Tulla at 2pm.

The Banner also have a good win behind them, having beaten Tipperary in Ennis last weekend. McCormack is expecting a tough battle but takes heart from the lead of Pat Ryan’s side.

“A few of us were up there,” he says.

“I thought they had fantastic intensity and spirit. They got two sucker-punches of goals against them early on in the first half and early enough in the second half and it looked like Tipperary might push on, but they just had fantastic spirit.

“If we don't at least match their intensity, we're under pressure, but I have fantastic faith in our fellas, that's what they do.

“I think they're a great bunch and their attitude is top-class. I think we can row in behind the seniors in what they do.

“They're obviously brilliant, brilliant hurlers and but even the balls into the forwards, the not-so-perfect balls are contested like they are good balls and they just don't give up on them.

“I think that's the attitude that we have to bring as well and that wasn't always the attitude that was in with the Cork hurlers.

“It is a mindset-change and it's great, it's fantastic. It puts the frighteners on your opposition backs for definite.”

Before he won an All-Ireland with Cork at centre-forward in 1999, McCormack lined out at wing-back and then midfield.

Little wonder, then, that the Mallow man would be willing to test the adaptability of his charges. A noticeable feature of the Limerick game was athe performance of Michael Tadhg Brosnan at number 5, creating a formidable half-back line with captain Bobby Carroll and Colm Garde.

One of the four survivors from last year, the Glen Rovers man has also excelled in attacking roles for club, school (Christian Brothers College) and county. Playing deeper didn’t dull his attacking instincts – he landed three long-range points from play – and McCormack was pleased with Brosnan and all of his colleagues.

“Managements will have different views on where certain players can play,” he says.

“Michael is a fantastic player and could play anywhere. It's just an opinion, it's worked out the last day and he's very good, he's fantastic in training, as everybody else is.

“We have players that are very versatile up front and even at the back to switch around. But like that, fellas, be it senior or minor, you’ll have good days and not-so-good days and it's how you react when they aren't necessarily going your way on the night.”

Next up for Cork is a trip to Tulla tomorrow to face Clare (2pm). After such a good first game, is a fortnight’s break a good thing?

“It's hard to know, to be honest,” McCormack says, “I suppose the results will tell you what's right and what's not.

“We have a good group that I don't think we've any kind fellas that will get carried away. But that might be naive of me, maybe to a certain degree as well. But I think the culture is good and it's built on good attitude and good application.

“And I think whether it was a week or two weeks, I don't think that would have changed.”