Cork won a minor and U20 Munster football double in 2021... but how many players have progressed

The Cork footballers head into Saturday's All-Ireland group stage game with Kerry at a low ebb. Defeat to Meath in the opening round puts them under pressure to upset the odds at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. 

There's been controversy at club level after Castlehaven were able to call on Rory Maguire and Conor Cahalane for a crucial league game the day after Meath-Cork. It struck many as unfair, given how rarely inter-county players were released all season.

At underage, Cork haven't laid a glove on the Kingdom lately. School teams are off the pace in the Corn Uí Mhuirí too and you'd have to question the type of footballer produced on Leeside. 

There are too few players adept at delivering long kick-passing or scoring comfortably from both feet.

The scenario is in stark contrast to four years ago when Cork completed the first underage clean sweep since 2005, landing minor and U20 titles in both codes. It hinted at a bright future despite the seniors getting a trimming from Kerry.

PROMISE

The 2021 U20 crew showed real promise. 

Sean McDonnell (Mallow) and Ballinora's Neil Lordan who started the Munster semi-final with Kerry in April came on for the U20s that night. Conor Corbett, scorer of 2-4 against Kerry as a 19-year-old has been blighted by injury, while Tommy Walsh has also been marked absent on that basis.

Brian Hayes and Jack Cahalane went on to pull on the geansaí at senior before opting for hurling.

Millstreet's Darragh Cashman started for the U20s four years ago and he's in John Cleary's panel along with David Buckley (Newcestown), who was involved last season.

At minor level in '21, Newmarket's Hugh O'Connor was the leading light in attack but no one else has stepped up yet. The likes of St Michael's Luke O'Herlihy and Rory O'Shaughnessy have been in fine form for their club. 

In 2022, the minor footballers beat Kerry in a Munster final for the first time since a Brian Hurley-inspired side pulled off that feat in Killarney in 2010, retaining that title for the first time in 22 years. 

Damien Cahalane, John O'Rourke, Thomas Clancy and Alan Cronin all went on to play senior from that crew. What we'd give for a similar return now...

The minor victory three years ago was wild in that Cork won by 11 points at Páirc Uí Rinn are losing to Kerry by 14 three weeks earlier, a 25-point swing. Unfortunately, that form line didn't carry through to U20 this season, when the Kingdom won both meetings fairly comfortably. 

The hope though is promising players like Nemo duo Colin Molly and Bryan Hayes, Naomh Abán's Ed Myers, who has battled injuries the last 12 months, and Aghabullogue midfielder Colm Gillespie can push on the in near future.

Cork certainly needs them.