Cork footballers laid down an early marker in Kerry but need to start converting goal chances
Cork's Colm O'Callaghan kicks a point during the McGrath Cup final at Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney, Kerry. Picture: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile
A McGrath Cup final triumph will not make it into the end-of-year sporting highlights reel, but a first Cork senior football victory over Kerry in Killarney in a generation is not to be sniffed at.
If anyone walking out of that ground on 23 July 1995, after Cork's 0-15 to 1-9 victory, had been told they wouldn't win on that pitch for another 31 years they wouldn't have believed it. There have been some dark days for Cork football down in the Kingdom since, and while this is just a glorified pre-season game, it still has to be seen as a positive.
While Kerry are not likely to lose any sleep over Saturday’s loss, they are not in the business of losing finals in Killarney either, and they also certainly would have no interest in seeing Cork receiving a confidence boost at their own expense.
A day in mid-January in the Kingdom is never going to be the perfect conditions for marquee forwards. Steven Sherlock and David Clifford were the headliners in this respect, but neither shone on the day. You would expect them to fare better on harder ground later in the year.
Last year’s footballer of the year Clifford ended the game without notching a single score from play, with Daniel O’Mahony doing a similar job in locking him down as Lisandro Martinez was doing in Manchester at the same time to Erling Haaland.
St Finbarr’s sharpshooter Sherlock also did not trouble the umpires from play, kicking the one free in the first half, before being replaced by Hurley.
And while all the talk in recent months has focused on the return of Sherlock to Cork, very little attention has gone the way of Brian Hurley, and the Castlehaven marksman showed us that he remains a huge option for John Cleary in 2026 with his brilliant second-half display.
His huge two-pointers in the 45th and 57th minutes turned the tie Cork’s way, and while Kerry responded really well to that second long-range free with fine scores from Tony Brosnan and Killian Spillane, it was Cork who had the guile to kick for home.
Firstly, there was a close-in free from Hurley before a brilliant winner in injury time. Cork won the kick-out after Hurley’s free and were extremely patient until Bantry’s Dara Sheedy stepped his way into enemy territory before popping to Chris Óg Jones off his shoulder, and the Iveleary man clipped over to win the silverware.
Cork were 0-9 to 0-5 down at half-time. Experienced heads were introduced for the second half, with instant improvement.
Mattie Taylor, Micheál Aodh Martin, Brian Hurley, Tommy Walsh, Maurice Shanley, Sean Meehan and Paul Walsh have all been around the block before, but encouragingly, some younger players got to experience the triumph too, as Dara Sheedy, Conor Daly and Michael McSweeney were all introduced.
Given that Cork have struggled at underage since the double All-Ireland winning year of 2019, any young talent emerging on Leeside would not have too many positive experiences of facing the green and gold. Hopefully Sheedy, Daly and McSweeney will get ample game time in the upcoming league and will feel like integral parts of the team as they face into the Munster championship.
John Cleary and his managerial team will obviously have been delighted with the victory, but there were still plenty to take away with next Saturday’s National League Division 2 opener against Cavan looming.
The kick-out strategy can always be improved as well, as Cork can find themselves under the cosh when they lose a few.
With Cork facing four away ties in the league, and only three at home, they simply must get off to a winning start next weekend at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, so they have to bring the momentum of Saturday’s win into their first proper game.
The real stuff begins now, and it is the performances in the coming weeks on which Cork will be judged.
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