Ray Keane: Cork must rise to ‘different ball game’ against Kerry in Munster U20 final

Cork U20 football manager Ray Keane says this evening's clash with Kerry will be a different ball game.

The sides meet in the Dalata Hotel Group Munster U20 Football Championship final at Austin Stack Park in Tralee (7pm), just a fortnight after the Rebels edged the group-stage clash 0-10 to 0-9 at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

That result was Cork’s first win over the Kingdom at this grade since 2021, but Keane is adamant that whatever happened two weeks ago has little bearing on what awaits over the county bounds.

“It’s a totally different ball game and that’s my point of view,” he says.

“We are where we wanted to be — this is the minimum I would expect us to be at. Yeah, we won the last time we played them, but it’s going to be a totally different game. They’ll feel they weren’t at it a couple of weeks ago. We’ll feel we have certain areas we need to go at.” 

If Cork are to stop Kerry from winning a fifth straight provincial crown — and claim their first since 2021 — they will need to embrace the chaos that often comes with these games.

Keane knows that better than most, given he is from Kerry and understands exactly what the fixture means.

“We’ll go down, we’ll turn up and have a right crack,” the Cork boss said. 

“It’s a long journey down and we’ll see where we go from there. Let’s keep the heads down and see where it takes us. I wouldn’t say the last result against Kerry is irrelevant, but it’s a different challenge now.

“If two cocks were fighting in the field, I’d be looking forward to it. That’s just my nature. You know me long enough now — I’m mad into sport and mad into, I suppose, madness.

“You have to look forward to a Munster final. This is why you’re training. This is why we were training in November in the gym doing all this, that and the other. 

"There have been long journeys — some are in college in Limerick, some up and down from West Cork. It is a long year. This is the next step in front of us, the next challenge. It’s a big challenge, but let’s go.” 

Cork’s form has been steady rather than spectacular, but they have shown a growing maturity in how they manage moments. Keane, though, refuses to get drawn into talk of peaking or perfect timing.

“When you get to finals, the reality is it’s about winning. That’s the way I operate. If you’re winning, it gives you time to progress and work on things. 

"Whereas if you’re losing, we’d be having a totally different conversation right now. I probably mightn’t even be talking to you because we could be out. It’s just the way it works.” 

Cork know exactly what they’re up against. But Keane’s group have shown character, depth and a willingness to scrap — qualities that often matter more than systems or structure.

Later today, though, it’s about seizing the moment.