'We want a reaction...' John Cleary urges Cork footballers to put Kerry behind them as Meath arrive

Cork manager John Cleary says his side must show a stronger level of composure when they welcome Meath to Páirc Uí Rinn tomorrow for their All-Ireland SFC Round 1 clash (5.30pm).

The Rebels were below their best in the 1-23 to 1-15 defeat to Kerry in the Munster final a fortnight ago.

Cleary has had time to sit with that loss. Cork were three points up at half-time, having played with a sizeable wind, but the manager felt they should have been further ahead.

“Looking back on it, we should have been a few scores ahead at half-time,” he says. 

“There was a sizeable wind there. We scored thirteen points, up three, but we missed a few scores.

“Kerry then got a goal at the start of the second half and having looked back on it since, it came from our turnover in the full-forward line. Three passes later it was in the back of the net.

“In saying that, with five minutes to go, the ball hit the post, which would have been a two-pointer to level the game from Conor Corbett. Who knows what might have happened after that.

“We just decided to go for it then and we left a lot of gaps at the back. That’s what happens maybe when you leave too much space and Kerry punished us in the end.” 

The disappointment lingered for a couple of days, but Cleary was adamant that Cork couldn’t afford to dwell on it.

“Look, we were all disappointed for a couple of days after it. We couldn’t feel sorry for ourselves as we have another big game coming up obviously against Meath. By the following weekend after Kerry, I was happy that we were all tuned in for Meath. 

"We’re looking forward now to the All-Ireland series. At the end of the season, we can look back at the season overall in more depth.” 

If there is one thing Cork and Meath don’t lack, it is familiarity. The counties have met several times in recent seasons, including twice already this year. Cork won the league meeting at Páirc Uí Rinn, before Meath edged the Division 2 final at Croke Park.

“In both of our meetings this year, the results could have been flipped, there was nothing in either game,” Cleary states.

“We know an awful lot about each other and it’s our intention to hit the ground running on Saturday. Players’ fitness has probably come up another notch since we played Meath last and both teams were missing players. 

"It will be a close and hard-fought game and it’s like most matches now, it’s whichever team has that composure and impact from the bench that could well win the game.” 

Both counties also arrive with something to prove. Cork’s second-half fade-out against Kerry has been well discussed, while Meath were knocked out of Leinster by eventual champions Westmeath at the quarter-final stage last month.

“Meath were the favourites for Leinster this year. People were saying that they got caught by Westmeath. As it has turned out, Westmeath have shown that result wasn’t a flash in the pan. I still think Meath will be hurting from that and we will be hurting too from the Kerry game. 

"Both teams will want to atone for what happened in the last game.” 

Cork’s return of just 1-2 in the second half of the Munster final has been highlighted repeatedly. What Cleary wants now is a reaction — and he is confident he will get one.

“When you lose a game, you want to see a reaction and I have no doubt that we will get that. We went down into the home of the All-Ireland champions. We didn’t perform to our potential and came away disappointed.

“Hopefully now that we can get back to brass tacks and put on a performance on Saturday against Meath.”