As he did for the Cork U20 footballers earlier this year, Keith Ricken, now on the sideline with the Carrigtwohill hurlers, is again working the oracle.

Upstairs in the Cork Institute of Technology student centre, a picture of the college’s 2009 Sigerson Cup winning team hangs on the wall outside Keith Ricken’s office.

Conor Browne had seven possessions in the All-Ireland semi-final, a figure roundly accepted as being below-average for a midfielder.

“Relieved, but not surprised,” was Keith Ricken’s summation of his team’s astonishing first-half comeback.

Back in January when Cork GAA released their five-year plan for Cork football, one of the first stated targets was for Cork to be “regular All-Ireland contenders of inter-county football, within three to five years”.

Leaning against the wall outside a bouncing Cork dressing-room, happiness and contentment radiating from the broad smile he’s wearing, Cork U20 captain Peter O’Driscoll conveys his hope that this sensational come-from-behind final victory “will be the start of something”.

Their 3-16 to 1-14 win over Dublin is the county’s first All-Ireland football title, junior excluded, since the Sam Maguire triumph of 2010.

Enjoyment, more so than silverware, is what Keith Ricken wants his U20 footballers to take from this year’s campaign.

Embarrassing. A crisis. Unacceptable. And those were the more moderate terms used in the media to describe the state of Cork football just last March following the county’s relegation to Division 3 of the Allianz league.

Unlike a fortnight ago when the Cork hurlers and footballers were forced to line out at Croke Park on separate days, common sense, thankfully, has prevailed this weekend. Two Cork teams playing back-to-back at the one venue on the same day. Scheduling can be rather simple when done right.

Cork manager Keith Ricken was thrilled with Cork’s performance as they won the Munster U20 final by beating Kerry 3-16 to 0-12.

The Cork footballers must be “streetwise” and “patient” during Saturday’s must-win Super 8 tie against Tyrone, a fixture which selector Sean Hayes has described as the “game of our lives”.

Cork U20 football manager Keith Ricken has been “blown away” by the attitude and positivity of his charges.

Keith Ricken is set to be appointed as the new manager of the Cork Under 20 footballers.

They include a few overhead kicks to match even Ronaldo's superhuman effort.

Watergrasshill 1-16 Cloyne 2-11: “We won with pure heart and determination,” was the verdict of Watergrasshill manager John O’Regan after his side battled back from eight points down to snatch victory at the death over a fancied Cloyne in the Cork Premier IHC on Saturday.

Cork IT 4-15 Carlow IT 1-10

St Vincent’s (Cork) 1-12 Moycarkey-Borris (Tipperary) 0-06

SPARE a thought for Keith Ricken this morning.

THE wheel has come full circle. When Cork IT took their first tentative steps into Cork senior hurling championship waters back in 2001, it was a grim experience.

REACHING your first county senior hurling final is a day to cherish and Cork IT did that in style in Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday.

WHEN Cork IT GAA officer Keith Ricken went searching 12 months ago for a coach for their Fitzgibbon Cup team, Pat Mulcahy ticked all the boxes.

Cork IT 1-16 Bride Rovers 2-10

TALLIES of 2-2 apiece from John Cooper and Conor Keane helped Farran NS to win this Allianz Sciath na Scol F9 final at Páirc Uí Rinn yesterday.

Eoin Cadogan has bounced between hurling, football and controversy this year, but at season’s end, he’s where he wants to be – whatever the code. The Douglas man spoke to Tony Leen

THE MOUNTAIN top may be in sight, but there’s plenty of hard climbing to be done yet. Cork’s ousting of Kerry in last month’s Munster semi-final has pushed them front and centre in the All-Ireland football betting markets, but it’s also exposed them to closer and more unforgiving scrutiny.

CORK IT coach Keith Ricken admits his side face a big test when they open their Ulster Bank Sigerson Cup campaign in this afternoon’s quarter-final at home to DCU.

STEPHEN LUCEY gets his last chance this weekend to win a coveted Sigerson Cup medal.

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Real Madrid have scraped a point aginst Borussia Dortmund with an injury-time equaliser to scrape a 1-1 draw.

Jan Koller has given Borussia Dortmund a 1-0 lead against Real Madrid at the Westfaldstadion in Dortmund tonight.

Ronaldo has put Real Madrid ahead against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League tonight.

Real Madrid and Dortmund are deadlocked at 1-1 at half-time in their Champions League match at the Bernabeu tonight.

Real Madrid have equalised against Borussia Dormund just before half-time.

Giant striker Jan Koller has given Borussia Dortmund a shock lead against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in the Champions League tonight.

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