Fast Cork hurling and it’s a match

SHOULD Cork win next Sunday’s Guinness All-Ireland hurling final, it would provide a fitting end to a remarkable campaign.

It can be described as such because the high professional events of last year raised serious questions about the immediate prospects for the team, who weren't rated very highly at the start of the season. And, an interesting parallel can be drawn with another inglorious chapter in Cork hurling in 1989, which was followed by an astonishing renewal one year later.

Fourteen years ago, Cork were held to a draw by Waterford in the Munster semi-final before losing the replay. At the time, I wrote that it marked the lowest point in the standard of Cork hurling in over two decades!

Sean O'Gorman, who managed the U21 team for the past two seasons, played in the second game at full-forward. In 1990, when Cork won the All-Ireland setting up the first leg of the 'double' he was the team's outstanding performer, at left corner-back.

What he remembers about the '89 championship was that the team was quite unsettled. He wasn't on the panel for the drawn game, but after impressing in a challenge against Offaly the following week - he was 'kind of thrown in' at full-forward he was chosen in this position for the replay.

He ended up scoring two goals.

Twelve months later and under a new management, Cork won a memorable Munster title the following July (the day Mark Foley scored 2-7) and went on to beat Galway 5-13 to 2-21 in the All-Ireland final.

Now O'Gorman has watched with interest the way the younger members of the Cork team have progressed, after a similar period of uncertainty.

In particular, the improvement in Tom Kenny's game has impressed him. A year ago, Kenny was part of the half-back line Ronan Curran was at centre-back and John Gardiner on the other wing which lost narrowly to Limerick in the U21 championship at the Gaelic Grounds.

The impact made by Curran in what was proving a difficult position to fill after Brian Corcoran doesn't surprise him. "The thing about Ronan is that he goes in where it hurts. He has it every way he's tough, a good hurler and he reads the game well."

The form of Gardiner has pleased him too and he is well aware of Setanta Ó hAilpin's penchant for goal-scoring. "Several times this year I said to him, 'if points are on, take them,' but, it's goals he wants. In fairness, Setanta, Joe Deane and Alan Browne are a handful for any full-back line."

O'Gorman also believes that Donal O'Grady deserves a lot of credit for getting involved and for 'turning things around,' at a critical time for the county.

Despite the strong favouritism for Kilkenny, he believes that Cork have a very good chance along as they play fast, direct hurling.