Will the psychological scars of the past unsettle Cork on Sunday?

AS post-match reactions go, it was more illuminating than most.

When the final whistle sounded in Páirc Uí Rinn on March 12, 2005, Cork had squeezed past Kerry by two points in a Munster U21FC quarter- final that had bristled with quality and energy. For the Rebels, who had suffered provincial minor final losses to their neighbours in the preceding two years, the result generated an outpouring of joy.

The win brought about the end of their hoodoo, erased any psychological hang-ups lingering from the minor grade and enabled them to strive forward to adult level with greater confidence.

The relevance to now? It’s a similar type of predicament facing Cork football on Sunday, albeit on an altogether greater scale and stage. The statistics make for stark reading amongst the Cork football fraternity – five defeats in the last seven years at the hands of Kerry sides in Croke Park. The anguish at that series of losses is exacerbated by the fact that twice Cork have toppled their ancient rivals in Munster, before losing out the same year when the action is shifted to Dublin.

After last July’s Munster final triumph in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, that’s a trend Cork now have the opportunity to reverse.

That U21 win in 2005 is salient as it offers instructive recent evidence that Cork are capable of overcoming wretched runs of form against Kerry teams. The teamsheet for Cork that day was populated by surnames like Shields, O’Connor, Kerrigan, Kelly and Goulding, all of whom will be pitched in from the start Sunday.

Amongst the substitutes there’s plenty figures who have claimed Kerry U21 scalps, and even though full-forward Colm O’Neill was part of a Cork side edged out in last year’s Munster U21 semi-final, he exacted revenge last March when spearheading a dismantling of a Kingdom outfit.

Some observers may point out that those U21 wins are meaningless come Sunday. And that the most glaring issue is Cork’s ability to tackle a Kerry senior side head on in a Croke Park showdown, thus eliminating the accusations of brittle temperament which are thrown at them. Certainly Cork have capitulated in the past, most pertinently in the All-Ireland decider two years ago when they were defeated emphatically and pockmarked their display with basic errors. Cork defender John Miskella has spoken earlier this summer of his belief that the team were too emotional and nervous that day. But the signs since are that the 2007 loss represented the low water mark for Cork in their fortunes against Kerry.

Certainly in last August’s two-game semi-final saga there was evidence of improvements. Both matches were remarkable for their see-saw nature and how Cork clawed back eight-point advantages on both days to draw level. David Moran’s catch, Darran O’Sullivan’s run and Colm Cooper’s finish ultimately proved to be Cork’s undoing after a frenetic replay.

But it’s worth proposing that if Cork are as fragile as some quarters suggest, why did they keep fighting on when falling substantially behind against Kerry last August as opposed to folding like deckchairs a là Dublin in recent All-Ireland quarter-finals?

Their not the first intercounty side either to have repeated troubles in surmounting one opponent. When Joe Kernan reigned supreme as Armagh manager, Donegal could never quite get the knack of ousting the Orchard. 2002, 2004 and 2006 brought defeats in Ulster finals, while in 2003 they lost out in the All-Ireland semi-final. That barren run is still ongoing, but sometimes those records are broken. In the 2000 Munster hurling semi-final, Tipperary produced a flawless display to clip the wings of Clare in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and brought the Loughnane era screeching to a halt. Throughout Clare’s hurling renaissance since 1994 Tipperary were cast into the unfamiliar role of the vanquished and their players reaction that June Sunday in 2000 when they finally triumphed, illustrated the significance they stored in the victory.

It’s been remarked that if Sunday’s game is tight entering the finale, that Cork could be haunted by the memories of past losses. But considering how their maturity, physique, athleticism and football are all in better shape now than any stage in the past when they have faced Kerry, here’s a converse scenario to ponder. Heading down the stretch on Sunday if the match is finely balanced, what a golden chance it will be for Cork to burst for the tape and banish all those past demons.