Kelly keen to avoid repeat of Croker woe against Dubs

CORK’S senior football championship rivalry with Dublin has been in cold storage for 15 years, but Patrick Kelly still has an experience of colliding with sky-blue forces in Croke Park to draw on.

Seven years ago, Cork attacker Kelly sampled inter-county fare on Jones Road for the first time when Cork went toe-to-toe with Dublin in an All-Ireland MFC semi-final. The game was a lopsided affair with Dublin runaway victors 1-18 to 1-9 and Kelly still recalls with clarity the significance of that occasion.

“I remember myself and Daniel Goulding roomed together the night before, and we barely slept at all. I was fairly nervous that day, playing in Croke Park for the first time. The match just went by in a flash and they were well over us. There’s a good few of the Cork lads from that team on the senior now though — myself, Goulding, Shielsy, Cadogan, Kerrigan, Alan (O’Connor), Fintan (Goold) and (John) Hayes.

“There doesn’t seem to be too many of the Dubs there though. I think Ger Brennan is the only one, but I do remember Mark Vaughan was very impressive that day.”

Kelly was not exposed that day to the cauldron of noise and colour that is Hill 16 populated by Dublin fans. He’s bracing himself for a more hostile environment on Sunday, but is not troubled by the prospect of the Cork support being out-numbered.

“It was Armagh and Donegal playing in the senior that day in 2003, so there wasn’t a huge amount of Dublin fans. Hill 16 wasn’t really a factor. It’s going to be different now. The signs are that it’ll be a full house in Croke Park and it’s going to be fairly partisan against us with Dublin. But I’m looking forward to the occasion. Look, most of the times in Cork football matches, we’re outnumbered in support. When you get to an All-Ireland semi-final and final, the Cork support does start to come out but there’s been a good hardcore that have followed us this year through the qualifiers. For those fans it’s nice that we’re reaching All-Ireland semi-finals.”

Cork have stumbled rather than sprinted to the last four this season but Kelly is adamant the relentless barrage of games through the qualifiers hindered their attempts to hit full speed.

“It was a really difficult schedule this summer. It was only when the games finished after the Roscommon one that you realise how much it took out of you, playing four weeks in a row. You’re almost empty. We haven’t hit top form but we’ve been playing tough games and winning them. Apart from the Cavan one, which was a cakewalk, they’ve all been tough challenges. It was lashing rain down in Wexford, which made it very hard to play, and then, against Limerick, we had it sewn up in normal time before a few crazy minutes cost us and we needed extra-time. I really think people under-estimate Limerick and they know well how to stop us at this stage.”

Kelly’s own range of responsibilities extended beyond open play during the qualifiers. He kicked frees successfully for Cork against Cavan and Wexford to claim six points but his shooting went awry against Limerick as he skewed a few placed balls wide.

“Frees were never something I did much underage but at the start of the year, our coach Peadar Healy asked people to start taking frees regularly in training. He said you’d never know who would need to take them later on in the year. When Donncha (O’Connor) got injured, and with Kerrigan out as well, they needed a right-foot kicker to take them from the left side.

“They went fine against Cavan and Wexford, but Limerick was a different story and I was very disappointed with them. When you miss the first one, it’s frustrating and you’re trying to get your head right to concentrate on the routine. It didn’t work out. But it’s an extra responsibility I enjoyed and I wouldn’t mind taking them again.”