Cleary eyes Ennis test for Rebels

IT was not until the aftermath of last week’s Munster U21 football final in Páirc Uí Rinn that Cork boss John Cleary was able to properly gauge the level of performance his players had produced.

For 60 minutes he found himself wrapped up in the emotions of the game and needed the dust to settle before he could assess Cork’s sparkling 22-point defeat of Kerry.

“When you’re involved in a game, you don’t appreciate what type it is,” he said.

“On the sideline, you’re just focusing on the players winning the next ball and getting the next score. It was only afterwards when people were coming up to me in Páirc Uí Rinn and I saw the reaction around the place that I figured it was a very good performance.”

Cleary quickly shifted his attention to the pursuit of success on a national level. He is also mindful that his team must grow accustomed to leaving the comforts of home behind them for the first time this year.

“It was great to get out of Munster but we’re facing into a new campaign now. We’re playing away from Páirc Uí Rinn for the first time this year and that provides us with a different challenge.

“There was a huge Cork crowd in Páirc Uí Rinn last Wednesday night. You could hear the roars coming down from the stands and that spurs the players on. We’re not going to have the same crowd with us tonight. But hopefully people will have liked what they saw last Wednesday and will travel to Ennis.

“The lads’ focus is good though, and the minors that have infiltrated the squad this year have been a big help in that regard. They lost an All-Ireland minor final last September and are very hungry to get a national medal.”

Cork’s opponents Galway easily accounted for Sligo and Roscommon in the Connacht series and possess impressive performers in Colin Forde, Tomás Fahy, Mark Hehir and Eric Monahan.

Yet manager Alan Mulholland was left dazzled when he ventured down to watch last Wednesday’s Munster final.

“My initial thoughts were shock and horror,” he said.

“They looked so much better than Kerry. They were sharp and fast from the start, and never let the foot off the pedal. The amount of scores they put on the board shows the quality of their forwards and it was the same story in the previous game against Tipperary when they hit 0-21.

“You’d be nearly thinking of checking their birth certs as they looked about two or three years older than the Kerry lads! Clearly there are proper systems in place in Cork for minors who want to move up the grades. The standard of physical player that Cork are producing is a lesson to other counties.”

Mulholland feels that the Connacht U21 victory has been a timely confidence boost for football in the county.

“The football talk earlier on in the year around the county was not very positive with the seniors having lost their first few games.

“But we managed to win a Connacht U21 title and St Jarlath’s came very close to a Hogan Cup title last week. Our aim this year was just to get out of Connacht with the U21s. Anything from here is a bonus and that’s not just a platitude. I’m hoping we can go and play with a bit of abandon now.”

Tonight’s other semi-final in Parnell Park sees Cavan and Wexford battle it out from 7pm.

For the Model County it is their first time on the national stage in this grade, following their historic first Leinster title last week.

Kevin Kehoe’s charges now have a chance of a first final appearance if Liam Óg McGovern, Matthew O’Hanlon and Kevin O’Grady all shine.

Cavan are appearing in their first U21 semi-final since 1996, with Gearóid McKiernan, Niall Murray and Alan O’Mara outstanding against Tyrone in their semi-final.