Rebels get back in the ring

CORK’S footballers have returned to boxing as a means of preparing for next season.

Forward Patrick Kelly yesterday revealed Conor Counihan’s men are back in the ring to help them move on from this year’s All-Ireland quarter-final disappointment to Mayo.

“Conor was in contact with us individually sussing out when he was thinking about whether he was going to come back or not,” said Kelly, a late call-up to the Ireland International Rules team in Australia.

“Since he made the decision we have talked and most of us have chatted to him individually. We met up collectively because we’ve started boxing on Monday nights and we’re doing weights and things like that.

“We need to have a plan in place because the ban is coming in November and lads will be left to their own devices. The focus is on next year and it’s up to lads to do their own work until the start of January.

“We only started (the boxing) last Monday. We are up in Collins’ Barracks (Old Youghal Road in Cork) and I think it’s just training. I think the coach wants a fight night, but hopefully being away like this will exclude me! The training is good, it’s excellent and it’s good for your legs and hands.

“It’s great to freshen things up and it means you’re not just doing the weights and stuff.”

Kelly described last year’s All-Ireland champions’ second-half performance against Mayo as “pathetic”.

“It was just one of those days and it’s hard to pinpoint, if you look at those basic mistakes we made, but Mayo deserved their win.

“They were phenomenal that day. We only scored a point in the second half, which was pathetic, and maybe if we’d taken a few more of the scoring opportunities we had early in the second half we might have kicked on.”

Kelly believes Cork weren’t right fitness-wise or in attitude going into the last-eight game, despite their impressive performance against Down the weekend previous.

“You could point to that, but when you’re there you feel that the hunger is there and even more so because you have had that feeling and you want it again. Obviously, there was some bit of slacking off. We have talked about it since and lads are on the road for next year. We’ll hopefully have learned our lesson that things don’t come easy.”

Meanwhile, Kevin Reilly (ankle) and Darren Hughes (knee) picked up injuries in training yesterday. Sean Boylan’s son Ciarán is one of two teenagers who has paid their way to assist Anthony Tohill’s team as water carriers.