Crokes ace Cooper wary of stiff UCC challenge

HE may have just missed out on leading Kerry to the biggest prize in football last September but Colm Cooper is intent on firing Dr Crokes to All-Ireland Club glory.

With Cooper, who captains Kerry again next season, firing 0-4 for Dr Crokes in the final 13 minutes of Sunday’s Munster semi-final win over Kilmurry-Ibrickane, his club will meet Cork champions UCC in the provincial decider on December 4, keen to make up for last season’s defeat by Nemo Rangers.

But even though Crokes have been installed favourites, Cooper has warned his team-mates about the challenge posed. “They scored 5-12 against Moyle Rovers on Sunday. That’s an incredible scoreline in a Munster semi-final at this level,” he said.

“I don’t care who they were playing but to score 5-12 at this stage is very impressive, especially as it was an away fixture for them as well. We know how tough it is to win away in Munster. UCC have put down a very firm marker. I saw them in the Cork county final and they are an impressive team with very good players. When you saw a player like Gavan O’Grady from Mid Kerry only being a sub for them that day, it says a lot.”

Despite all his inter-county honours with Kerry, including four All-Irelands and seven All Stars, Cooper has only won one Munster senior club title with Dr Crokes back in 2007, the same year they lost the All-Ireland Club final replay to Crossmaglen Rangers. On a collision course for a semi-final showdown with their northern nemesis this season, Cooper feels that heart-breaking experience has improved this team.

“Definitely, that experience counts for a lot. A couple of years ago that game against Kilmurry-Ibrickane could have gone from us. We weren’t playing well, they were, and we were struggling a little bit, down to 14 men and a few points down,” Cooper said.

“But it’s losing county finals by a point and losing like we did to Nemo in January that you learn a lot from. Ultimately, that’s what got us through, and we are a better team now, with those bad experiences that we have had.”

Cooper’s haul against the Clare champions followed his 2-3 in the quarter-final win over Waterford’s Ballinacourty, as he has regained form since struggling with an ankle injury post All-Ireland.But while it was widely reported Cooper will need an operation on the troublesome injury, he said all he needs is to rest up for a few weeks.

“I can play away. It’s fine. It’s not hampering me. It won’t need an operation,” Cooper stated.

“In the quarter-final and the semi-final of the county championship I was restrained alright, but it’s settled down since then. From time to time, it kicks up a bit but the notion of operations and that is more media talk than anything else. I don’t think it’s that serious.

“I am getting by fine and I am just hoping whenever some sort of break comes that it will settle down and it will get a clear run, which it hasn’t done since the summer when I picked up the injury.”

While it’s all about the Crokes now, the news that Cooper will again captain Kerry in 2012 hasn’t gone unnoticed. Admitting that disappointment of losing the All-Ireland final to Dublin by a single point in September hurt deep, he is already looking to next season.

“It was disappointing how it finished last season but it was a great year and I enjoyed every bit of it. But I wouldn’t say it’s unfinished business at all. We gave it our best shot last season but we just came up that bit short. It was a game that we were capable of winning after we put ourselves in a great position but we didn’t do it,” Cooper reflected.

“12 months previous, we were beaten in an All-Ireland quarter-final and how many people said that it was the end of the road for this Kerry team; that this and that were going to happen. But we came back this year, and we made progress, and we will need to make more progress again next year because if we stand still then teams will go past us.”

Taking great pride from being put forward by his club as Kerry’s captain again for next season, Cooper wants to repay his Dr Crokes team-mates in the best way he knows how — by firing them to Munster and All-Ireland glory. “It’s a big thank you to the Crokes and especially the senior team who have given me the opportunity of being Kerry captain again. I just hope that I can repay them now by giving a few more good performances with the club, and see how far we can go and where that takes us.”