Kerry U21s playing ‘catch-up’ with Cork

Kerry U21 football selector Harry O’Neill believes the Kingdom have fallen behind Cork in the underage stakes.

Cork scored a hugely comprehensive 0-18 to 2-8 win in Wednesday night’s Munster quarter-final, the fourth consecutive spring the green and gold were downed by the Rebels, and O’Neill says Kerry are now playing catch-up at U21 level.

Moreover, O’Neill acknowledged Kerry’s underage factory is being hampered by the decision of successive senior management’s not to bleed the county’s emerging talents at senior level before they graduate from the U21 ranks — not one of Darragh Ó Sé’s starting 15 has senior experience.