Smyth proud as U18 starlets show true Rebel spirit

In today’s success-or-nothing world, filled with soundbytes about how the runners-up are merely the first losers and winners never quit, it’s easy to overlook or belittle achievements.

Take the Cork U18 ladies football team. They managed to reach the All-Ireland final but lost by five points to a strong Galway side. While manager Robbie Smyth would obviously have liked to have led the team all the way to national glory, he is philosophical and rational enough to accept 2014 was still a successful year for the team.

“When you look back, you do consider it a bit of a failure, when the one thing on your mind was to go and win an All-Ireland,” he said.

“But, I think the panel of players we had on board, and the work that was done, and where we went from and where we got to, I think we’d a good year.

“It’s always tough going into an All-Ireland series, you’re up against some very strong teams and this Galway team, it was their year, there was a lot of talk about them and in fairness they were very strong, they proved too good on the day.”

Wins over Clare, Waterford and Tipperary earned Cork the Munster title, for which they claimed the August Rebel Óg monthly award, while Cavan were seen off in the All-Ireland semi-final. Smyth is hopeful those still underage for next year can go a step further.

“Some of the players won an All-Ireland at U16 last year so next year they’ll be on the age at minor level,” he said.

“We had seven or eight players starting on the 15 who’ll be eligible again next year. It’s very positive and there are some great players coming up behind them again who have won medals at U14.”

They certainly don’t lack in terms of commitment. “We come together normally around October and start doing trials,” Smyth said. “The end of January is when our panel is organised. It’s nine, 10 months and it’s right up to the August weekend, every Wednesday and every Saturday. The girls you get love football so much that that’s the easy part, they are disciplined and into football in a big way, which is why they’re so good at it. We have three on the senior panel and in the last five years I’ve been involved you can see a lot of those girls on the senior panel now, which is great to see as well.”

Captain Maria Ambrose of St Val’s is one of three U18s on the senior panel along with Mairéad Corkery and Emer Scally. “It’s a good experience. All the girls are so much older but it’s great to be playing with the likes of Briege and Angela Walsh and everyone else. The training is great for us.”