Tony Leen: For Ronan McCarthy and Cork, the long road begins to straighten

The miracle at the City End of Páirc Ui Chaoimh was created by a head-down arse-up culture of hard work and no nonsense from the Cork management team

POCKET ROCKET: Cork's MVP Seanie Powter is blocked down by Kerry's Paul Murphy on Sunday at Páirc ui Chaoimh.

WHATEVER success Ronan McCarthy’s Cork enjoy this winter, or next season if he’s still in charge, will have at its core a non-negotiable set of values, a culture of honesty and a no-bullshit clause. The ultimate compliment from his players yesterday at Páirc Ui Chaoimh was a remarkable, winning performance in his image.

McCarthy isn’t naïve enough to send his Cork group out swinging against the likes of Kerry but the terms of engagement in this Munster Championship semi-final were never going to be anything of that sort. McCarthy’s currency is practicality. The Cork manager also has a bit of Morgan in him at times – respectful but never obsequious when it comes to the crowd from over the county bounds.

There were times over the past three seasons he might have reached for a lifeboat, but he has remained utterly steadfast in his approach and vision. And he is partial to repeating his bumper sticker: Cork Football First.

Before Cian O’Neill arrived, a friend mentioned the possibility of recruiting the renowned coach, Donie Buckley. ‘Isn’t he talking to Kerry?’ McCarthy asked. “I’m not going to be playing second fiddle to Kerry.” 

When Division 3 football loomed, more than one Cork player with dual ambitions rang and dithered over an invite from McCarthy’s project. The football manager made the decision easy for them.

No thanks, go hurling.

After yesterday’s stunning upset, McCarthy addressed the matter of loyalty and the long road, though the context might have appeared oblique: “The thing about this group is that everybody who’s there, they’re 100% committed to Cork football and that hasn’t been the case over the last four or five years. Maybe people thought there were pastures greener elsewhere but for this group here, Cork football is the number one priority.” 

The ramifications of Sunday's victory over Kerry, a first over a top table outfit in eight years, could be significant as long as Cork don’t fall flat on their faces in the provincial decider against Tipperary in a fortnight.

They won nothing yesterday, except make themselves relevant in the national conversation. That’s more than something but the significance of the win was in its belligerence more than the fairytale finish. McCarthy didn’t bat an eyelid that young Mark Keane’s last-kick winner dominated the post-game narrative, but chances are he’d have preferred to chat through the efficacy of the Cork gameplan or the sensationally resolute displays of rookies like Maurice Shanley and Sean Meehan in defence. 

Or the relentlessness of Seanie Powter, Mattie Taylor, Ian Maguire and Killian O’Hanlon around the middle third. The Cork changes were telling too in their timing and effect, especially Luke Connolly and Mark Keane, who landed 1-3 between them.

The gameplan wasn’t complicated: stay tight, work hard, remain relevant to a point where Kerry begin to get twitchy. The Kingdom have previous in this regard when it comes to closing games out – they’re no World Series-winning bullpen – and it was their undoing that though the better side, they had neither the accuracy or the smarts to put the Cork defiance to sleep.

The Rebels – seldom so aptly applied – hung around long enough to chin the favourite at the City End – just like Tadghie Murphy did to Charlie Nelligan and co. 37 years ago. Cork were the stone in Kerry’s shoe from first minute to final second. If the Kingdom were arguably the better side, they weren’t anywhere near dominant enough to put clear blue water between themselves and the battery of red jerseys, harassing them into persistently poor errors.

This was less a game of Poker than Patience. Even in possession, under the cosh, Cork were unhurried. In the second period, Kerry controlled territory but Cork’s rare sorties beyond midfield were carefully constructed and productive. McCarthy will acknowledge that Cork didn’t play blindingly well either (how could anyone in those conditions?) but they were smart and maximised the output of every player. Any credible assessment of the Cork players would deliver a lot of sevens and eights, as much for pure graft as craft.

Man of the match, Seanie Powter, playing in his most effective half-back slot, and he got forward for a crucial point. Maurice Shanley’s match-up with David Clifford seemed an absurd mismatch but the Clonakilty man had a marvellous outing. It if was bettered, it was by another freshman in Kiskeam wing back Sean Meehan, who had a right battle with Kerry championship debutant Ronan Buckley. The midfield of O’Hanlon and Maguire were often outnumbered by a third Kerry man (O Beaglaoich) but never overpowered.

KERRY'S winter post-mortem won’t be any less brutal for the fact of a November exit. The critics who argued they left an All-Ireland after them a year ago will decry the deeper-set formation of this term, but that wasn’t their sole undoing here. The profligacy and inexcusable decision-making in possession were critical. Peter Keane didn’t have much to say afterwards but two words resonated: Game Management. Or rather the lack of it.

Poor mistakes from leaders like David Moran and misses from Clifford, O’Shea et al fed Cork’s oxygen supply. Kerry’s best forward on the day didn’t start – Killian Spillane came in and kicked four points, more than any starting forward in green and gold, but beyond the early surges of Briain Ó Beaglaoich, Kerry produced no goal threat. If their deep-lying defensive block was well advertised in recent shadow boxing games, there was nothing of the rapid transition that Monaghan and Donegal allowed.

At the break, Kerry’s anxiety existed on several levels. Cork hadn’t come to be part of a rain dance. They brought a rudimentary approach to proceedings, content to snipe for scores as and when they secured a foothold in the final third. Where Cork were about economy and minimal waste, Kerry managed thirty scoring chances over the piece – and converted thirteen.

At the three-quarter mark, Ronan Buckley was black-carded, and just before the end of normal time, David Moran spent ten minutes in the bin, perhaps harshly. Kerry seemed to handle the disadvantage well as they edged 0-10 to 0-8 in front in the 68th minute. But as Keane acknowledged, they couldn’t shake Cork off.

The first period of extra time was the game in microcosm – Kerry dominating territory and possession but claiming only two points, Cork pulling one back on the whistle via a super Connolly free. Clifford pulled a second relatively easy free wide and gave up a tap-over by not calling a mark. 

Spillane – who else? – added to Kerry’s tally but now they were in the mood to hold what they had with the finishing line in sight. Such a policy has never served Kerry well. The men of 1982 are still reminded of that in the Seamus Darby final to this day. Jack Sherwood and Jack Barry filled two half-forward slots, and Tommy Walsh was introduced to mop up primary ball around the middle third – but finished up at full-back chaperoning Mitchelstown’s Keane.

It all created the wickedly tantalising scenario of penalties if Cork used their 90th-minute possession to force a draw. Like they’d done to force extra time, Cork played keep-ball until Luke Connolly wound up for a shot at salvation.

This time though the miracle at the City End came from above. Via down under.