Kerry aim to end Ulster opposition inferiority complex, Cork look for underage crumbs of encouragement

Kerry face Cavan in the All-Ireland MFC quarter-finals on Saturday while Cork play Tyrone. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Two very different agendas for Cork and Kerry at O’Moore Park this afternoon.

Let’s throw in with Kerry seeing as their All-Ireland MFC quarter-final is the first of the Portlaoise double-header.

Kerry’s opposition is Cavan. Kerry’s opposition is Ulster and so the hour’s fare provides the latest opportunity to see how an underage Kingdom crop fares against a leading northern outfit.

Not to throw in with hyperbolic statements but Kerry minor and U20 teams of late have developed something of an inferiority complex when stood opposite northern opposition. The results and the evidence speaks for itself.

In the 2023 and ‘24 campaigns, Kerry’s minor interest ended at the hands of Ulster opposition - Derry and Monaghan - at the All-Ireland semi-final stage. The year previous, the then Kerry management were visibly ecstatic on the Portlaoise sideline at scoring a one-point All-Ireland quarter-final win over Tyrone. The same management, the summer before, had suffered defeat to Derry in the delayed 2020 decider.

So that’s Kerry coming off second best in three of their last four minor outings against an Ulster team. At U20, Tyrone bettered them this year and last. Mercy Mounthawk suffered the same fate in the All-Ireland post-primary semi-finals of this year and last.

The approach minor manager Wayne Quillinan outlined midweek is one, as results attest to, that Kerry underage teams of all hues have floundered against in recent years.

“Cavan are going to be ultra defensive. In fairness, they're really, really well coached. They're really hard to break down. Obviously with the numbers back, they're looking for turnovers. They're looking to break at pace.” 

For Cork, the challenge is a little less nuanced and rather more straightforward; that is to successfully negotiate the All-Ireland minor quarter-final hurdle.

Derry, Dublin, and Mayo, by very different margins, have shown Cork the exit door at this stage of the championship over the past three years. The most recent of those was last June’s worrying 3-14 to 0-6 beating by Mayo.

Arriving as it did off the back of a 15-point Munster final whacking, the conversation and concern surrounding the health of the county's underage set-up had its volume turned up. Lamentably, the results did not spark any meaningful introspection by those in power.

Following 10 and nine-point defeats at the hands of Kerry in recent weeks, Cork football and the current minor students could badly do with a performance and scoreline that provides crumbs of encouragement going forward.

Encouragement, on the whole, has been in short supply for Cork football this summer. Across minor, U20, and senior, there have been 11 championship outings. The four victories are split into two categories. Two comfortable wins over Clare and Limerick at U20 and senior. And two incredibly near escapes against Tipperary at minor and U20.

In short, Cork have not bettered a county at or above their station. Does that change here?

KERRY: R Kennedy (Kerins O’Rahillys); R Sheridan (Duagh), E Joy (Ballymacelligott), T Ó Slatara (Churchill); D Murphy (Listry), D Sargent (John Mitchels), M Clifford (Fossa); M Ó Sé (An Ghaeltacht), J Curtin (Ballyduff); M O’Carroll (Dr Crokes), G White (John Mitchels), A Tuohy (Austin Stacks); N Lacey (Kerins O’Rahillys), K Griffin (St Michael’s/Foilmore), B Kelliher (Dr Crokes).

CAVAN: C McConnell (Butlersbridge); D Brady (Laragh), C Bough (Munterconnaught), M Duffy (Mountnugent); M Smith (Crosserlough), H McMullen (Cootehill Celtic), J Donohoe (Mullahoran); S Maguire (Templeport), F Graham (Butlersbridge); D Lynch (Cuchulainns), J Brady (Gowna), C Smith (Lavey); M Reilly (Denn), N Quigley (Denn), J Graham (Lavey).

CORK: R Twohig (Kilmeen); B Coffey (Clonakilty), A Keane (Kinsale), M Kiernan (Carrigaline); J O’Leary (Ballinascarthy), C McCarthy (St Colum’s), B Cronin (Ballincollig); S Kelleher Leavy (Macroom), R Hayes (Carbery Rangers); L O’Mahony (Ballincollig), D Flynn (Argideen Rangers), S Long (Newcestown); J Byerley (Clonakilty), B Corkery Delaney (Carrigaline), E Maguire (Castlehaven).