I think the Cork coaching team is getting a bit of unfair criticism here. It looked like they were trying to coach the team to run the ball out and mix up the kick-out strategy, which is what we all wanted last weekend at senior level. Some players lost concentration and made mistakes hopefully due to nerves, which is what happens at this level. I think it’s better for Cork football in the long-run to have young guys having that experience of being able to mix things up from kick-outs and take risks. For a long time, we only had one kick-out strategy at minor/U20 level and that was the high loopy kick into an outnumbered midfield. In fact, that was our senior team’s only plan to combat the six-man zonal press last weekend.
Having said the above, and as others have said, they should have moved the ball quicker when coming out with the ball. Kerry were bringing 15 players into their 45 when they could, at which point there were no real opportunities to go for the kick-pass into the full-forward line. I’d also agree with some about Blackrock and St.Finbarrs being unlucky not to have been more involved in the last two year’s squads. Leo O’Sullivan, Ryan Bennett and Daniel Lucey looked like great prospects in that minor final. But again, I’m sure the Cork management group have seen more of these guys than any of us have.
Overall it was a poor advertisement for Munster underage football. Very little flow and a ref that seemed to be obsessed with inserting himself into the game. That Kerry team didn’t look like anything special either and have apparently had some bad losses in challenge matches to the likes of Galway and Kildare. Outside of Clifford, there were very few stand-outs in the game and you’d wonder what will happen to Kerry if they get a ref who wants gaelic football to be a contact sport. The fact they were bringing 15 players into their own 45 in the first 5 minutes, tells you how much they rate their own defending.
