Cork minor footballers reveal team to face Mayo in All-Ireland quarter-final

THE Cork minor football management have made one change to the starting 15 which lost to Kerry in the Munster final for Saturday’s Electric Ireland All-Ireland MFC quarter-final against Mayo at Cusack Park in Ennis (4.30pm).

The Rebels were well below their best a month ago in the 2-18 to 1-6 defeat to the Kingdom at Páirc Uí Rinn. While Kerry were on top from start to finish and were simply awesome on the night, Cork just never played anywhere near their best which can happen considering these players are so young.

Carbery Rangers’ Pádraig Tobin comes in for Mallow’s Ben O’Shea in the only change. Following the Cork minor hurlers exit from the championship two weeks ago, Liam Kelleher and Jack O’Brien, both from Douglas, are on the bench for Micheál ‘Haulie’ O’Sullivan’s charges this weekend. 

There was a large home crowd on the evening of the Kerry match last month but they had very little to cheer about as the green and gold just took control early on and never looked back. The devastation on the management and players faces after the game said it all. 

The Rebels are better than that and it has to be big motivation for everyone involved in the Cork minor football set-up to prove this weekend that the Munster final display was a one-off.

In fairness, O’Sullivan’s team showed flashes in their previous meeting with Kerry in the Munster quarter-final in Tralee as they lost by two points but the team responded to beat a decent Clare outfit in the last four of the provincial championship in Quilty.

The Banner did have a player sent off before the break but the game was effectively over at that point as Cork led 1-7 to 0-1 as they went on to win on a scoreline of 1-13 to 0-8.

There’s no doubt that these players have quality, but the biggest thing that the management would have had to deal with over the last few weeks would have been to lift the spirits. If the team are on it on Saturday, who knows what might happen.

But, Cork are facing the Connacht champions in Mayo, who have been impressive this season most notably in their last outing against Roscommon in the provincial final as they won 0-14 to 0-10. Mayo legend Ciarán McDonald is the head coach of this team with his son Kobe, a lightning forward, one of their best players.

All the pressure is on Mayo, which will suit Cork.

CORK (v Mayo):

James O’Flaherty (Douglas);

Oisín Harrington (Kilmeen), Niall O’Shea (Urhan, captain), Joe Mouret (Douglas);

Cian Cooney (Clyda Rovers), Aaron Keane (Kinsale), Cian O’Connor (Ballincollig);

Pádraig Tobin (Carbery Rangers), Jack Trench (Ballinora);

Harry Cogan (Glanmire), Danny Miskella (Ballincollig), Cathal McCarthy (St Colum’s);

Humphrey Canty (Newcestown), Dylan O’Neill (Carbery Rangers), Seán Whelton (St James’).

Subs:

Denjoe O’Riordan (Kilshannig), Billy Ryan (Glenville), Liam Kelleher (Douglas), Daniel Burke (St Finbarr’s), Jack O’Brien (Douglas), Daniel Mellerick (Nemo Rangers), Danny O’Donovan (Castlehaven), Ben Delaney (Carrigaline), Pádraig McGrath (Douglas).