U-20 success in All-Ireland final win over Dublin takes monkey off the Rebels’ back a ‘small bit’

Having lost the last U-21 decider to Tipperary in 2018 and the first U-20 final to the same opposition in 2019, there was pressure on the young Rebels to deliver against Dublin at UPMC Nowlan Park and they did so but not without being tested.

Having raced into a 1-4 to 0-0 lead inside minutes, Cork gave themselves a great platform and kept their opponents at arm’s length for much of the contest, but Dublin began to come back in the closing stages.

Ultimately, Cork held on and Ryan – a member of the side that won in 1997 along with selectors Brendan Coleman and Wane Sherlock, with the latter also on the successful 1998 side – was delighted to have ticked the boxes of player development and success.

“This is what it’s about, development, but we hadn’t won one in a while and we needed to win one,” he said.

“We know what it’s like to win an All-Ireland, that connection is there and we know the bond that brings to players – there’s a great bond among those players anyway, and we’re thrilled for them.

“It takes the monkey off our back a small bit going forward. It’s still only U20 at the same time and we’re used to winning senior All-Irelands but, as I say, it takes the monkey off our back a small bit.”

Cork – who hadn’t played since beating Tipp in the Munster final on December 23 – led by 1-11 to 0-7 at half-time with Shane Barrett, Colin O’Brien and Brian Roche to the fore, but Liam Murphy and Micheál Murphy helped Dublin draw closer during the third quarter.

They were back to within four points just after the second-half water break before Cork looked to have made a decisive surge when Pádraig Power got their second goal and they moved ten ahead.

Dublin didn’t give up, however, and sub Luke McDwyer netted at the end of the 60 minutes to leave four in it again but Cork held out.

Dublin manager Paul O’Brien paid tribute to the victors.

“In fairness to Cork, for a team that hadn’t played a championship match in six months or whatever,” he said, “they came out with all guns blazing, and that was the difference in the end, the way they started the game.

“And fair play to them, they brought a massive intensity to the game. They were a very well-prepared team, in fairness to them, and they won Munster.

“They performed, they were well set up, so fair play to them.”

Scorers – Cork: P Power 1-1; A Connolly (0-2f), S Barrett, D Connery (0-2f) 0-3 each; S Twomey 1-0; D Flynn, T O’Connell, C O’Brien (0-1 sideline), B Hayes 0-2 each; J Cahalane 0-1. Dublin: L Murphy 0-6 (0-3f); D Purcell 0-4; M Murphy 0-3; L McDwyer 1-0; K Desmond, E Gibbons (0-2f) 0-2 each; D Power 0-1.

CORK – E Davis 8; C O’Callaghan 7 , E Roche 8, A Walsh Barry 7; D Connery 8, C Joyce 8, D O’Leary 8; B Roche 9, T O’Connell 8; D Flynn 8, S Barrett 9, S Twomey 7; Colin O’Brien 8, P Power 8, A Connolly 7. Subs: J Cahalane 7 for O’Brien (39), E Carey 7 for Twomey (41), B Hayes 8 for Connolly (49), S O’Regan for Flynn (53), Cormac O’Brien for Barrett (58).

DUBLIN – E Gibbons 8; A Murphy 6, A Dunphy 7, I Ó hEither 6; E O’Donnell 6, K Burke 7, T Kinnane 6; D Power 7, M Sweeney 7; D McBride 6, M Murphy 7, L Gannon 7; D Purcell 7, K Desmond 7, L Murphy 8. Subs: B Sheehy for Kinnane (10-11, temporary), D Leavy 6 for O’Donnell (39), C Foley 6 for Sweeney (46), L McDwyer 7 for McBride (48), Sheehy for Kinnane (55), P Linehan for Power (56).

Ref – J Keenan (Wicklow).