Cleary guarding against Rebel complacency
Cork boss John Cleary may have a good number of last year's All Ireland winning panel available to him again this year, but as he tells Noel Horgan neither he nor his team are complacent about the challenge posed by the Kingdom
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Wednesday March 10 2010
JOHN Cleary has been involved with the Cork U-21 footballers since 2004, serving as a selector under coach Tony Leahy until 2007.
With Leahy stepping down following the All-Ireland final win over Laois that year, Cleary was installed as team boss in 2008 when Cork fell at the first hurdle to Kerry. He steered them back to the top in his second season at the helm, and he is hoping that his charges will come up trumps again when they open the defence of their provincial and All-Ireland titles against Kerry in Tralee on Saturday.
He is fully aware, however, that it's going to be a very difficult assignment, and that there will be no repeat of the facile win which Cork enjoyed in last year's first round clash between the counties at Pairc Uí Rinn. "We will have a fair few survivors from last year's panel, and we have ten who played a part in the 2009 campaign.
"Aidan Walsh, Liam Jennings, Chris O'Donovan, Kevin O'Driscoll, Ciaran Sheehan, Paul Honohan and Mark Collins all started in the All-Ireland final against Down, while Barry O'Driscoll lined out in the first round against Kerry. He picked up an injury in that match, and he didn't feature again until we brought him on in the dying minutes of the AllIreland final. Lorcan McLoughlin also came on against Down, and Eoghan Buckley made an appearance during the second round win over Waterford, so you would have to say that there is
