Liam Kearney: This Is What It's About

As the TV cameras were being packed away at Turner’s Cross last night, Extratime.ie caught up with Cork City midfielder Liam Kearney who reflected on his side’s win over UCD. A first half penalty from Billy Dennehy had cancelled out Robbie Creevy’s opener for the Students, before man of the hour Mark O’Sullivan was on hand to steer Colin Healy’s corner into the net in front of the Shed-end faithful to see his side go three points clear at the top of the league [until Sunday at least].

“I think we started very sloppy and to be fair, the goal, they probably deserved at the time because we didn’t start the game the way we always do. Looking at that then, we responded pretty well. Once the goal went in we got focussed again and obviously with the penalty then bringing it back to one all and them losing a player, it changed the momentum of the game.”

Fresh from last Sunday’s victory over a Sligo Rovers side who are flying high in Europe, Aaron Callaghan’s men played without fear and strung together some fluid passages of play. Having come up against UCD many times in his career, the Conna native wasn’t surprised by the tough game the Rebel Army got.

“Overall, it was always going to be a tough game for us against UCD. I don’t remember any time…well maybe once we beat them 5-1 up in UCD one time… but every other time it’s been very close. They do try to pass the ball. Coming down here it was a big game for them as well and not to be out of order but there’s not much pressure on them. They can play freely whereas the way we’re going, in every game we’re playing now three points is vital.”

Pre-season predictions have long since been torn up, as the Cork City faithful dare to dream of league glory on the club’s 30^th anniversary. The Leeside time continue to defy the nay-sayers and are now unbeaten in ten games in all competitions. For Kearney, the pressure to perpetuate this run is something he revels in.

“It’s great. This is what it’s about. What’s the point in coming in on a Friday night watching a team that is going nowhere. We’re coming out feeling that pressure, and as a footballer that’s what you want. You want to be up there competing. I mean there’s going to be night’s where you’ve a bad night, but even on your bad nights you’ve got to realise ‘what’s the goal here…we’re here to win the match and to push on’.

“I think tonight we showed great determination and great team spirit. We emptied the bench and brought on boys and everyone was coming on his high-fiving the fella coming off and that’s what you need. We may not be the best technical team in the league, there might be better teams than us but that doesn’t mean that we won’t win the league.”

While his manager repeats his mantra that he is taking each game as it comes, Kearney also refused to look too far into the future and remains focussed at the short term targets.

“Look, we go through phases of games and how many points we look to get from each phase. You can’t look at the big picture because who’s to say tomorrow that we could get two injuries in a vital position and that could change the whole dynamics of the team and it could become difficult. It’s a cliché, but we’re looking to next week. We’re looking to Monday night first in the league cup and then we’re looking to next week another huge game for us, you take it week by week. I think you can get too far ahead of yourselves; we’re certainly not in a position to do that.

“I think tonight was a reality check for us and at half time we were looking at each other thinking that we hadn’t started this game. You have to sit back and look at it and think ‘what are we here to do something or are we going to accept how we played in the first thirty minutes?’

“Second half we came out and we were a different side. John O’Flynn came on and he looked so lively, it was great to see. He hit the target every time and fair enough it would have been nice for one of them to go in, but it’s great to see the options we have and it’s an exciting time for the club.”

With two league winner’s medals already in his locker, the 31 year old can certainly speak with authority on the subject, and he tells us that he will be helping to keep younger teammates grounded.

“We just need to keep our heads and keep level. There’s a long ways to go yet and people might get carried away around the city. I certainly don’t want to be getting carried away because I know what it takes to win the league and I’ll be definitely keeping fella’s feet on the floor.”

As the supporters gather this weekend to mark the club’s 30^th anniversary, Kearney is also in the mood for reminiscing as he has the likes of O’Flynn, Murray and McNulty from the 2005 title-winning side around him.

“It’s brilliant. Some days I go into training and I think that this is ten years ago all over again. But then you look at the young boys coming in and they’ve really been unbelievable. I think the mix we have is excellent. I know it’s been said a lot but there’s a comradery there and I think it’s a Cork thing as well. We’re all in it together. A lot of people say ‘ah ya but if you’re not playing one week?’, but it’s not like that and I think that’s vital and I think when you have that friendship as well as determination together you can achieve anything.”