‘FOOTBALL mirrors life,’ explained Cork U20 manager Keith Ricken philosophically after his side had battled back from seven points down to beat Tyrone in Sunday’s dramatic All-Ireland U20 semi-final at Tullamore.
The game could have gone either way and the Rebels boss said that his decisions on the sideline - crucially he unleashed four scorers off his bench - could also have gone either way.
The important thing for Ricken is that his players showed an appetite for the battle and that they never allowed their heads to drop. His positive mantra seems to have transferred to his neversaydie team who meet Dublin in Saturday’s All-Ireland final.
“We made switches and they worked – other days you make switches and they don’t work,” said the Cork manager.
“It’s a kind of a reflection on life and I always say to the players: ‘Football mirrors life’. Whether things go bad or things go good, it’s the same thing, you still have to get up and do whatever you have to do.
“You can’t just lie down, that’s the ultimate surrender and we don’t do that. Young men have to learn that, we all have to learn it. Some days it’s good, some days it’s not so good but you have to get up and get on with it. Our players did that today and I’m happy with that.”
