No need to ring

Denis Hurley Positives were few and far between for the Cork hurlers in Páirc Uí Rinn last weekend, but it’s not the time to hit the panic button just yet

OSITIVES from Sunday’s defeat to Tipperary in Páirc Uí Rinn were thin on the ground, if not completely non-existent.

Maybe the most optimistic Cork fan could make the case that they decided to take it easy to that Tipperary wouldn’t have much to go on ahead of the May 12 championship meeting in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, but it would be a hard sell.

In fact, the final margin of thirteen points was more flattering to Cork, given that Tipp pulled up in the final stages and Aidan Walsh’s goal and a flurry of points made the smallest of dents in the visitors’ lead.

Obviously, it’s not the time to start ringing the alarm bells – after all, Cork found themselves in the Division 1A relegation play-off last year too and still remained undefeated as they won the Munster title. However, how such a poor performance could manifest itself in the wake of wins over Clare and, more impressively, Limerick will be a worry for the management.

While a week of warm-weather training might not have seemed to be the best way to prepare for the four-seasonsin-a-day conditions at Páirc Uí Rinn on Sunday, the time away certainly seemed to stand to Tipp, whose superiority couldn’t be denied, even with the wind-assistance provided as they amassed a ten-point halftime lead. Jason Forde’s goal early in the second half put any doubts to bed.

Damien Cahalane won’t need telling about the importance of holding on to Noel McGrath’s delivery, but it was an isolated mistake and it was notable because the St Finbarrs man has almost eradicated such errors.

These things are magnified depending on the outcome – at the start of the second half, Cormac Murphy launched a ball towards the Tipp goal and net-minder Paul Maher similarly dropped the ball, but it landed outside the post for a ‘65.

Had that gone in, the lead would have been down to seven