Cork’s John O’Rourke feels he and his colleagues will have to improve their concentration levels following Sunday’s late fade-out against Derry.

Gore, who started the opening-round win over Offaly but had to retire injured at half-time in that game, is back in at number 13 with Michael Hurley dropping to the substitutes’ bench.

Arriving at a venue his players were unfamiliar with, to take on something of the unknown in Leitrim on heavy underfoot conditions, Ronan McCarthy knew this would enlighten him further on the attitude of his troops.

There are six changes to the Cork side for this evening’s Allianz HL Division 1 Group A clash with Tipperary at Páirc Uí Chaoimh (7pm).

A couple of important firsts for the Cork footballers on Saturday.

Tadhg Coakley on all things new at Páirc Ui Chaoimh Saturday night

A strong third-quarter showing - during which the hosts outscored Offaly by 0-6 to 0-1 - ensured Cork made a winning start to life in Division 3 of the Allianz football league.

Ciaran Sheehan also makes his first competitive start for Cork in seven years.

The first inter-county silverware of 2020 will be handed out at LIT Gaelic Grounds today, starting with the McGrath Cup final.

The Rebels’ team includes Colm Spillane, who made his return to red-and-white in Tuesday night’s Canon O’Brien Cup game against UCC at the Mardyke after missing 2019.

A second victory for another experimental Cork side in round 2 of the McGrath Cup in Mallow last night.

Having been set to take time away from football after his spell as Kildare manager, Cian O’Neill has revealed how Ronan McCarthy coaxed him into the Cork set-up as a coach to the senior footballers.

There are 17 clubs represented in the matchday panel, and 10 on the starting team.

Éamonn Fitzmaurice and Tony Leen ran the rule over both teams alongside Colm O'Connor in the commentary box.

Carbery Rangers will face champions St Finbarr’s in the Cork SFC third round following a pulsating victory over west Cork rivals Castlehaven in Skibbereen on Saturday night.

Ronan McCarthy has taken umbrage with those who class this weekend’s Super 8 fixture between Cork and Roscommon as a dead-rubber.

A come-from-behind second-half effort secured Tyrone their second win of the Super 8s series and, in the process, all but guaranteed themselves an All-Ireland semi-final berth.

Cork will spend the next two weekends in Croke Park after comfortably securing their place in the Super 8s with this emphatic 14-point dismissal of Laois.

Cork have been forced into three late changes to their starting fifteen ahead of tomorrow’s Munster football final against champions Kerry (7pm).

The old Mike Tyson deadpan came to mind as Limerick’s Munster final ambitions were obliterated in the opening 12 minutes of Saturday’s SFC semi-final at Páirc Uí Rinn.

Martin Brennan was the toast of Fermoy as he landed an injury-time winner to secure victory over Castlehaven at Brinny yesterday.

Cork’s 2010 All-Ireland SFC-winning selector Ger O’Sullivan has called on the county to get behind the senior footballers now when they need them most.

While Cork’s relegation to Division 3 — just four years after contesting a top-flight league final — might seem as bad as it gets, Ronan McCarthy has warned this may not be the end of the Rebels’ spectacular decline.

It has been a shocking decade of decline for Cork football and having started it in 2010 as Division One and All-Ireland champions, they finish it as a Division Three side after yesterday’s deserved win in Armagh failed to save them from relegation.

Donegal’s fourth league win of the spring has kept alive their promotion bid, while, in the process, moving Cork perilously closer to the relegation trapdoor.

It ended with bodies being flung, arms spread wide, legs hacking chaotically, and the general confusion of a final ’45 dropped upon close to 28 players.

Where in the opening round Cork succeeded in securing a point despite being a man down for the closing 27 minutes of action, yesterday, despite being a man up for the same period of time, they were unable to manage anything at all.

CASTLEHAVEN clubman Michael Hurley put Cork IT to the sword with a sensational exhibition of point scoring – he hit a total of 0-12, half of his tally coming from open play - as Pat Critchley's side emerged worthy six point victors of this fast-flowing Sigerson Cup 2nd round tie at the IT Carlow grounds last night.

Castlehaven and Duhallow must do it all over again after extra-time failed to separate them in an epic semi-final replay played in Páirc Uí Rinn last night. Duhallow had looked to have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat when Knocknagree’s Anthony O’Connor goaled in the 82nd minute to give his side a 2-15 to 1-17 lead.

Roscommon 0-17 Cork 1-11: Roscommon promoted, Cork safe. Well, as good as. Cork dropping to Division 3 can only materialise if Meath draw against Louth next weekend and Down overcome Tipp by at least 13 points. Those are two sizeable ifs.

Debutant Ronan O’Toole is one of three changes on the Cork football side for Sunday’s final Allianz FL Division 2 clash with Roscommon in Dr Hyde Park (3pm).

Waterford manager Tom McGlinchey has received an eight-week sideline ban after he chose not to contest the proposed suspension last night.

All the big issues that the weekend threw up. 

Cork 2-11 Louth 0-10: An unusual game at Páirc Uí Rinn: Cork cruise to victory, despite having two men sent off, while simultaneously being flattered by a seven-point winning margin.

John Fogarty picks out five players who are set to make their mark on the Allianz Football League.

The dynamic of their relationship has changed. The pendulum has moved back up the N71.

The current reality of Cork football is that they take the wins as and when they come. 

Kerry 2-16 - Cork 0-6: The hype was justified, these Kerry boys are simply different gravy. 

Cork reached a seventh consecutive EirGrid Munster U21FC final in a row at Páirc Uí Rinn on Wednesday night, but got a tough test from Limerick.

All-Star Paul Geaney and Cork veteran Rena Buckley have been recognised as Munster’s best senior footballer and ladies footballer in 2016, while Tipperary’s All-Ireland winning manager Michael Ryan has claimed the manager of the year award.

Peadar Healy ventured up to Clones the day after his Cork charges limped out of Pearse Park with their championship status still intact. The Cork football manager couldn’t but be impressed with Donegal’s first-half showing, even more impressed was he with Tyrone’s second-half display. Tyrone did, in Healy’s own words, a Donegal on Donegal.

Longford 1-6 Cork 2-9: From limp to lively, Cork reached the last 12 of the All-Ireland SFC — the first time they have done so without reaching the Munster final since that glorious season of 2010.

Cork progressed to Round 4A of the All-Ireland qualifiers this afternoon largely thanks to the half-time introductions of Colm O’Neill and Pa Kelly.