Kick pass is a skill Cork will need for forward impetus

This Munster final was always going to be different, well certainly since one former Kerry player predicted a lack of leadership in the Cork team. Little did he realise that the leadership deficits would be with his native county.

To add salt to the wound he also suggested the return of Alan O’Connor to midfield would raise questions amongst the existing panel players. Standing head and shoulders amongst everyone else was O’Connor, a man of the match display that was surely his finest for many years and all the more impressive when you consider he dominated significantly more youthful opposition.

This was an entertaining game with good scores, played at a reasonable tempo but both teams struggled to find any real pattern which was probably symptomatic of the lack of game time they have had in this year’s championship.