Pressure for places motivates Murphy

Jim O’Sullivan

It's not the fault of current manager Billy Morgan, who as player and coach did more over the past three decades to raise the profile of the game than any other single individual. In his second year back in charge, he faces possibly his greatest challenge if Cork are to raise their standard this season.

Nothing is calculated to motivate him more than a game against Kerry, all the more so when there is something at stake in this case raw pride. The All-Ireland football champions are visitors to Pairc Ui Rinn this evening (8 pm) for the opening game in the Allianz National League, a competition they also won last year and which Jack O'Connor has many times acknowledged as being hugely important to the Kerry team.