No Cussen masterstroke for Cork this time

AS ONE Kerry great once said, put me down for what I said last time, just change the date.

On these pages two days ago, I believed Cork had nothing to fear coming to Killarney, and it still holds true for Saturday’s replay. There’s more in Cork, and they must have realised that on their disappointed road home from Killarney last night.

The key question is what’s in Kerry? The gruelling experience of hauling themselves off the floor to force a replay yesterday will benefit them to some extent, but what’s the cost of Tommy Walsh’s loss? Perhaps Cork’s midfield weren’t mentally tuned in for their annual joust with Darragh O Sé, because the Gaeltacht man, a stone and a half overweight, still had a disproportional influence on the sway in the sector for Conor Counihan’s liking.