Deadly Daniel sharpens Cork’s edge

RECENT history has taught the Cork footballers to measure the relevance of pre-autumn victories over Kerry in thimble-sized measures, but it would be remiss to ignore the grit and adaptability of Cork’s 13 men in outlasting their old rivals on Saturday night in Páirc Uí Rinn.

Conor Counihan’s side continued their unblemished start to life in Division 1, while Kerry are in an unfamiliar scrap at the foot of the table. Nearly 5,000 people clicked through the turnstiles and, corny Valentine’s Day metaphors aside, everything but love hung heavily in the air afterwards. There was an unhealthy tension in the opening half; by the interval, there were only 27 men standing.

Referee Maurice Deegan’s decision to order off Cork’s Noel Galvin and Eoin Cadogan, and Kerry’s Paul Galvin consumed much of the crowd chatter. There was certainly doubts about the merit of Cadogan’s and Galvin’s dismissals, and the match threatened to descend into farce before the break as skirmishes erupted all over the pitch. Calm was restored in the second half with the spotlight on football.