Walsh has high praise for Cussen

CORK senior hurling manager Denis Walsh has praised the early season form of towering forward Michael Cussen, who scored two goals in a weekend challenge against Waterford.

The 6ft 7ins star was impressive on home soil on Saturday night in a game which marked the official opening of the Sarsfields club’s new sand-based pitch and floodlighting system.

Cork ran out 2-15 to 1-17 winners as John Gardiner lashed over seven points from midfield for the Rebels.

But it was the performance of Cussen, who scored 2-1, which will have given Walsh plenty of cause for optimism ahead of next Sunday’s NHL opener at home to Offaly.

After leaving the county’s football squad to concentrate on hurling this year, Cussen made his debut in last month’s Waterford Crystal Cup defeat to UCC, before exploding into life just a week before the start of the National League.

Walsh reflected: “It was nice to have him in there and I was pleased for him. It was on Michael’s home patch and he did well, in fairness to him.”

Walsh, meanwhile, will monitor this afternoon’s Fitzgibbon Cup matches for potential injuries before finalising a team for the Offaly game later in the week. Forward Pa Cronin has been ruled out possibly for the entire NHL with a knee injury while Walsh will not be calling upon the Newtownshandrum contingent this weekend.

Walsh added: “We’ll leave it until later in the week to pick a team for the Offaly game. We have a lot of players to pick from and there are colleges matches on Tuesday so we’ll know by Thursday what way they come back.”