Cuthbert wants more

CORK minor boss Brian Cuthbert wants an improved work rate from his side in this afternoon’s All-Ireland MFC quarter-final against Dublin in Portlaoise (4pm).

Cork were decisively beaten in the Munster final four weeks ago and Cuthbert feels Tipperary’s second-half dominance was founded on a greater work ethic around the pitch.

“Tipperary worked harder than us in that game,’’ he said. “That was the most disappointing thing about it. We gave away some bad goals, which didn’t help, but, ultimately, we need to improve our work rate by at least 50%.

“We know against Dublin we can’t afford to do what we did in the Tipperary match. They wiped the floor against everyone in Leinster. So we know how impressive they’ve been and know how much harder they’ll be to beat after winning the Leinster championship.”

Cuthbert has been impressing upon his players in the aftermath of that loss that they need to move on and view the All-Ireland series as a chance to make amends.

“Ten minutes after the Tipperary game, I was talking to the lads about how this was a new competition. That’s how we will be viewing it. Senior teams have shown how it is possible to bounce back from losing a provincial senior final and hopefully we’ll do the same. The lads had clubs game after the Tipperary match and I felt that was not a bad distraction. The lads were able to switch their focus from that defeat and start thinking about going forward. We’ve a lot of work done since then.”

Meanwhile, Tipperary minor manager David Power is hoping his side can build on the excellent performance that saw them claim provincial honours for the first time since 1995, when they face Meath in the first All-Ireland MFC quarter-final in Portlaoise today at 2pm.

Tipperary have suffered several All-Ireland minor quarter-final defeats over the past decade and Power is seeking to redress that record.

“I think this is Tipperary’s fifth quarter-final in recent years, but it’s the first time we’ve gone in as Munster champions. We feel we’ve something to prove at a national level still. I’ve no doubt that it’s going to be a really tough battle against Meath but it’s one we’re looking forward to.”