Kissane says rusty Rebels have plenty room for improvement

Favourites for the competition prior to last weekend’s league openers, Cork woke on Monday to find themselves usurped in the bookmakers’ dubious meritocracy of expectation by Kerry.

While the Kingdom accounted for the All-Ireland champions with some ease at Croke Park on Saturday night, a 14-man Cork had to dig deep to secure a share of the points against Armagh in the Athletic Grounds.

And so the odds shifted.

“It will put things into perspective,” said Cork wing-back Paudie Kissane.

“Our odds might lengthen now but it’s game by game. We’ve always taken it game by game over the last few years.

“The lads and the stats guys and Conor [Counihan] will have a few things to work on and we knowourselves too that we made a fewmistakes. We have to drive on now and improve the next day, win our home game.”

Counihan admitted after the game that a similar performance wouldn’t be enough to get them over the line against Down this weekend but time is on their side. A winter’s rust is being treated and Counihan unwittingly summed up the phoney war feel of the opening weekend when asked for his thoughts on the Croke Park double-header.

“The Rubberbandits were very good,” he replied.

Cork were never very good on Sunday but they did more than enough to pull away from Paddy O’Rourke’s weakened hosts until Paul Kerrigan’s dismissal altered the dynamic.

“We could have won the game as well, but I suppose at the same time happy to get the draw,” said Kissane. “They were coming forward a bit more [in the second half] with the spare man and getting runners through the middle, alright.

“They were getting the overlaps and stuff. So at times we found it hard to get out of defence but it was our first day out, our first serious game of the year and we’ll start from here.”

Cork will undoubtedly be better for the test. The McGrath Cup campaign offered nothing and, though Armagh were short half a dozen players, trips to Ulster are character-shaping affairs.

Sunday’s stalemate was the fourth in their last six league meetings between the sides up north while the other two were won by a score or less. Armagh succeeded with three points to spare in 2003 and Cork squeaked a win by two in 1996.

Consider too that league games are never just about the points. Moreimportant is the opportunity to run the rule over new faces or those from the fringes of the squad.

Counihan ticked that box with Ken O’Halloran, Mark Collins, Fiachra Lynch and Conor O’Driscoll all getting starts while Sean Kiely, Denis O’Sullivan and Liam Shorten all got summoned from the stands.

“Look at any successful team, you’ve to keep finding new fellas, because that pushes everyone else on,” said Kissane. “Looking at it now, it is a 20-manpanel and anyone who comes on does make the difference.

“If they work hard, whether it’s for half-an-hour or 15 minutes on the pitch, just empty the tank and see from there.” The next auditions start in Páirc Uí Chaoimh at 2pm on Sunday.