Cork selector Pat Hartnett says time will tell on tactical ploys

A phoney war in Thurles yesterday? Cork selector Pat Hartnett didn’t work too hard to dispel that impression.

“We had three hard sessions this week. I suppose the main objective is this day nine weeks and the relegation game obviously.”

After the frenetic effort against Kilkenny a week earlier just came up short, Cork only managed anything resembling that intensity for 15 minutes yesterday.

“After the performance last week, I think we are somewhere between the two performances,” said Hartnett.

“Where we are relative to the two performances because they are two totally different extremes? Time will tell on that.

“We went out to win the game and play as well as possible. But it was part of an overall plan in terms of physical fitness and hurling and so on. So we are abiding by that.”

Seamus Harnedy - so threatening at Páirc Uí Rinn - was a loss. “He was and Aidan Walsh was out as well and Damian Cahalane was injured during the week.

“No fella goes out not to do himself justice. We kept going until the end. You have to appreciate what Tipp did too.”

Any advantage to Tipp ahead of the championship meeting in May? Michael Ryan was just thankful to avoid making it a hat-trick of old-firm clashes. “When we see Cork next, it will be entirely different to today. The venue will be the same but there will be very little else similar in terms of the quality.”

Hartnett preferred to keep Galway in focus: “The championship will take care of itself. That is nine weeks away.

“We have more pressing important things in two weeks’ time. It is about getting ourselves up for that now and doing ourselves justice for that.”