Cork have a long way to go, cautions Kieran Kingston

The final whistle was practically still echoing around the Gaelic Grounds yesterday when Kieran Kingston was already “parking” the Munster Senior Hurling League and considering Clare in the NHL.

“Yeah, it’s a huge game in two weeks’ time,” said the Cork manager. “Big test for us and a big step up on the Munster League, and we’re aware of that.”

Still, Kingston was happy with the games in the Munster league as he builds for the season ahead: “Everybody knows you need a strong panel, we’re trying to build a strong panel, a blend of new lads and experience.

“I think we’re doing that but we have to keep the whole thing in context — it’s January, it’s a new panel, a lot of young players and we have a long way to go and a lot of developing to do before we can sit at the top table.

“We know that and I think everybody else knows that as well.

“I’m happy mostly about the effort. Certainly, there were aspects of today you couldn’t be happy with, mistakes we made and that happened on both sides. Conditions, you could say, but conditions were the same for both. I thought at times our use of the ball was poor — when we did do it well, we did it very well. It’s a process.”

Kingston said Brian Lawton, Luke O’Farrell, Robbie O’Flynn were out injured and Bill Cooper was unavailable, adding that Damien Cahalane’s hand injury would be x-rayed, that Stephen McDonnell went over on an ankle and that Colm Spillane had a hamstring issue.

“The Munster League is over now, it’s parked, it’s served its purpose and the bar is going to be raised hugely when the National League starts.”

Limerick manager John Kiely thought his side had the win late on but stressed the importance of lessons learned: “I thought we’d hold out because we seemed very secure at the back all day, fierce happy with our defence.

“Things are beginning to bed down nicely, we’re making lots of progress and we’re very happy with where we’re at, I think we’re in a good position now.

“You couldn’t have written a better script, apart from the goal at the end because we tried a lot, lads learned a lot, it was great for the younger lads. Despite the Cork result two weeks ago I think they’ve gained an awful lot and I think we’re in a much better place than when we came back after Christmas.”