Cork selector Corcoran excited by Kerry encounter

Cork selector John Corcoran believes that July's Munster final was evidence of the high standard of football which both the Rebels and Kerry have played this year and he expects more of the same brand of high octane football in Sunday's All-Ireland final.

"(In the Munster final) our fellas knuckled down and rallied well to equalise and with normal time up, then had a blatant penalty disallowed but we are not making any issue of that. Kerry, to be fair to them, rallied and kicked two points in injury-time and I think both teams will take positives from that," Corcoran said.

Despite suffering defeat that day at Fitzgerald Stadium, Corcoran is keen to take the positives from that game and believes Cork will once again display their fighting spirit this Sunday.

"We were certainly delighted with the way we rallied and I think with the way we changed around our team. We brought (Michael) Cussen to midfield and he helped things unfold there. Donnacha O'Connor scored a great goal and then we moved around John Miskella. It gave us options and they have been beneficial.

He added: "I'm sure Kerry will also say that, they won the Munster final without playing to their potential and they obviously saw areas where they can prosper against us as well."

Kerry beat Cork by 1-15 to 1-13 in the Munster final - the Kingdom's sixth win over the Rebels since 2002. Cork led by 0-9 to 0-7 at half-time but lost their way in the second half, something which disappointed Corcoran.

"In the immediate aftermath of that game we were disappointed that we hadn't won. But when you sit down and analyse it and know you are still in the championship and that we ran Kerry to two points, and we could have won it against the reigning All-Ireland champions, we haven't beaten them when they were All-Ireland champions for a long time...1987."

Corcoran feels that is a whole new ball game once you step outside provincial confines.

"A provincial championship is a means to an end now, so your disappointment will be tinged by the fact that we know we are still in the championship. I did say after that game to the assembled gathering that these two teams could meet in an All-Ireland final and that is what has happened," he admitted.

Although Corcoran believes that the last meeting of the sides will have little bearing on the All-Ireland decider, he is nonetheless looking for a positive brand of football from his players, like what they produced in Killarney.

"At the end of the day we will be hoping that we can build on our second half performance in particular, and I have no doubt that we will have to play with the intensity and determination that we played with in the last 20 minutes, and that we will have to up the tempo if we are to win.

"If we do that I think we are in with a great chance of winning but I think anything less than that and Kerry will fancy their chances."

The St. Mary's clubman has no problem in building up Kerry as favourites for this game but he is not playing down his own side's chances.

"Without doubt Kerry are the best team in the country and they proved it last year by winning the All-Ireland. They won the All-Ireland at their ease to be quite honest and they are back in the final again. They are hoping to retain their trophy for the first time since Cork did so 17 years ago.

"I think what will give them an added bonus is that they certainly don't want to be beaten by Cork in an All-Ireland final and likewise, we don't want to be beaten. Kerry are the reigning champions and we are the challengers coming in and everyone says the favourites are Kerry but we will give it one right go," he added.