McCarthy: We can’t replay the Kerry game

Nine minutes into the second half of Saturday’s Munster semi-final rout, Cork called Brian Hurley ashore.

There was the hint of a limp and the home contingent in the crowd of over 3,000 winced.

Little wonder. Between Hurley, Sean Powter and defender Sam Ryan, the Cork footballers have suffered a disproportionate number of serious hamstring injuries so there’s almost a pre-disposition to fear the worst.

Especially when Hurley had shown the full glory of his pace and power with two early goals.

However, it appears the only blight on an impressive night for Cork was not a blight at all, with Ronan McCarthy indicating afterwards that his removal for Stephen Sherlock on 44 minutes was precautionary.

It’s been a long road back for Hurley and Cork recognise the need not to push him: “He came on against Tipp last year in the championship and started against Tyrone (in the Qualifiers). In hindsight that might have been a bit early for him, but he is moving well now,” said the Cork manager.

“He is still not quite there, we have to mind and manage him, and hats off to the medical team for getting him back to this point.

The man has an incredible determination to play for Cork and your biggest problem is holding him back.

"Brian is at a point where he manages his own training and he knows if it’s the right thing for him to push on or not.”

McCarthy was asked to stocktake Cork’s worth now compared to a year ago when the Munster final went horribly wrong at home to Kerry in the new Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Exorcising those demons is less a priority than building on the blocks of a decent end to the league and a series of impressive performances on the challenge game circuit.

There’s a jaundiced view of such trials games but it would be remiss of anyone to dismiss a victory over Dublin in Nowlan Park at the beginning of May.

It is understood Dublin were shy half a dozen of their frontline players, but their second string would be a formidable proposition too.

“We can’t replay the game from last year. Compared to a year ago, what you saw here was some of the quality that’s in the team — and the calibre of player we didn’t even use.

“The players have responded to a really, really difficult league campaign and shown great character to recover from it.

“We have put a run together of wins - seven or our last eight matches now in whatever guise they were — but confidence is a fragile thing.

Cork hasn’t beaten a top-eight team since 2012. Until we do that, the question mark is going to be there.”

Dalo's Hurling Show: Tipp quench the inferno. Kiely's statement. The Déise inquest

Derek McGrath and Ger Cunningham review the weekend's hurling with Anthony Daly