Cork face an uphill battle as familiar failings resurface

For a county that routinely states promotion as their league target, Cork have a penchant for adding layers of difficulty onto this goal as soon as the competition will allow

ON THE BACK FOOT ALREADY: Cork coach Kevin Walsh and manager John Cleary. Pic: INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Cork’s opening round league defeat last Sunday added further legs to an unflattering stat.

Since falling out of the top tier at the end of the 2016 spring, the county’s footballers have failed to win their opening league fixture in the six subsequent seasons that began with Cork in the second division.