Rob Downey: 'I've been very, very impressed with Tipperary' 

NO REST: Robert Downey of Cork with the Allianz Hurling League Division 1A trophy. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

When Robert Downey struck his goal just 11 minutes into last year's All-Ireland final, it wasn't just a solo goal for the ages.

That wondergoal, more importantly, put Cork 1-7 to 0-3 clear and even at that early stage it was looking like Cork's long wait for a MacCarthy Cup win would shortly be over.

The wait, of course, goes on, although their other long wait for national success, on the National League front having not won that title since 1998, could finally end on Sunday.

Downey, as it happens, would be the man to hoist the tin if Cork can pull it off as team skipper.

If he does so, then he will be the first Cork man since Dermot MacCurtain, in 1980, to captain the team to a national title on home soil.

Last July's bitter Croke Park experience has taught Downey not to take anything for granted.

"It's hard really, you're gutted and you're devastated," he said of last year's final outcome, downplaying the goal. "It was great at the time. It put us 1-7 to 0-3 up but afterwards it probably just wasn't enough on the day. 

"Not that I look back and say it's a negative thing or anything. I probably haven't thought about it too much at all, being honest. I've seen the video a couple of times but I think unless you can keep doing things like that again and again, it doesn't really matter."

If Cork had won, Downey's goal would have gone down as a priceless moment. It still will be remembered that way, but the eventual defeat took some of the gloss away.

"Things are just happening so fast," said Downey, reliving his lengthy run away from Peter Duggan and strike. "All I can remember is Hoggy kind of made a move towards the sideline and the second he did that, I could kind of see out of the corner of my a lot of space opening up there. 

"I just kept going and tried to give it to Alan Connolly but his man seemed to stay with him. When I eventually got there, where you could strike, I just hit it as hard as I could and thankfully it went in."

A repeat strike would go down well on Sunday. Downey isn't necessarily expecting Tipperary to provide him with another path to goal, though.

"They're probably the best team in the league, in fairness to them," he said. "They've been exceptional in every game. They're after blooding a couple of young fellas, like ourselves. At the end of the day, Tipperary are Tipperary. 

"They're always going to be strong, no matter what people might say about them. Any time you play Tipp, especially with Cork, those games seem to take on a life of their own. I've been very, very impressed with them and I'm sure there won't be an inch given on Sunday."

Downey didn't feature in February's group defeat to Tipp and said the league overall has been 'mixed' from Cork's perspective.

It could end on a high on Sunday, though, with Downey getting the opportunity to make history as captain.

"It would be lovely, lifting a cup in front of your own people would be lovely," said the Glen Rovers man. "You don't allow those thoughts to enter your head really because the training sessions and things leading up to it are the really important things. 

"And it's important we keep an eye on April 20 as well because that's a more important game, not that it's more important than the league final, but Championship is really where it matters."