John Cleary: 'Cork football needed a win like that'

Brian Hurley, left, celebrates with team-mate Seán Walsh after the win. Picture: Daire Brennan/Sportsfile

John Cleary got straight to the point. His group, he said, needed this win. Cork football, he said, needed this win.

After 10 winless weeks and a run of three championship defeats, Cork’s hanging-on effort in Portlaoise saw a sizable weight lifted.