Eyes turn quickly to crucial Cavan clash for Cork boss John Cleary

The Rebels earned a rare -- if early-season -- win in Killarney on Saturday.

Cork manager John Cleary during the McGrath Cup final match at Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney. Pic: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile

THE result won’t flush John Cleary’s face, nor as Jack O’Connor mentioned as gaeilge, deny him a wink of Saturday night sleep. But there was enough about the McGrath Cup final in Killarney to shift it from the irrelevant to interesting column – not least with the opening Allianz League round only a week away.

Both Cork and Kerry managers used the same phraseology to underline the most important takeaway – minutes in the legs for players who were either getting up to speed or looking to accelerate progress.