HAPPY to get the win in such awful conditions was the view of Cork manager Matthew Twomey on Sunday after Cork’s eight-point victory over Clare in Cusack Park.

"There was definitely an element of danger travelling here," he said. "It was a bit dodgy coming up along, the winds, the rain. We tried to do a warmup in Cratloe and couldn’t go out in it. 

"The pitch itself here was in unbelievable nick but for both teams there, trying to strike the ball, I thought the goalposts were going to take off. 

"There was an element of danger but look it went ahead."

Twomey felt that Clare’s tactics suited Cork. 

"We were hoping to play a short passing, attacking game against the wind and they played into our hands, allowing us to do that by playing a sweeper. 

"During the warm-up we couldn’t even hit the ball over the bar from thirty yards the wind was so strong so going in a point down at half time we were happy after playing against that wind. 

"Obviously, then we knew in the second half Clare were going to camp everyone back, so it was going to be very hard to break them down’’.

Did you feel in the second half that Cork were going to take off, but such was the conditions it was always going to be just a battle, a hit and miss game? 

"Yeah, it was always going to be a fairly scrappy game but if you told me in Cratloe earlier than we were going to come away with a win I’d have taken it."

Referring to Cork’s debutants, Ballinora’s Meabh Murphy, Katie O’Mahoney and Sorcha McCartan, Matthew was extremely happy with how things played out there. 

"Yeah, I thought Meabh and Katie played very well and Sorcha was dangerous inside. We’re nowhere near the finished article but we got a win today and its job done."

At home to Limerick next weekend Cork will hope for more favourable conditions.

Davy Fitzgerald was equally happy with Cork's win, commenting on his happiness with Cork's fitness levels and the fact that Clare were never going to score much playing so defensively; it was a case of working that out and winning the game.

So, in awful conditions where you would have to question the logic of even playing this game, it's behind both teams now and they march on. 

It’s early season, Cork have the two points, which was important to them as they have made their desire in winning the league no secret, they’ve tested three new players with others on the bench waiting to get back in or get their chance.