Patrick Horgan offers a timely reminder of his class... What Cork learned from league loss to Tipp

A blow to Cork's league final prospects on Saturday night as a lively trip to Tipp ended in a 2-22 to 1-21 loss.

Leaving aside the implications in terms of reaching the decider, a victory was more important for Tipp than Cork and it showed coming down the stretch. The Premier were ripped apart last summer in Thurles, having also suffered the same fate in 2022, and a marker needed to be laid down. They outmuscled Cork for long spells and were deserved winners.

What will Pat Ryan and his selectors take from the defeat?

Patrick Horgan is well used to his epitaph being written, having been dropped in 2022 and then spearheading Cork's attack in the following two summers. He was horsed out of it a few times when he was introduced against Limerick earlier this month and many reckoned his race was run again.

However, he was razor sharp in his second-half cameo on Saturday night, coming off the shoulder to lance 0-2 from play and also being fouled for two frees.

The starting inside line certainly didn't do enough to suggest he'll be an impact sub in a few months.

At the other end of their careers, Diarmuid Healy, still U21, and Jack Cahalane got their first runs off the bench, with Healy landing a nice point and showing well for possession.

It was another rookie Micheál Mullins who caught the eye in the number five geansaí, hoovering up a lot of possession and putting the controversy about his switch from Whitechurch to Glen Rovers firmly behind him by showing why he was an All-Ireland winning U20 captain in 2023.

On the other flank Cormac O'Brien, starting his third game in a row, was solid again.

Elsewhere Darragh Fitzgibbon, 0-4 from play, and Ciarán Joyce reinforced why they're integral for Cork's championship prospects.

Ger Millerick had an excellent second half after initially struggling on 19-year-old rising star Darragh McCarthy, and Niall O'Leary backed up the theory he's as good a corner-back as Cork have had for a while.

Robbie O'Flynn, after two seasons of injury nightmares, was extremely lively early doors until running out of gas and Brian Hayes and Shane Barrett combined superbly for Cork's goal, though Barrett hasn't hurled as well so far in 2025 as he did to earn an All-Star last term. To be expected realistically, given this time 12 months ago he wasn't a banker to start in summer.

Under Liam Cahill's watch, while Tipp haven't actually prioritised the knockout stages of the secondary competition, their record otherwise has been exemplary, now 12 wins from 14, those two losses at the hands of Limerick.

STRETCHED

Cork's squad is deep, especially when you consider the likes of Barrs tyro William Buckley, Watergrasshill powerhouse Daire O'Leary and Kanturk's Brian O'Sullivan, now a three-time Fitzgibbon Cup winner after UL's latest success, aren't included. However, it's stretched at the moment, given Padraig Power is out for the season and Seamus Harnedy, Rob Downey, Shane Kingston, Seán O'Donoghue, Conor Lehane, Mark Coleman and Alan Connolly are among those recovering from a variety of issues, while Declan Dalton was suspended.

That was a factor here and come the championship rematch in the Páirc, Cork will have a stronger hand to hurl with.