Three reasons why Cork suffered a heavy loss against Kerry

1 - TWO-POINTERS: Under the new rules, raising orange flags are now critical to your chances of winning a game. Cork had wind advantage in the first half, but they only ended up with two two-pointers when half-time came around as they led by three points. It probably wasn’t enough given the strength of the wind.

Brian O’Driscoll, who was so effective in the last game against Kerry, was held scoreless. That went a long way in helping the visitors over the line. 

The Leesiders did manage one two-pointer in the second half through a Brian Hurley free. Kerry managed seven two-pointers after the interval, five in a third quarter that saw an 11-point turnaround.

2 - MISSED CHANCES: It has become a familiar theme in recent years for Cork. It’s a positive that they create so many goal chances in particular on a regular basis, but the inability to convert them is frustrating and a worry at this stage.

The Rebels actually created more scoring chances overall than Kerry, but yet suffered an 11-point loss. John Cleary’s charges created 29 scoring opportunities compared to Kerry’s 28.

Had Mark Cronin not seen his penalty saved and the rebound efforts that followed with seven minutes to go, which would have cut the deficit to five points, the closing stages would have been fascinating.

3 – DAVID CLIFFORD: Sometimes you just can’t do anything when David Clifford is on top of his game. The Fossa star is one of the best players in the country. Despite Daniel O’Mahony doing his level best, Clifford’s quality shone through.

The forward ended up with 1-8 (0-2 f, 1 2pt, 1 2pt f). He couldn't be stopped and the reason why Kerry won so handsomely in the end.