Brian Hayes feels Cork's positive road trips can be good practice for championship

Sequences can be turned on their head quickly.

Whereas, on Sunday morning, Cork had a record of one win at UPMC Nowlan Park since 1987, they went back down the road having won two of their last visits to the home of Kilkenny hurling.

While the current players could do little with the history, they were able to change the immediate record – and, as Brian Hayes outlined, use it as good preparation work for the upcoming Munster SHC campaign.

“Ben [O’Connor] and the lads have been speaking about that on the way up there,” he said, “I think we had a poor record here the last nine or 10 times.

“I know many of us wouldn't have been playing, but I suppose that was definitely a focus there for the week to come up here and get a result because I suppose once championship starts, we'll be going away to Waterford and to Tipperary and it gives us great practice there to come up here and put in a pure away-day performance.

“I think we got the same up in Galway.”

The 3-12 to 1-15 scoreline was a throwback of sorts, such a low rate in the modern game indicative of a battle.

To have come out on the right side of that was what was really satisfying for Cork.

“I thought we really fought hard in the second half, even missing the penalty,” Hayes said.

GREAT FIGHT

“Kilkenny came back at us – they're never beaten. I thought we showed great fight there at the end to get over the line, so we're delighted.”

Hayes got a goal with the game’s opening score and Cork got three in all, though there were other opportunities not taken.

That the chances are being created is a comfort, especially with the opportunity to work on that area.

“The goal chances there is always something we're working on,” Hayes said.

“I think you saw there, the overlapping chances we had. I suppose you could probably work on them and I suppose it gives us a great learning there for the week to go after and for the next couple of weeks that come April time, we might get those right and hopefully stick them in the back of the net.”

It’s likely that there will be three more chances to do so between now and the trip to Tipperary on April 19 – Limerick away next week, then Offaly and, almost certainly, a league final.

With the county having gone 27 years without one, Hayes isn’t going to turn his nose up at another medal.

“I don't think any team inside in the league, no matter what division it is, is going out not to win,” he said.

You have to get used to a winning mentality and if you can win the games, it gives you great confidence in the way you're playing and the players around you.

“I think you saw the form we had there at the start of last year's championship. That was definitely thanks to winning the league and yeah, we'll definitely be going for that again, hopefully.”