John Horgan on Cork's win in Kilkenny: Gutsy display is exactly what we needed to see this season

There are certain games in the national league that can be of great benefit to a team later on in the season.

Games that you have play on grounds where your track record in the past did not yield too much of a dividend and more often than not, you left empty-handed. There are games that you have to play minus key players for various reasons and when the depth of your squad has to be proven in conditions that test players to the full.

Nowlan Park has not been a happy hunting ground for Cork hurling teams over the years, it's one of those venues perceived to be very difficult to get anything from.

And if you do, whatever you get has to be earned and that is exactly what Cork had to do on Noreside, players putting their bodies on the line, standing up to be counted in a contest that, for the most part was a battle, a battle that Cork emerged from with plenty of positives that must have been very satisfying for Ben O'Connor and his management team.

To lead from pillar to post against a Kilkenny team, not the Kikenny of old, took a lot of doing and illustrated that this Cork bunch of players are not lacking in the physical and mental stakes.

Their response when Eoin Cody made it a one-point game with the best part of 10 minutes remaining was just what the management would have wanted. To be able to manage to close out the game in the final, frenetic minutes was something that could stand them in good stead later on in the season.

Cork lined out last Sunday without a number of players who are near-definites to be on the starting block for the Munster championship opener against Tipperary next month. Patrick Collins, Rob Downey, Mark Coleman, Diarmuid Healy, Shane Barrett, to name just five, with Seamie Harnedy and Deccie Dalton marked absent as well.

OPTIONS

Much has been spoken of in the past number of weeks about the current strength in depth of this Cork squad. Limerick are very well catered for in all departments. And Tipperary are constructing a fine squad as well.

The Cork management are opening the door to as many players as possible in this league campaign and opportunity knocked in Nowlan Park for Fr O'Neill's goalkeeper, Paudie O'Sullivan, Killeagh's Barry Walsh and Newmarket's Hugh O'Connor.

All three were starting in a Cork jersey for the first time and it must be said that the three of them put in a fine shift.

They certainly were not found wanting in the physical demands of the game and the East Cork duo of O'Sullivan and Walsh made a significant contribution while O'Connor's work-rate could not be faulted.

Young Walsh fired home a superb goal after earlier winning a penalty which was not converted and his aerial ability was certainly shown to huge effect with his goal. It was a similar story when Alan Walsh from Kanturk was introduced, that same ability to bring down a high delivery led to him firing home an equally fine goal.

TESTING

The O'Neill's netminder was confident throughout and he was in a position to rectify anything that he might not have been happy with. It was a debut that he can be well pleased with on a day when the greasy ball can test the best of keepers.

Restricting Kilkenny to just the one goal was an admirable statistic where the Cork defence was concerned with Sean O'Donoghue outstanding, Daire O'Leary continuing to state his case at full-back and the returning Ciaran Joyce his usual solid self.

One of the most pleasing aspects of the afternoon must have been the industry of the entire team. There is a realisation among the players that competition for championship starts is intensifying from week to week and they need to be on the front foot when the opportunity is presented.

Brian Hayes continues to grow in stature in the Cork attack. And how Kilkenny must bemoan the loss of Huw Lawlor in the number three shirt.

Alan Connolly's deliveries from the placed ball resulted in some fine points being converted on a day when the conditions certainly didn't favour the free-taker.

One score that deserves mention was a sublime point from the stick of Cormac O'Brien from a sideline in the opening half.

Kilkenny keeper Adrian Tallis denied Cork a bigger lead at the interval with a couple of quality stops but a three-goal return has to be seen as a good day's work from the Cork attack.

Cork's consistency in this league has been a standout feature of their performances, home or away they are ensuring that Ben O'Connor's utterances at the beginning of the campaign, going out to win every game that his players participate is keeping the fire burning brightly.

At this juncture, the positives are, by far, outweighing the negatives and momentum continues to be built. What it all means, of course, is that it's a near certainty will be defending their league title in the final in a few weeks.

Some people might be wary of players peaking too soon in the season but winning is the best habit that any team gets into.

Despite the good news wagon that this Cork team is currently travelling in there must always be a cautionary note attached.

League hurling on rain sodden pitches and the conditions that are likely to prevail come the championship are poles apart and no matter what transpires in the secondary competition, the cut-throat fare of the Munster championship and its round-robin format will be a far different story..

Opposing teams in the league might be at different stages in their championship preparation and some might not want to show their full hand.

GUTSY

From what we saw in Nowlan Park, Kilkenny wanted this one as much as Cork did and try as they did in the closing stages, Cork held firm with one of those gutsy displays a team needs when new players come in and you are without so many key ones.

In his after-match interview last Sunday, it was clearly obvious that this victory pleased Ben O'Connor that bit more than the previous assignments.

Down the years, Cork have taken some heavy beatings from Kilkenny teams in Nowlan Park and to get the victory this time has to be of immense value going forward.

The squad depth was tested fully, the manner of the response to Kilkenny narrowing the gap to just the bare minimum on their home patch was pleasing. While they might have had one or two more goals with the chances created in the opening half, what they came up with was very sufficient unto the day.

It wasn't perfect, that rarely happens on wretched dog day afternoons, but to reiterate, plenty of positives on the journey thus far.