Cork footballers take stock ahead of Kildare tie

After three challenging matches one after another both physically and mentally, the Cork footballers will be glad to have the weekend off.

John Cleary’s side have no competitive match this weekend with the home straight in sight in the Allianz Division 2 Football League.

The Rebels are in a good position to earn promotion to Division 1, a place where they haven’t been since 2016.

Cork have just two matches remaining, at home against Kildare at Páirc Uí Rinn tomorrow week followed eight days later by a long journey to Omagh to face Tyrone at O’Neills Healy Park.

The Leesiders before a ball was kicked in anger at the start of this campaign would have been happy to have eight points from five games.

The only blot in the copybook was last Sunday’s heavy away loss to Derry at Find Insurance Celtic Park.

Before that though, they beat Cavan, Louth, Offaly and Meath.

It has been a fairly taxing few weeks with long trips to Offaly and Derry, sandwiched between those games was of course the hugely important victory at home against Meath at a packed Páirc Uí Rinn.

Cleary’s charges are currently in Portugal on a warm-weather training camp. They will return home this weekend refreshed and recharged, they will hope for two massive games.

If Cork, Meath and Derry keep winning it will come down to scoring difference for the two promotion positions - and Cork would likely miss out.

The Rebels will be asking Tyrone to do them a favour against Meath next weekend granted Cork beat Kildare. 

The break has come at a good time for everyone involved. In eight days' time, Cork will run out to a cauldron of noise at Páirc Uí Rinn against Kildare with everything to play for.

You can’t ask for much more than that.