Tipperary-Cork talking points: Ben O'Connor happy for Cork to point the way as long as the wins come

The red and white flags were abundant in FBD Semple Stadium.

With All-Ireland champions Tipperary having returned some of their allocation, it meant that the Town End was almost totally a Cork exclave – however, neither they, nor their fellow Rebels in the Killinan End, were able to greet a goal. The green flags were absent.

Taken with the Allianz Hurling League final defeat to Limerick, Cork have one goal in two games.

A second-half half-chance for Alan Connolly – a one-handed effort wide of Rhys Shelly’s goal – was as close as Cork came on Sunday but Ben O’Connor will hold off on worrying too much.

“Not if we can score enough points,” said the Cork manager when asked if he was concerned.

“That's a sharp answer for you, once we're winning on points, I don't care if we don't get a goal for the rest of the year, once we can score more points than the opposition.

“Obviously, we'd like to get four or five goals a game but, look, it didn't happen today, it hasn't happened the last couple of days, but some day it will.”

Equally, the Newtownshandrum man professed to be unperturbed with regard to the long-range free-taking situation.

Tim O’Mahony and Mark Coleman were both off-target from distance – O’Mahony scored one – while Alan Connolly landed five from the six he took. With Connolly have been brought off just before the end, it was William Buckley who converted the last one, ensuring the four-point victory.

Something to tidy up on, perhaps, but O’Connor was not getting hung up on it.

“We didn’t get that many frees,” he said.

“I suppose Alan was gone off for the last two – Alan has been getting them all year, Tim has been getting the long-range ones.

“Tim missed three in the first half but the first one after half-time, he put it straight over the bar. Every fella is going to have wides but you just drive on.”

Cork resisted the temptation to make changes early – Tipperary had exhausted their five opportunities for alterations before Cork brought on any sub – but there was no need to switch things up when they were so clearly on top.

Then, when the new men did come in, they had an impact: Hugh O’Connor’s long pass allowed Alan Walsh to mark his debut with a point and it was Pádraig Power who was fouled for that late free that Buckley put over.

Nobody had such an impact that they are likely to dislodge any of the starters for next Sunday, but reinforcements from the bench will be needed against Limerick.

Having the experience of Sunday will be valuable, as well as the fact that Diarmuid Healy will have another week under his belt, having recovered from his quad injury far earlier than expected.

The bottom line is that next week offers the chance to top the Munster table rather than carrying the fear of the campaign coming to a premature end.