CORK’S THIRD SUCCESSIVE defeat of this year’s football league leaves them in a precarious position as they try to preserve their Division 2 status.
Amidst his disappointment after this evening’s narrow loss to Cavan, manager John Cleary insists they must now ‘go back and fight’ with a trip to Fermanagh looming next weekend.
“We have no choice now just to go back and fight. We are in the situation we are in. Disappointing as it is, we’ll just have to go again next week. We have no get no time to think long and hard about it. Next Saturday, we are on the bus up to Fermanagh and see can we get a result up there.
“The big thing we need now at this stage is to get a win on the board, definitely. We have got to prepare to go Fermanagh, heads are a small bit down there after that. Again, a game like a fortnight ago where we had the winning of it, didn’t win it. Small margins.
“Credit to Cavan, we knew coming here today that they were a good side. They beat Kildare away by four or five points. They ran Donegal to a point the last day. They are a good side. But on our own side, the execution wasn’t up to the mark today and that is what cost us in the end.”
After defeats on the road to Donegal and Louth, Cork were keen to make a statement in their opening home tie. Instead they were pipped at the post in a dramatic conclusion.
Cork’s inability to win possession on kickouts was a major issue during the game, particularly in the third quarter, while they coughed up key scoring chances in the first half.
“They won a lot of those breaks, particularly after half-time,” said Cleary.
“It took us a while to get any hands on the ball. We were struggling at that stage. They had a lot of big men around the centre. But it wasn’t the actual fielding, it was the breaks. We couldn’t get our hands on the ball there for 10, 12 minutes, particularly after half-time.
“The first half they opened brightly but we definitely left two gilt-edged goal chances behind us. Then we were down to 14 (in the second half), I thought we fought very hard. And it came down to nip and tuck then. A ball coming out there that we turned over, I thought it looked a harsh decision, they got a point down at the other side to make it two, we came back to make it one.
“Look very disappointed with the result. I thought we played very well at times. Butchered our goal chances and left to pay the price then when we lost by a point. We are rueing it now because we didn’t take our chances.”
