CORK boss Joe Carroll hopes the experience gained in securing promotion back to Division 1 will help the Rebels prepare for their upcoming showdown with Kerry.
Whilst disappointed to lose a league final at Croke Park, his team’s overall progress in winning six out of eight Division 2 games gives Carroll hope for the upcoming Munster and All-Ireland championships.
‘There is steady progress,’ Carroll stated in the bowels of Croke Park shortly after Saturday's loss to Galway.
‘We were hoping for a performance today. We got a performance in the first half. We didn't get a performance in the second half.
‘Galway, I thought, were very solid and they always looked like they were going to win the match. Look, it’s a base to work on for the championship which we have now in two weeks against Kerry.
‘So, we’ll have to sit down and look at it again and put our best foot forward for the Kerry match.’
The fact that reigning All-Ireland champions and newly crowned Division 1 winners Kerry are next up should focus Cork players’ minds – the Rebels are due to host the Kingdom in the opening round of the Munster championship on the weekend of April 26th. After that Cork have two away games to Tipperary and Waterford in this round-robin section.
‘There were a lot of young players out there (Croke Park) and we introduced a few more towards the end,’ Carroll added.
‘They will learn from it and the management will learn from it because we have only two weeks now to try and get something sorted for the first round against Kerry. That will be a huge battle.
‘They're coming to us as league and All-Ireland champions so it’s going to be a battle to try and beat them.’
