Chastened Cork prepare for the long haul

In the championship, timing is everything. Pat O'Shea admitted from the beginning his tenure in charge of Kerry would be judged on All-Ireland success.

Nonetheless, passing yesterday's test on the local field where he kicked ball for Dr Crokes alleviates some of the pressure. It also leaves him with a six-week training schedule to fill in before Kerry head to Dublin for the quarter-finals.

As last season proved, winning the provincial silverware and then lying idle can be a double-edged sword.

"There is no easy answer to this question," O'Shea sighed.

"Do you want six weeks to prepare for the quarter-final or do you want to maybe get one of the teams sitting in the qualifiers away from home? Ideally, you would like more games. But we wanted to win today so we could reclaim the Munster championship we lost last year. Ifairness, some of these fellas have a lot of football behind them and could use a rest."

This was a nerve-wracking debut final for O'Shea, who watched his team relinquish a handsome lead before surviving a thrilling finale.

"Munster finals are always great occasions and I would think it was a very good game from a neutral point of view. It was tough in the first half. The most pleasing thing was that a lot of strong, big teams would have succumbed after what we had given back in the second half after being six points up.

"Suddenly the game was in the melting pot. And our fellas took the initiative in the last five minutes and controlled the game until full-time."

Billy Morgan had watched his team come within a kick of a famous victory on Kerry soil. When he emerged from Cork's dressingroom, his face sun- flushed and composed, he seemed content with what he had witnessed even if this result went against them.

Before him, the players had filed out, James Masters looking tired and frustrated, Anthony Lynch grave and subdued.

"They were disappointed in there," Morgan said evenly.

" And there are a lot of good teams in the qualifiers. I think we are as good as any of them but we will have to see who we get. But their spirit and their heart and their fightback was to be admired today.

"When Kerry got their goal, the next three kick-outs they won and knocked them over the bar. But I felt that if we could just get possession around midfield and keep the ball, we might get a couple of scores back and that is what happened. I knew they wouldn't give up at any rate."

Cork have lost their Munster title but they headed for the bus leaving the unmistakable sense they believe they can make a long season out of it. Selector John Corcoran was inclined to present a glass half full.

"We have three weeks now until the qualifiers and that is ideal. We have a week to sort out any injuries and two weeks then for preparation. And at the end of the day, we've four games if we want to win the All-Ireland.

"Kerry have three. And who knows what is going to happen when the dust settles and September comes?"