CORK’S promotion destiny is in their own hands.

A point away to Tyrone in Sunday’s final Division 2 clash at Healy Park, Omagh (1.15pm) will send John Cleary’s side back to Division 1. A win would also secure promotion, while defeat would leave the Rebels relying on other results to go their way.

For Cleary, the message to his players has been simple – focus only on what they can control.

‘We made the conscious decision and told the lads at the hotel before the Kildare match: whatever happened in the Meath or Derry games, we had to concentrate on what we were doing ourselves. Full stop,’ Cleary said after Cork’s latest victory, a 1-31 to 2-19 win against Kildare.

‘That’s too much of a distraction when you’re looking over and back. Everything else will take care of itself once we do our job.’

Cork have put themselves in a strong position after winning five of their six league games so far.

‘This is what we wanted. We were fourth, or in some cases fifth, favourites to be in this position – to go up,’ Cleary said.

‘Now we’ve given ourselves a chance. You saw Louth beat Derry – we went up there and won. We beat Meath, the only defeat they’ve had so far and probably will have. We just had one outlier of a result with the defeat to Derry.

‘Up to now we have to be happy with the way the league has gone. To win five out of six in any division is tough, particularly with the long trips we have to make away. We’re delighted to be going to Omagh with a chance.

‘It’s a big game for us and the lads are saying, “Bring it on – this is where we want to be.”’

While Cork focus on their own task, Tyrone still have plenty to play for. The Red Hand county remain mathematically in relegation danger, sitting just two points ahead of seventh-placed Kildare.

The promotion race tightened further last weekend when Meath defeated Tyrone (3-24 to 2-22) while Derry suffered a shock loss to Louth (1-19 to 0-18).

Those results left Cork top of Division 2 heading into the final round.

With a draw also enough for Meath in their clash with Offaly, Derry’s home meeting with Cavan and Louth’s trip to Kildare will also have a bearing on the promotion picture.

Still, Cleary is happy his side knows exactly what is required.

‘In one respect, if Meath had been beaten by Tyrone we would have been in a worse position. We would have been depending on scoring difference if we had lost to Kildare,’ he explained.

‘At least now we know if we win the next day, we’re definitely through. Three teams can’t finish on 12 points now, which could have happened before the weekend.

‘It’s in our own hands. It’s winner-takes-all for us. If we win or draw, we’re promoted. It’s a very difficult place to go but if you had asked me at the start of the season about going to Omagh with promotion on the line, I would have bitten the hand off you.’

The Cork players have shown an ability to stay focused on their own performance.

Moments before last weekend’s win over Kildare, the Páirc Uí Rinn tannoy announced that Louth had defeated Derry. Despite the potential significance of that result, Cork showed no signs of distraction.

The Rebels dominated early and stormed into a commanding 1-22 to 1-6 half-time lead.

‘They were focused. They just wanted to win that game,’ Cleary said.

‘When you’re focusing on a game, you can’t be depending on outside noise or other results. It distracts you. They still had a game of ball to win.

‘No matter how that Derry game went, if we didn’t win it wouldn’t have mattered a damn.’

Composure could prove just as important in Omagh.

Against Meath, Cork held on for a two-point victory despite playing the final 15 minutes with 14 men. The Kildare game presented another challenge when Patrick Doyle was black-carded, yet Cork never looked in danger of surrendering their lead.

‘When you’re down to 14 it doesn’t help,’ Cleary said.

‘You’re defending 10 v 11 and they started winning the breaks around the middle, which we had been doing in the first half.

‘But we never looked like losing it. We went up and got our one-pointers against the wind and we didn’t panic.’

Now Cork head to Omagh knowing their promotion fate rests firmly in their own hands.