WELL, that was better from the Cork footballers. Much better. We’re two games into the league and Cork are at the summit of Division 2 with a 100 percent record.

The mood is very different to where we stood with just over ten minutes remaining in the opener against Cavan. The task was for Cork to take the momentum from the strong finish in that opening game and bring it from the start against Louth. The Rebels delivered.

The Wee County has not been a happy hunting ground for Cork footballers in recent years, so this win (1-17 to 1-12) and the manner of the performance was something of a statement. I tipped Cork to win by a point and most people would have expected a tight contest, so for Cork to win with a degree of comfort was a bonus that most of us didn’t see coming.

The foundation for the victory was laid in the run-in to half time after Louth had drawn within three points of a wind-assisted Cork. That three-point advantage stemmed from a Chris Óg Jones goal before a pair of two-pointers from Brian Hurley and Steven Sherlock, in addition to a Mark Cronin single, pushed Cork eight points clear at the short whistle.

The four scorers named in that sentence are notable because Cork went with an extra ‘scoring forward’ from the start on this occasion, with Sherlock replacing Ruairi Deane from the team that was named initially. Matty Taylor replaced Rory Maguire also, with Maurice Shanley in for the injured Sean Brady to make it three changes from the team that started against Cavan.

Cork retained the eight-point advantage in a controlled second half right until Louth’s final kick in the game evaded everyone to finish in the back of the net for a consolation goal that did little but impact the scoring difference for both sides. Cork again used their bench to good effect to help close out the contest as the two Maguires, Rory and Ian, were the first cabs off the rank early in the second half. Bantry pair Deane and Dara Sheedy followed soon after before youngsters Conor Daly and Jacob O’Driscoll made their league debuts late in the game.

It’s a big positive for the group to have new players emerging like Sheedy, Daly and O’Driscoll to provide some freshness and enthusiasm and to keep the pressure on the established core to continue raising their standards. Daly and O’Driscoll are part of a UCC team with a strong Cork back-bone that are making good progress in the Sigerson Cup, and both were influential in an impressive win away to DCU last week also.

Conor and Jacob were part of the U20 squad when I was involved two years ago, and while that campaign ended with a poor performance on home soil against Kerry, it is good to see those guys and the likes of Sean Brady making an impact at senior level. Hopefully, they will get more opportunities also to show that they are capable of making the step up to the highest level.

I also hope that the lack of minutes for Newcestown’s David Buckley will be rectified in the coming games. Buckley has different attributes to guys like Sheedy and Daly, with greater physical presence for a start. We can’t be too critical when the team has a 100 percent record, and it’s possible that Buckley hasn’t been able to train fully due to injury, but many of us would like to see if he can transfer the form he showed for his club last year into the county jersey.

Cork boss John Cleary and his team are understandably focused on getting points in the bag and are making decisions on their merits as they see them, however building a squad and utilising the players available is also part of the remit so hopefully Buckley and one or two others will get their chance soon.

With Conor Corbett and Cathail O’Mahony also near fitness after injuries, Cork now have an abundance of options in the forward line. Colm O’Callaghan again impressed on Sunday and as long as he and Ian Maguire are fit, they will be the midfield pairing, with cover provided by the Walshes, Sean and Paul and possibly Deane or Conor Cahalane at a stretch.

Defensively, numbers look a little bit tighter as Sean Meehan was the only other option on the bench after Maguire and O’Driscoll. Brady’s injury in addition to the departures of Neil Lordan and Sean Powter make the cupboard look a little more bare in this area of the field. Paul Walsh has experience in the half-back line as well and though he is happier around the half-forward line or midfield, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that his versatility could be needed in defence as the campaign progresses.

As it stands, Cork are one point better off than Meath in the scoring totals allowing us to take top spot ahead of the Royals. The old rivals are the only teams with two wins on the board with Kildare on three points after a win and a draw. Louth and Derry have a single win each, while it’s a surprise to many that Tyrone are languishing in the lower half of the table after following up their draw with Kildare with a defeat in Derry. Offaly and a somewhat unfortunate Cavan bring up the rear with no points on the board after the opening two games.

Cork have been slow starters in the league in recent seasons, and it was 2015 since the county started their campaign with back-to-back wins in either of the top two national league divisions. That was, of course, in Division 1 at the time and Cork have now set themselves up for a tilt at making a return to the top flight. Next up is another winnable fixture away to Offaly – if Cork emerge from Tullamore with six points on the table, looming away days in Ulster against Derry and Tyrone will seem a little less daunting.

There is a lot of football still to be played before promotion is decided but Cork have given themselves a slight headstart over their rivals at this point. Inconsistency has been a vastly overused word for people talking about the Cork footballers in recent years, however the game against Offaly now gives the squad an opportunity to show that they are serious about their business for 2026. Offaly have been beaten well by Louth and Kildare in their opening two games, however Cork are in no position to take anyone for granted and attitudes will have to be spot on to ensure the home team aren’t given a sniff of an upset.

I never actually played against Offaly myself in a competitive game, however I do remember travelling as an injured party to the same venue almost 20 years ago exactly. It was not to make for enjoyable viewing as we never raised a gallop against an Offaly team that would subsequently be relegated while we just about survived. Eleven of the squad that would claim All-Ireland glory in 2010 were in action on the day for Cork, however not many would look back on the 0-12 to 1-5 defeat with any fondness. The goal was a late consolation provided by debutant Daniel Goulding, and there was little else positive that could be said about that day in Tullamore.

Twenty years ago has little to no bearing on events on Sunday week, of course, but we do well to take little warnings from history in sport as in life. Minds on the job, and I’d be very confident Cork will stay on top of the standings after round three, but any slip in standards can and will be punished. It’s crucial to maintain the positive momentum.