WHEN Cork reflect on a positive league campaign, there will still be a few key lessons to take. The kick-out issue, which resurfaced again against Meath, was the main one.

For four games in a row, Cork lost more of their own restarts than they won. With this aspect crucial in the modern Gaelic football game, the Rebels know they must improve.

At Croke Park, they conceded 1-10 from their own kick-outs, with Jack O’Connor’s goal proving particularly costly.

‘We’ll have to just look at the kick-outs again. They did trouble us big time, particularly around the middle. They outscored us halfway through the second half, 0-8 to 0-0. Other than that, we went toe to toe. We were in the game,’ Cork boss John Cleary noted.

‘It’s something we’ll just have to go back to the drawing board on. We have done a lot of work on kick-outs, but in fairness, Meath pushed up very well. They have big men around the middle and they dominated there. It’s something we’ll have to improve on before the championship.’

The Rebels still won six of their eight league games, earning promotion back to Division 1. They fought hard in the Division 2 final, with the result in doubt until the closing seconds.

‘I’m disappointed but incredibly proud of the lads. The way they fought to the end, left it all out there and throughout the league – we just ultimately fell short against a very good Meath team,’ Cleary explained.

‘There were times we were on top and fought back valiantly in the end. There were times we upset their kick-outs as well. When you win three, four or five in a row on your own restarts, you know that can change the game. We had chances in the first half – two goal chances that we didn’t take. I felt we fought valiantly to the end and were sizing up for a two-pointer to equalise or get two one-pointers.’

Cork forwards Steven Sherlock and Chris Óg Jones, among others, impressed throughout the league and carried that form into Croke Park.

Sherlock struck 0-9 in the final, all but one from play, and ended the league as Division 2 top scorer with 0-51. Jones was the top scorer from play in the division with 4-22, while Sherlock was second on that list with 0-31.

Having St Finbarr’s sharpshooter Sherlock back after taking 2025 out was a massive boost.

‘Steve is a very good kicker, and of course we try to get him on the end of moves. In fairness to the other lads, that’s exactly what they were doing in this game – creating space for him. For the most part, he had his shooting boots on. He was excellent and got some fantastic scores. When Steve gets the opportunity to kick, that’s what he’ll do,’ Cleary acknowledged.

All roads now lead to the championship, where Cork face Limerick at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on April 12th in the Munster quarter-final. A semi-final against Tipperary or Waterford follows on April 25th should Cork progress, while the Munster final is scheduled for Sunday, May 10th.

There was disappointment in losing a national final, but attention now switches fully to summer.

‘We came up putting our best foot forward. Same as Meath, we wanted to win the game. We wanted to get our hands on a cup. We didn’t, and it was so close. There’s nothing we can do now except learn from it. Go back to the drawing board.

‘It’s a quick turnaround again. We’ll be in training Tuesday and Wednesday night, look at the league final, and all our focus will be on Limerick,’ the Cork boss concluded.