Counihan's Cork prepare to take out Down

Cork will feel they got the most use out of the opening round of the Allianz League last week as they get set to face Down on Sunday.

The Rebels looked on course for a comfortable win in the Morgan Athletic Grounds, until Paul Kerrigan’s red card and they had to work very hard to rescue a draw against Armagh.

It was a great workout for the side and that is often considered better than full points in a league outing at this time of the campaign.

Kerrigan misses two matches and that will present its own opportunities for Conor Counihan to experiment in the forward line.

Cork dominated in the first period, and had opportunities even with 14-men, so they will be disappointed that they threw away a winning lead.

Every manager has things to work on but Counihan will have been pleased with what he saw from his panel in what was just the first 70 minutes of the league.

If this week’s game produces a similar tempo and edge to what we saw in the second-half in Armagh, the Cork boss will once again be pleased with the action his team has received.

Down received a major boost this week with the return of Kevin McKernan from his travels in Australia. Already without Martin Clarke for the foreseeable future, a player of McKernan’s quality is something to lift the entire panel.

Ambrose Rogers could start for the Mourne men after a substitute appearance last week and they should be competitive despite the long trip south.

Last week’s narrow win over Donegal was encouraging given how hard Jim McGuinness’ men make a team work for victory, and adds to Down's hopes of avoiding relegation issues in the league.

Visiting Cork is a formidable task for any side and with an improved scoring rate from Counihan's men, they should see this out comfortably.

Verdict: Cork