Cork are in the relegation zone of Division 1A, after a poor second-half performance saw the side lose 0-22 to 0-15 against Kilkenny in Nowlan Park.
There were only a point between the sides, at half-time, and they were level at 0-12 apiece in the early stages of the second-half, but Kilkenny's class shone through.
"I thought we put ourselves in a good position at half-time", Cork manager Kieran Kingston told Newstalk Sport's Oisin Langan. "We were playing into a slight breeze in the first half. We worked very hard. Our effort was very good and our performance showed that."
"Although we weren't leading [at half-time], we weren't concerned about that. We wanted to get back into the dressing room in a good position and we did that. What's been synonymous with this Kilkenny team is they come at you hard in the second half. We spoke about that, and we weren't able to match it."
A good day at the office for @KilkennyCLG. They claimed a 0-22 to 0-15 win over Cork today at Nowlan Park! #AllianzLeagues @LiveGAAResults pic.twitter.com/029xBxj6JW
— Inpho Photography (@Inphosports) March 5, 2017
Kingston admitted that the team's performance in the second-half was disappointing. Kilkenny scored five unanswered points in five minutes, to stretch a lead, they would never lose.
"The game petered away from us after 15 or 20 minutes of the second half", Kingston admitted post-match. "They dominated that period. We struggled to come to terms with their work-rate and intensity. We struggled after that."
He revealed that the way the team lost the game was troublesome, as the focus switches to next weekend's game against Waterford.
"Any time you lose a game is a worry. Any time you feel you're out-muscled is a worry as well. The second-half today was concerning."
"This a huge learning curve for them. Playing Kilkenny in Nowlan Park, when [the team] need points was always going to be a tough ask. We are trying to get a balance between the youth and experience in our squad. That's going to take a while. It's not an excuse, it's a fact."
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
