Three talking points from Cork's gritty win away at Cavan

1 – MASSIVE WIN: It was that time of the year when the majority in the stadium were keeping an eye on results elsewhere on the final day of the regular league campaign.

Relegation was still a possibility for Cork especially after Down and Louth won. It would have came down to scoring difference had the Rebels lost. The pressure was on in the second half.

The celebrations after the game said it all. It’s always hard to win up north and to come away with a victory is such a shot in the arm. Cork finish the league with their highest points tally since 2015 in the top two tiers, with eight points.

There was pressure on the group to first of all deliver a performance and that’s what they did. The first half was as good as we have seen in some time albeit aided by the wind.

Cleary’s charges had to dig deep after the break and they did that. You could cut the tension with a knife late on, but the Rebels stood strong. Micheál Aodh Martin's late save proved crucial.

After two heavy defeats to Monaghan and Roscommon, Cork finish the league with back-to-back wins over Louth and Cavan to end in fifth position.

2 – EFFICIENCY: Having been clinical in the previous game against Louth, which proved key, could Cork back it up?

Cork had a 55% conversion rate here, which wasn’t bad at all. In total, the Rebels got 19 scores out of 34 shots. The win could have been made easier had Cork got two first-half goals through Matty Taylor and Paul Walsh. The efforts should have ended up in the back of the net.

Cork goalkeeper Micheál Aodh Martin with his father, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, after the win over Cavan. Picture: Matt Browne/Sportsfile

The missed goal chances didn’t distract Cork though and continued with their process. When they did move the ball forward fast, they caused Cavan untold problems.

John Cleary’s team created a lot of chances again, something they have been doing for a couple of years.

3 – CHARACTER: After a decent win considering what was on the line, Cork’s victory over Louth would have given everyone a lift. With even more pressure here, the Rebels showed huge character to see off Cavan. Chris Óg Jones' block down in the second half in his own defence summed up the display.

The performance in this one ticked a lot of boxes. The win is made more sweeter considering the last two visits up north ended with losses at Down and Monaghan.

The most pleasing thing was the second half. Cork led by six points at half-time, but had to play into a stiff wind for the second 35 minutes. They could have easily wilted, but didn’t, having been in a similar strong situation away to Down in the second league fixture only to lose by a point. Lesson learnt. Onwards and upwards.

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