Cork's Mark Collins netting a goal against Louth in the Allianz Football League last month.
By Cian O'Connell
"It’s disappointing for a football county as big as Cork that we haven’t won a Munster title since 2012, but it doesn’t weigh on us in any way going into the next day," Mark Collins says ahead of the next Cork versus Kerry instalment.
Sunday's Munster SFC encounter on the banks of the Lee promises to be interesting considering Cork have started to acquire confidence and momentum.
"We’ve a lot of young lads coming through who have absolutely no fear and it’s definitely not something in the back of their minds that Cork haven’t won since 2012," Collins continues.
"I don’t think we’ll be looking at that going into the next day."
Kerry have set the standard throughout most of the past decade down south, but Cork, buoyed up by an Allianz Football League Division Three promotion and last year's underage success are beginning to stir.
Collins accepts that Cork are entering a critical phase.
"Yeah, I think it's something we touched on as a group," Collins replies. "We've had a lot of good performances against top teams over the last few years but as you touched on there, we haven't won any of the matches.
"So to make that next step and to really progress as a team, I think we have to win one of these big games.
Mark Collins remains an important player for Cork.
"There'd be no better game to win than a Munster semi-final against Kerry in a knockout match. It's a match really to look forward to and as a group we just can't wait for it."
Reaching the All Ireland Quarter-Final Group Phase in 2019 was another sign of Cork's potential.
"I suppose last year with the minor and the Under 20 success, there was a small bit of a feel-good factor around Cork football," Collins admits.
"There was a bit of talk that Cork were going well at senior level in challenge matches and stuff so I think it was very important for us then to perform come championship.
"Again as we touched on earlier, not winning a game was very disappointing but I think there's an awful lot of positives that we can take.
"Thankfully we've built on that this year with the performances in Division Three.
"I know they were games Cork were expected to win but matches in previous years, Cork have made hard work of those games.
"Cork got through that division fairly comfortably so I think that's all positive looking forward to the game."
