by John Fallon

Cork dual star Aidan Walsh, playing his first league game since 2014 after deciding to concentrate on football this season, admitted he was shocked to be booked for 'simulation' during Sunday's draw against Galway.

The Kanturk man looked to be hard done by when he was penalised for diving when he seemed to take a heavy knock from Galway debutant Barry McHugh in the second-half of Sunday's clash at Pearse Stadium.

Walsh expected to be awarded a free but Tyrone referee Sean Hurson penalised him, awarded a free to Galway and booked him.

"He said I dived but I got a knee into the knee so I don't know. I couldn't believe it now. He said I dived yeah, so I don't know, I thought it was funny anyway but sure that's the way it is.

"It was a bit of a weird one but sure the referee is the referee we won't to complain he has a hard job. He booked me as well I think!

"But I'm just glad to get or two under my belt. When you are not playing as much as you want you can do as many 100-metre sprints as you want, but out on the field it's a totally different story fitness-wise, your legs get dead very fast," he said.

The 27-year old, an All-Ireland winner in 2010, said they know they have a battle on their hands to get back into the top flight after relegation last season.

He briefly returned to the football squad last summer when the Cork hurlers were knocked out of the championship and then decided in the autumn to concentrate solely on football this season.

They will head to Newbridge next Sunday to take on Kildare, with their battle for promotion starting out with two tough away games.

"Kildare gave Meath a bit of trimming. It's a very competitive league. When we got relegated to Division Two last year a lot of people saw it as a disaster. But when you think about there are a lot of great teams in Division Two.. Like that, it's great preparation for championship. Division Two is just as competitive as Division One."

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