Cork manager Gerald McCarthy has backed full back Diarmuid O'Sullivan to show his true form in Sunday's All-Ireland hurling semi-final against Kilkenny. McCarthy has decided to stick with the iconic Cloyne clubman for the meeting with the All-Ireland champions, despite the fact that he was substituted in the wins over Galway and Clare. "It's understandable that there would be a lot of comment about Diarmuid because he'd been taken off in the previous two games," McCarthy said. "From our point of view, it wasn't that difficult with Diarmuid. Every player that's ever played hurling at the highest level goes through a period where you're not at your best and that doesn't mean you've become a bad player. You work your way out of it. "We see it as an opportunity for Diarmuid to work his way out of it and we have the confidence that he can do that." McCarthy conceded that another sluggish start would make it very difficult for Cork to reproduce the heroics of the Galway and Clare games. "There's no doubt about it, a slow start against Kilkenny and you'd find yourself six points down very quickly and that would develop into 10 or 12 very, very quickly and we're aware of that. "Our main job and task is to get a full 70-minute game together and if we can manage to do that we'll do ourselves justice then." Tweet

Most Read Stories