Robert Downey: Defeats have galvanised Rebels

Cork's dismal start to their Munster championship campaign is disappearing in their rearview mirror after highly encouraging wins over Waterford and Tipperary in recent weeks.

The Rebels travel to Corrigan Park this weekend to face Antrim, and Glen Rovers clubman Robert Downey insists that those recent uplifting victories and the previous disappointing losses need to be forgotten about.

"You can't dwell on the past," Downey told RTÉ Sport.

"It's always about the next game, and for us it was just about getting back in training and making sure we got through a nice block of training leading into the Antrim game.

"We know we'll be up against stiff opposition on Saturday. We'll be doing our best to get past them."

Antrim are massive underdogs to upset the visitors, but the wing-back and his Cork colleagues won't be underestimating the opposition.

Antrim may have lost their five league outings this season, but there was plenty of encouragement to be taken from the manner of their performances.

The Saffrons also come into the game on the back of defeating Kerry in the Joe McDonagh Cup final last weekend, securing their Liam MacCarthy Cup status for 2023 in the process.

"They're a very balanced team," Downey opined. "They have some excellent forwards who are household names, like Neil McManus and Keelan Molloy.

"We'll have our work cut out for us and we'll have to keep tabs on them lads. Corrigan Park is a small field and it'll be a hostile enough atmosphere."

If we learn more from failure than success, Cork have plenty of reference material to draw on.

Downey believes those losses earlier in the year, including a 4-20 to 1-23 defeat at the hands of Waterford in the league final, have been informative and galvanised the squad.

"Going from