THE bald statistics tend to suggest that the Cork are very much the form team going into next Saturday night's National Football League clash with Tyrone in Omagh.

After three rounds, the Rebels have six points in the bag, whereas Tyrone are berthed in the Division 1 basement slot as the only team not to get off the mark in the campaign so far. But Tyrone lost their last two games against Mayo and Monaghan by just a point, and, while they were disappointing when succumbing by six points to Derry in their opening outing, there is no reason to think that they are a side with major problems.

Cork had just a point to spare over wasteful Monaghan in their first assignment, they finished a goal to the good against Kerry after that, and they edged out Galway by two points at Pairc Ui Rinn last weekend. So, taking all that into account, it would be a somewhat wide of the mark to conclude that Conor Counihan's men have been motoring far more smoothly than Tyrone over the past few weeks.

Cork will be happy with their positive start, especially since they weren't at full strength for the games against Monaghan, Kerry and Galway, with a few of last season's regulars ruled by injury. But the team management made no secret of the fact that one of the priorities heading into the current league campaign was to run the rule over some fresh blood in any case.

That they have managed to do that without forfeiting any league points is immensely satisfying, and the pressure is off to a certain extent now. Realistically, Cork should have already secured their Division 1 status, which was their initial goal for the season, and arguably they will be operating in bonus territory from this point onwards.

The longer their winning run continues, the better it will be in terms of boosting confidence and morale of course, and an away victory over Tyrone would certainly be a big feather in their cap. A visit up north for a league fixture is always hazardous and Cork's only league defeats since Conor Counihan assumed the reins of control two seasons ago occurred when they took to the road for games against Cavan and Monaghan.

Bearing that in mind, the away win over Monaghan a few weeks ago was a significant achievement, but to lower Tyrone's colours on their home patch would appear to be a taller order, even allowing for the sequence of defeats incurred by Mickey Harte's men hitherto. In the wake of last weekend's narrow loss to Monaghan, Harte insisted there was no need to press the panic-button just yet, and that Tyrone's target now was to win their four remaining games in the league.

He expressed confidence in Tyrone's ability to move clear of the relegation-zone, so it can be safely said he will have his charges fully fired up for the showdown with the Munster champions on Saturday night. Not that the Tyrone players will need a lot of motivating, given that they will have a score to settle with Cork after their slump when the teams clashed in last year's All-Ireland semifinal.

Cork might have a few more players back for the fixture, but the likelihood is that the team to face Tyrone will again have something of an experimental look about it. Prior to the Galway game, selector Ger O'Sullivan said, providing Cork had full points in the bag, and the threat of relegation wasn't an issue, it would make it easier to throw a few newcomers in at the deep end against Tyrone.

Whether or which, Cork will be putting on a strong team, and it will be a big surprise if they don't give a good account of themselves in what is guaranteed to be a highly competitive encounter up in Omagh. But Tyrone are in greater need of the points at stage, and the backing of the home crowd will do their prospects no harm at all, so one feels that Cork are going to have their work cut out to deny them.

- Noel Horgan