Munster SFC Semi-final Cork 0-18 Clare 0-6: Billy Morgan's demeanour at the end of the Munster senior football semi-final at Cusack Park, Ennis, yesterday suggested that he still believes he needs to adjust and tweak his side a little before the provincial final.
He was given the opportunity to introduce a number of substitutes towards the end of the game - such was the difference in class between the teams - and two of those introduced, Alan Cronin and Kevin O'Sullivan, got on the scoresheet. However, Clare's capitulation did not help Morgan evaluate his squad in the manner he would have liked, though he must have been happy with the performance of newcomer James Masters in particular.
Masters provided his team's opening score and he would later add another four points - also impressing with his strong support play and putting in a tremendous work-rate for the entire 70 minutes.
Cork were slow to get going and after 10 minutes the teams were level at two points each. Then, the impressive Micheál Ó Croinín pointed a 20-metre free and it kick-started Cork's dominance.
Six more points were claimed in succession and, by the 25th minute, the Rebels deservedly led by nine points to three. Ó Croinín and Masters in particular were most impressive, giving the Clare defence a torrid time for the entire game.
Clare, for their part, could manage only a single point from play in that first half with Rory Donnelly - their only forward to threaten - kicking over the crossbar from the left wing in the 25th minute.
At the break, Cork looked comfortable at 0-10 to 0-3.
From the restart, Cork continued where they left off, with Ó Croinín landing a 25-metre free off the ground with his lethal right foot to increase their lead.
By then Clare had begun to self-destruct. Midfielder David Russell got his marching orders for a second yellow-card offence and, soon after, wing back Ronan Slattery threw a punch at Graham Canty which earned him a straight red card.
Down to 13, Clare were on the road to nowhere and even the sending-off of Cork's Martin Cronin in the 50th minute for a second infringement didn't make a difference.
Over the 70 minutes all the Cork forwards got on the scoresheet. Time and again they easily blew past a porous Clare defence, but what must be worrying for Morgan is that they never threatened to score a goal. In fact, Clare goalkeeper Dermot O'Brien didn't have to make a save all afternoon.
But what Cork did was run at their opponents ball-in-hand and pick off their scores as the chances arose.
Even without losing Russell and Slattery (two of their better performers on the day), Clare were at sea throughout.
They lost their shape early on and two points from play over 70 minutes was a dismal return for championship football.
Cork now await the winners of the other Munster semi-final between Kerry and Limerick in what will surely be a sterner test than yesterday's.
Clare, as often before, must now face into the qualifiers, demoralised and dejected.
This Munster semi-final was an incredibly poor contest. The one-sided nature of it left the small crowd of 5,258 short-changed. But it wasn't Cork's fault that the fare was poor.
If yesterday was about assessing their chances of championship honours, Morgan and his backroom team won't have gained many answers from their team's performance.
CORK: K O'Dwyer; N Geary, S Levis (capt), G Murphy; E Sexton, A Lynch, Martin Cronin; G Canty, D Kavanagh; J Masters (0-5, one free, one 45), C McCarthy (0-2), N Murphy (0-1); J Hayes (0-1), F Gould (0-1), Micheál Ó Croinín (0-6, three frees). Subs: N O'Leary for Lynch, K O'Sullivan (0-1) for Hayes, A Cronin (0-1) for Gould, D Hurley for N Murphy, K O'Connor for G Murphy.
CLARE: D O'Brien; P Gallagher, K Dilleen, M O'Connell; A Clohessy, D Kelly, R Slattery; G Quinlan (capt), D Russell (Kilkee); O O'Dwyer (0-2, one free), P O'Dwyer, E Coughlan; R Donnelly (0-3, one free), S Hickey (0-1), M O'Dwyer. Subs: G Tubridy for O'Connell, M O'Shea for Kelly, D Callanan for Clohessy, D Russell (Eire Óg) for Quinlan, S O'Meara for Dilleen.
Referee: P Fox (Westmeath).
