Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Group A: Clare 1-25 Cork 2-19
Substitute Seadna Morey’s late goal finally clinched victory for hosts Clare following a remarkable second half defiance against the conditions in Ennis on Sunday afternoon.
Having soared six clear by the end of the opening quarter, Clare’s early wind-assisted buoyancy was quickly deflated by a brace of sucker-punch goals in the space of nine minutes as Patrick Horgan and Tommy O’Connell regained full parity for Cork by the 28th minute.
Clare did salvage a minimum 0-14 to 2-7 half-time edge but it didn’t seem anywhere near enough to prevent a Rebel takeover in the new half. However, having shared the spoils in last year’s National League tie in Ennis before dramatically edging matters with a last-gasp Diarmuid Ryan point in the subsequent Munster Championship tie at the same venue, a defiant Clare were patently determined to uphold their Cusack Park record. They stormed into the second half with four successive Mark Rodgers frees before completing a rousing third quarter with seven of the first eight points to power seven clear at 0-21 to 2-14.
Cork did finally regroup, inspired by point from defence through captain Sean O’Donoghue and talisman Ciaran Joyce, to eventually lower the arrears to two entering the final 10 minutes.
Any hopes of a dramatic reprieve would be dashed in the 65th minute when David Fitzgerald’s pinpoint pass from the left wing perfectly picked out the run of overlapping midfielder Seadna Morey to field and bat to the net at 1-22 to 2-14.
Overall, it was no more than the home side deserved for their efforts as they were never headed over the 70 minutes and set the pace from the outset, thanks in the main to National Young Player of the Year Mark Rodgers.
With a strong wind at their backs, David McInerney, Cathal Malone, David Reidy, David Fitzgerald and newcomer Gearoid Sheedy all helped Rodgers to build up a 0-9 to 0-3 cushion by the midway mark of the first half.
Against the run of play, Cork found their feet in emphatic fashion when a Sean Twomey burst through the heart of Clare’s defence was moved through Shane Kingston to the ever-reliable Patrick Horgan to find the net from the righty edge of the square. And after visiting goalkeeper Patrick Collins repelled a similar attempt from Rodgers at the other end, Cork would completely wipe out the Banner’s lead in the 28th minute when Tommy O’Connell sidestepped the last defence before unleashing a bullet to the top left corner of Eibhear Quilligan’s net at 0-11 to 2-5.
Clare were floored but equally glad of the break to regroup and rearm, with any expectations of the conditions powering Cork to victory a little premature as a spirited home side rewrote the script to keep up their 15-year Cusack Park hold over the Rebels.
Clare: E Quilligan; C Cleary, P Flanagan, A Hogan; D Ryan, D McInerney (0-1), D Lohan; C Malone (0-2), S Rynne; D Fitzgerald (0-2), R Mounsey (0-2), G Sheedy (0-1); M Rodgers (0-13, 10 frees, one 65), A McCarthy, D Reidy (0-2). Subs: S Morey (1-1) for Rynne (HT), P Duggan for Sheedy (49), S Meehan (0-1) for McCarthy (53), P Crotty for Mounsey (66), K Smyth for Reidy (68)
Cork: P Collins; N O’Leary, E Roche, S O’Donoghue (0-1); T O’Connell (1-0), C Joyce (0-1), C O’Brien (0-1); B Roche, E Carey; S Kingston (0-3), C Lehane (0-2), S Twomey (0-1); R O’Flynn (0-1), P Horgan (1-7, seven frees), B Hayes. Subs: L Meade for B. Roche (47), S Barrett (0-2) for Hayes (54), M Mullins for Carey (61), R Cotter for O’Flynn (67), J O’Connor for Lehane (68)
Referee: M Kennedy (Tipperary)
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