Late burst does trick for Rebels
SIX points in a row for Cork swept them past 14-man Clare to open with a win in the Munster MHC at Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday.
While the home side had the game’s first score through Evan Murphy, three first-half goals from Mark Rodgers (two) and Gearóid O’Grady meant that Cork didn’t lead again until a free from sub Alan Connolly made it 0-23 to 3-13 in the 60th minute.
That came after Connolly and Paddy O’Flynn had drawn them level and further points from Cathal Hickey, O’Flynn and Daniel Hogan made sure of the win.
Rodgers’ first goal had put Clare 1-0 to 0-1 ahead in the third minute and though Cork levelled, the corner-forward then struck again. O’Grady’s goal made it 3-4 to 0-10 on 21 minutes and they were 3-7 to 0-14 ahead at half-time.
Cork did manage to draw level early in the second half, albeit wasting other chances, but Clare suffered a blow when Tony Butler was sent off for a second booking. However, they managed to keep ahead through Rodgers and Aidan Moriarty (two) until Cork found the extra gears in the closing stages. SCORERS – Cork: E Murphy 0-8 (6f, 1 65), S Barrett 0-5, A Connolly 0-4 (2f), P O’Flynn 0-2, C O’Brien (65), C O’Donovan, O Broderick, P Cooney, D Hogan, P Power, C Hickey 0-1 each. Clare: M Rodgers 2-2; G O’Grady 1-1; K Guyler 0-3 (2f), A Moriarty, W Halpin 0-2 each; D Healy, F Slattery, S Meehan 0-1 each. CORK – C Long; C Murphy, P Cullinane, C O’Donovan; C O’Brien, L Horgan, C O’Donovan; O Broderick, P Cooney; K Moynihan, S Barrett, D Hogan; P Power, P O’Flynn, E Murphy. Subs: A Connolly for Moynihan (24), C Hickey for Murphy (47), D Flynn for Broderick (53).
CLARE – C O’Brien; J Enright, A Mungovan, M Gough; T Butler, D McMahon, D Healy; J Griffin, F Slattery; A Moriarty, G O’Grady, W Halpin; M Rodgers (Scariff), K Guyler, S Meehan. Subs: C Hegarty for Griffin (38), C Carrig for Slattery (44), J Brack for Halpin (53), J Minogue for O’Grady (59), T Dean for Enright (59).
REF– K Jordan (Tipperary)
a point (1-10 to 0-12) despite being the better team for much of the opening 35 minutes. However, defensive indiscipline – Forde pointed seven frees – and inaccurate shooting cost them dearly.
They were also denied a goal in the 17 th minute when debutant Tipperary goalkeeper Brian Hogan made a brilliant save off a Hegarty flick.
It was important for Limerick to start the second half well, which they duly did and, by the 48th minute, they were three points ahead.
On another day, Forde’s equalising goal might have been the catalyst for Tipperary to drive on, but not on this occasion as defiant Limerick raised their game considerably on the run-in.