CADOGAN SHINES ON HURLING COMEBACK
CORK manager John Meyler says Eoin Cadogan performed heroics on his return to the side, even though the Rebels came out on the wrong side of an 11-point hammering against Clare at Cusack Park in Ennis.
The Douglas clubman had not played hurling for Cork since 2014 but put the shackles on a dangerous Clare forward line in the second half after they scored three goals before half-time.
Clare were dominant in the first half and ran up a 3-5 to 0-10 lead at half-time, where Peter Duggan scored two goals and Cathal Malone came up with the other strike.
Niall Deasy added a fourth goal in the second half as Clare qualified for the final of the Munster Hurling League after their second resounding success in as many weeks.
‘The early goals killed us off. We were in trouble in the full-back line early on. They got two or three goals on us and really killed the game,’ said Meyler.
‘We were trying out fellas that we had tried out against Limerick and it didn’t work. One or two guys put their hands up. Eoin Cadogan, I thought, played right well. We were pleased with that.
‘At this time of the year, experimentation is more important than the result — with a big panel of 35 players you have to give everyone a game.’
Cork were poor and conceded the first goal in the fourth minute when Ian Galvin gave the pass to Duggan and he blasted past Anthony Nash in the Cork goal.
Rob O’Shea registered Cork’s first point in the seventh minute but Clare were on the rampage and further goals followed from Malone in the ninth minute, and Duggan again in the 17th minute.
Cork were in real trouble and trailed by 3-2 to 0-3 at that stage but they reduced Clare to three points for the rest of the half. Declan Dalton slotted four frees and the visitors only trailed by four at half-time.
But Seadna Morey scored a pair of points at the start of the second-half, and Clare began to bring on their experienced substitutes in front of 1,594.
David Reidy and Tony Kelly both came on and added two points each while Deasy scored his goal in the 50th minute.
That killed off the game and gave Clare a 4-9 to 0-11 lead but Meyler says he was pleased with the efforts of his full-back.
‘We could have conceded more. We were in trouble in the full-back line. We knew that early on. Eoin Cadogan went back in there and steadied the ship. We were pleased with that. It was his first game back after a few years. He did well,’ said Meyler.
‘This defeat does nothing to our January plans. We are back training on Monday night.
‘We have a tough game against UCC on Wednesday in the Mardyke. We’ll be going full strength there, bar the UCC players. We’ll see what we have.
‘Clare had a stronger team, but we need to give people games. There is no point having them in the panel and not using them. We could have been a bit stronger today and a bit weaker last night. That is the way it goes. Fellas get their opportunity. Cadogan put his hand up and I’m absolutely delighted with his performance. Eoin Murphy came up and got two great points.’
Clare were very strong throughout the game and the 2013 AllIreland champions had much more experience to call on from their substitutes’ bench.
And their joint-manager Gerry O’Connor says his team are in a good place so early in the year.
‘The new players have all done well. We made ten changes from last week. Eight guys made their debut last week, a couple of them continued on today,’ said O’Connor.
‘The likes of Ryan Taylor has been very impressive. But some of the other guys as well. The likes of Cathal Malone, his work-rate is phenomenal and an awful lot of good comes off him.
‘Also Peter Duggan, he didn’t start too many games for us last year and he is finding form. He was enjoying himself out there.
‘But this time of year, I know it was a very open game so a lot of guys showed very well. There will be much tougher challenges ahead.’
Clare begin their National Hurling League campaign against Tipperary on January 28 but they face a strong Limerick side before then, and O’Connor says it’s great to be getting the game time for his players.
‘It is good preparation. The ground is pretty heavy at the moment, it is frozen solid underneath us. But it’s good to get out,’ said O’Connor.
‘You can do all the training you want but these games are probably a level above challenge matches. And from that perspective we find them an advantage.’ CLARE: P Kelly; E Quirke (J Browne 17), C Cleary, P O’Connor; S Morey (J McCarthy 55), D McInerney, D Fitzgerald; R Taylor, C Galvin (D Reidy 37); N Deasy, C Malone (T Kelly 50), I Galvin; C McGrath, P Duggan, B Connors (M O’Neill 51). Scorers: P Duggan 2-0, C Malone, N Deasy (1f) 1-2 each, I Galvin 0-3, T Kelly, M O’Neill, D Reidy, S Morey 0-2 each, B Connors, R Taylor 0-1 each. CORK: A Nash; D Griffin, E Murphy, C O’Sullivan (J Cashman 65); C O’Leary, E Cadogan, R Cahalane (C Twomey 57); L McLoughlin, L Meade; E Finn (J Looney 25), B Lawton, D Kearney; D Dalton (E Keniry 59), E Sheehan (I Cahill 48), R O’Shea. Scorers: R O’Shea (2f), D Dalton (4f) 0-4 each, D Kearney 0-3, L McLoughlin, E Murphy 0-2 each, J Looney, E Finn, L Meade 0-1 each. Referee: J McCormack (Tipperary).