BANNER BATTLE BACK TO THWART REBELS
Clare get better of Cork as goals rain in a thriller
IN the upper tier of the main stand at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, various Cork supporters took it upon themselves to head for the exits as the clocked ticked into added time and Clare streaked five ahead. David Fitzgerald had just announced himself by tearing down the right channel and then stepping inside to find the net, just as he did in the Allianz Hurling League final, before Diarmuid Ryan and Mark Rodgers padded out the lead.
Down to 14 men for the second week running after it was a different member of the Cork full-back line gone on a second yellow — Seán O’Donoghue paid the price for barrelling into Shane O’Donnell off the ball around the
If Clare didn’t see
the ghost of Ennis past flash up...
three-quarter mark — it was interesting to see the same supporters heading for the exits stop in their tracks.
Not for the first time in his career, Patrick Horgan turned show-stopper, taking a quick free and billowing the net.
A week earlier, Brian Lohan’s (right) Clare had squandered what looked like an unassailable lead against the favourites for the All-Ireland, Limerick.
Would history repeat itself?
Even after Clare looked to steady themselves with another couple of high-quality points from Diarmuid Ryan and the superb Mark Rodgers, there was still time for
Clare to concede what was the sixth goal of the game. When a sideline ball wasn’t properly cleared, up popped wing-back Rob Downey to latch on to it and goal. If Clare didn’t see the ghost of Ennis past flash up in their own minds right then...
The previous 15 minutes had been a whirlwind of cards flashed by referee James Owens. Clare substitute Aron Shanagher even barrelled his way through to find the net in the 7th minute of added time, only for a free out to have been called seconds earlier.
While that proved to be the last meaningful act, it didn’t stop the home support jeering the man in the middle when he finally blew.
For the second week in a row though, this was on Cork.
From a point where they led by seven early in the second half, Clare’s rousing comeback was then aided and abetted by the extra man.
Cork now need to beat Limerick the weekend after next to have any last chance of staying alive in this group. That’s no tall order, even if there was a distinct improvement from the Waterford game with Horgan and Séamus Harnedy leading the way up front and Ciaran Joyce an inspiring figure at six, with Niall O’Leary also showing up.
Peter Duggan was a towering option off the Clare puck-out. Tim O’Mahony was physical and aggressive in trying to disrupt his marker but ended up yellow carded. Duggan’s skill to control the ball at its height one-handed, then take it on to solo through for a score was just sublime.
O’Mahony for his part though, hurled plenty of ball himself. He bombed one over to get Cork off the mark after Clare put together
O’Mahony for his part though, hurled plenty of ball himself. He bombed one over to get Cork off the mark after Clare put together a shiny necklace of three early points.
Shane O’Donnell looked bang on it once again, and he soon had Seán O’Donoghue for company rather than Eoin Downey who started on him. O’Donoghue was to pick up his first yellow in first half injury time for a deliberate foul.
At the other end, Alan Connolly’s pace was troubling Conor Cleary to the extent that he too was booked for persistent fouling. Clare could really have been in front at the break.
Mark Rodgers cut a sideline over midway through the half to sneak Clare back in front after it went point for point.
Patrick Horgan raised the quality level with a lovely over the shoulder score and Cork really should have found the net at least once. Darragh Fitzgibbon’s tame bounced shot didn’t match his surging run and was blocked while Connolly batted over from close range.
Horgan also had another halfchance with goal on his mind but was unable to convert.
Then, in the space of a matter of minutes coming up to the break, Cork hit four in a row, the pick a launched score from inside his own half by Ciaran Joyce to lead 0-14 to 0-12 at half-time and give their supporters a renewed sense of confidence.
When Patrick Horgan took advantage of a miscontrol by Adam Hogan to flick the ball up and lob the Clare goalkeeper in one audacious motion, it gave Cork the momentum to tack on two more points and leap seven clear. Shane O’Donnell was key to Clare’s fightback, setting up Mark Rodgers for the goal and then finding the net himself in the 57th minute to put Clare a goal ahead. By that point Cork were down to 14 and under the cosh with Peter Duggan producing another wonder take and score.
From there to the finish, it was a bedlam of cards and frees and injury time scores as Clare just about held on. CLARE: E Quilligan; A Hogan, C Cleary, R Hayes; D Ryan, J Conlon P Flanagan 70), D McInerney (CLeen 62); C Malone, C Galvin (S Morey 53); D Fitzgerald, D Reidy, P Duggan; M Rodgers, A McCarthy (A Shanagher 74), S O’Donnell. Scorers: A McCarthy 0-10 (8fs), M Rodgers 1-6 (1 s-l, 1f), S O’Donnell 11, D Fitzgerald 1-1, D Reidy 0-3, P Duggan, D Ryan 0-2 each, D McInerney 0-1. Yellow card: C Cleary 25, A Hogan 66, P Duggan 70, D Reidy 69. Wides: 4 (3) CORK: P Collins; N O’Leary, E Downey, S O’Donoghue; T O’Mahony (D Cahalane 65), C Joyce, R Downey; E Twomey (M Coleman 49), D Fitzgibbon; D Dalton (R O’Flynn 51), S Barrett, S Harnedy (L Meade 54); B Hayes (S Kingston 59), A Connolly, P Horgan. Scorers: P Horgan 2-10 (1-7fs, 2 65s), D Dalton 0-4 (3fs), R Downey 1-0, S Harnedy 0-3, A Connolly, D Fitzgibbon 0-2 each, T O’Mahony, C Joyce, S Kingston 0-1 each. Yellow card: S O’Donoghue 37 + 52, T O’Mahony 36, D Dalton 48, P Horgan 64, M Coleman 69, P Collins 69, S Kingston 72, S Barrett 73, D Cahalane 74 Red card: S O’Donoghue 52, Wides: 4 (2) Referee: J Owens (Wexford) Attendance: 36,814