Cork football hits a new low as Banner run riot
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2 ROUND 3
Clare 3-13 Cork 1-10
A NEW low for Cork football – that was the only thing to be gleaned from this depressing day out in Ennis for the Rebels as they crashed to their second successive league defeat to find themselves firmly rooted at the bottom of Division 2.
For Clare it wasn’t about securing a biggest ever win over Cork, just as it wasn’t about beating the Rebels for the third successive outing in as many National Football Leagues years, but when it came to it these boxes were ticked by the home side as they cantered to a nine-point win that in no way flattered them.
It’s not that it was a masterclass from Clare in racking up an impressive scoring total – more to do with them being clinical when the opportunities arose and the fact that this was arguably the worst ever Cork team to land in Cusack Park.
The Rebels came for the first time way back in 1936 on the day the seat of Clare GAA was opened when a team that included future GAA Director General Seán Ó Siocháin, but over 80 years on it’s safe to say that Ó Siocháin and all the dead generations are turning in their graves, while those above ground are turning the other way in horror.
Yes, Cork were and are that bad, but it mattered nothing to Clare as they beat what was put in front of them thanks to a powerful display that had them on the high road inside five minutes thanks to goals from David Tubridy and Conal Ó hAiniféin.
That’s all it took – all it took for Cork to implode and for Clare to start kicking for home as they jumped up to fourth place in the table thanks to a comprehensive win.
It was impressive stuff from Clare, with great work from Conor Finnucane putting Jamie Malone in the clear after 50 seconds with his resultant goal-bound effort then palmed to the net with glee by the ravenous David Tubridy.
That was good, but Conal Ó hAiniféin’s strike four minutes later was better again, with the wing-back thundering up the right flank, taking a pass at the end of a barnstorming Gary Brennan run before planting an unstoppable drive low to the net from four yards.
From there it was Clare’s to lose. It never looked like happening though, despite Cork pulling it back to a three-point game by the 18th minute thanks to points by Matthew Taylor, Luke Connolly and Stephen Sherlock.
All because it was as close as Cork got over the duration as Clare kept it tight at the back, while keeping the scoreboard ticking over down the other end thanks to points by Tubridy (2), Dean Ryan and Dale Masterson to lead 2-4 to 0-4 by the 25th minute.
Once that six-point differential was maintained by the break for a 2-6 to 0-6 lead, after Tubridy and Finnucane found the range for points in response to efforts from Connolly and Sherlock, it was just about keeping their heads when turning to play with the wind.
And the fact that they flattered to deceive for much of the second half against Armagh when in pole position to kick on is probably what steeled them. Then it was a three-point lead they threw away before retrieving it thanks to dame fortune, this time it was a six-point lead that only grew bigger as they closed this one out in impressive fashion.
Fifteen minutes in points by Seán Collins and Jamie Malone had stretched it out to eight points – from there it was damage limitation for Cork in Cusack Park for the second time in three years, not that they really managed that by the end as Clare plundered their biggest ever win thanks to a late goal from Kieran Malone.
Prior to that Cork to bring it back to six points when Michael Hurley and White raised flags, only for the mercurial Tubridy to widen it once more with a brace by the 63rd minute, while the Doonbeg maestro was on hand once more three minutes later with another brace to bring his tally to 1-7 after the visitors had briefly threatened a grandstand finish when Ian Maguire flicked a hopeful Connolly delivery to the net.
That was finally that, with Cork eventually put out of the misery of perhaps their worst National League display in living memory when an effort from Kieran Malone in the seventh minute of injury time was deflected to the net by Paul Walsh.
CLARE: Pierce Deloughrey, Kevin Harnett, Cillian Brennan, Gordon Kelly, Dean Ryan (0-1), Aaron Fitzgerald, Conal Ó hAiniféin (1-0), Gary Brennan, Darragh Bohannon, Cian O’Dea, Keelan Sexton, Jamie Malone (0-1), Dale Masterson (0-1), Conor Finucane (0-2), David Tubridy (1-7, 3f, one 45) Subs: Sean Collins (0-1) for Sexton (Half-Time), Pearse Lillis for Bohannon (Half-Time), Kieran Malone for Lillis (53), Alan Sweeney for Sweeney (63), Cormac Murray for Finnucane (74)
CORK: Mark White, Kevin O’Donovan, Kevin Flahive, Conor Dennehy, James Loughery, Stephen Cronin (0-1), Mattie Taylor (0-2, 1f), Ian Maguire (1-0), Ronan O’Toole, Ruairi Deane, Luke Connolly (0-3, 2f), Mark Collins, Michael Hurley (0-1), Stephen Sherlock (0-2f), Tom Clancy Subs: Liam O’Donovan (0-1) for Loughrey (10), Aidan Browne for Cronin (47), Paul Walsh for O’Donovan (47), Peter Kelleher for Clancy (59), Damian Gore for Sherlock (59)
REFEREE: Paddy Neilan (Roscommon)