CORK KEEP CLARE AT ARM’S LENGTH
Kingston fires over nine points as one-sided win leaves Rebels optimistic for the challenges ahead
CORK will take encouragement from this outing after two scoring blitzes helped them see off Clare and get their Division 1A campaign off to a winning start.
Although Clare were hampered by injuries and the absence of several other players, Cork supporters are entitled to look forward with optimism after this display.
Indeed Cork manager Kieran Kingston was quick to outline the importance of the League programme in the weeks ahead.
‘With the Championship roundrobin now and the condensed season and the split-season, I think the League takes on an extra layer of importance,’ he said
‘You have to be really competitive and you don’t have time to say, “I’m going to be complacent about the League and throw out half a team”, and then find, two weeks later, you’re going to be playing championship.
‘I don’t think you can afford that, because you don’t have that break that you used to have. Before, you finished the League and players went back to their clubs, played a round or two of club championship, there’s a six-week break and suddenly you’re back and you’ve another pre-season before Championship.
‘It’s totally different now. The League has to be a balancing act between getting lads a bit of gametime, trying out young lads like we did tonight – but at the same time, being really competitive.’
Clare looked the better side in the opening half, but the Rebels eventually got their act together and finished out the half in a strong position.
The visitors settled into this contest quickly and got the opening score of the game when David Reidy sent over a free before Cathal Malone extended the advantage with an effort from the flank.
Newly appointed Rebels captain
Mark Coleman got the beaten AllIreland finalists off the mark and Shane Kingston added to that tally
But it was Brian Lohan’s side that managed to keep their noses in front and led 0-7 to 0-6 after 15 minutes, with Malone and Reidy adding to their respective tallies.
On 21 minutes, Clare registered the game’s opening goal. After carving open the Rebels defence, Mark Rodgers applied the finishing touch with a low drive to the corner of the net.
However, that sparked the Rebels into life.
Shane Barrett went close with a well struck attempt on goal as Kingston’s side began to flex their muscles.
And on 26 minutes, it was Cork who raised a green flag. It was a fine finish by Tim O’Mahony, who cleverly finished beyond the grasp of Clare goalkeeper Eibhear Quilligan.
With Cork tails well and truly up at this stage – and Shane Kingston and Coleman also contributing to the Rebels’ impressive purple patch – the home side went on to lead 1-19 to 1-9 at the interval.
The break didn’t stall Cork’s momentum and they picked up where they had left early in the second half with the impressive Kingston
keeping his composure to slot over from a free.
This was to be subsequently added to by a neat point from Fitzgibbon in the 41st minute.
Reidy got another free for the Banner County men shortly afterwards which was added to by Rodgers as the visitors looked to claw their way back into an encounter that was rapidly slipping from their grasp.
However the Leesideres were in no mood to take their foot off the gas and Kingston, who finished nine points in credit, put over another slick score from play to underline his side’s total command, all the more impressive in talisman Pat Horgan’s absence.
‘I don’t think I need to say anything more about Patrick Horgan,’ said manager Kingston. ‘He’s worn the t-shirt, Cork’s top scorer, I can’t pour any more accolades on top of Patrick that haven’t been poured already.
‘Having the opportunity tonight to rest him and not need to bring him in is a positive from the panel’s perspective. To be able to rest him in the first week of February is great and that was the intention tonight.’
Cork continued to dazzle heading into the final ten minutes of action. Pádraig Power also managed to get in on the scoring act, as did Robert Downey with a well-taken effort.
Rodgers proved to be one of the bright sparks from the visitors’ perspective. He put his name to a pair of points on 65 minutes.
By this stage, though, Cork were well in the ascendency, with Kingston registering again.
A fine Cork outing was rounded off with their second goal in the closing minutes.
With the cleanest of strikes, Luke Meade planted the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
It was a productive outing for the Rebels, giving them something to build on for the remainder of the Allianz League campaign.
‘We were making a lot of elementary mistakes – you can say that that’s going to happen at this time of year in these conditions, the first serious game since the All-Ireland and you have to take all of those things into account,’ summed up Kingston.
From a Clare perspective, although it is still early days in the season, they have much to improve on over the coming weeks and months. They did get a late consolation goal through Domhnall McMahon but it proved to be far too little too late.
CORk: P Collins; N O’Leary, G Millerick, S O’Donoghue; T O’Mahony, M Coleman, R Downey; C Joyce, D Fitzgibbon; C Lehane (J O’Connor 52), S Harnedy (L Meade 60), S Twomey(C Cahalane 42) ; S Kingston, A Cadogan (P Power 56), S Barrett (R O’Flynn, 65).
Yellow cards: S Twomey (19), S Harnedy (38). Scorers: S Kingston 0-9 (6fs), M Coleman 0-5 (3fs) , D Fitzgibbon 0-4, T O’Mahony, L Meade 1-0 each , C Joyce, S Barrett 0-3 each , S Harnedy 0-2, C Lehane , R Downe, P Power, A Cadogan 0-1 each.
CLARE: E Quilligan; R Hayes, C Cleary, P Flanagan; D Ryan, A Fitzgerald, D McInerney (P Donnellan 55); J Browne, S Meehan; C Malone, D Reidy (D Fitzgerald 55), R Mounsey (P Crotty 40); M Rodgers, R Taylor, A Shanagher (D McMahon 55).
Yellow card: J Browne (19).
Scorers: M Rodgers 1-5 (0-3fs), C Malone 0-5, D Reidy 0-3 (3fs), D McMahon 1-0, P Crotty, R Taylor, D Ryan 0-2 each, S Meehan, P Donnellan 0-1 each. REfEREE: J Murphy (Limerick).