Cork v Clare: MSHC: Cork on the verge of elimination as red card ...

Cork 3-24

Clare 3-26

CORK'S hopes of progressing from the Munster SHC are hanging by a thread following defeat to Clare on Sunday afternoon.

A crowd of 36,814 at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh saw an imperfect but exciting game, especially in a helter-skelter second half.

When Cork, who led by 0-14 to 0-12 at half-time, summoned a burst of 1-3 after the break, Patrick Horgan with the goal, they led by 1-17 to 0-13 and seemed set to push on. 

Cork's Niall O'Leary racing away from Clare's Mark Rodgers and Peter Duggan during the Munster senior hurling championship round 2 at SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Clare came back strongly, though, with Shane O’Donnell setting up Mark Rodgers for a goal to leave three in it, 1-18 to 1-15, and two David Reidy points followed.

Cork stayed in front in the immediate aftermath of that – Clare needed John Conlon to snuff out an Alan Connolly half-chance of a goal – but the was just a point when Cork were reduced to 14 players. 

Having done brilliantly to get a saving block on Rodgers, captain Seán O’Donoghue fouled O’Donnell and, as he had already been booked, referee James Owens dismissed him.

Aidan McCarthy sent over his tenth point of the day to tie matters and the next score was the pivotal one. 

With space in the Cork defence, wing-back Diarmuid Ryan was able to carry the ball and, rather than taking an easy point, he picked out O’Donnell, who had time to settle and pick his spot.

Cork initially stayed in touch but, when spare man John Conlon and Rodgers combined to set up David Fitzgerald for on 63 minutes, it was 3-22 to 1-22 and Fitzgerald added a point to leave six in it.

A Patrick Horgan goal from a free was Cork’s immediate response but as the game wore into injury time, Clare were still five in front, Rodgers making it 3-25 to 2-23.

With assorted scuffles making for a bitty added period, Cork had hope as Robert Downey plundered a goal followed a block on a Darragh Fitzgibbon effort. 

Cork's Brian Hayes tackles Clare's Adam Hogan during the Munster senior hurling championship round 2 at SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

That left two in it, 3-26 to 3-24, and though Damien Cahalane had a late shot blocked, that was how it stayed.

It means that Cork must beat Limerick at the same venue on May 11 and then Tipperary in Thurles a week later – and even that may not be enough.

Clare settled better and had three points on the board by fifth minute, with Cork yet to register despite having the wind. Tim O’Mahony’s long-range point got Cork off the mark and Declan Dalton sent over a free from his own 65 after Ethan Twomey was fouled. 

Twomey’s midfield partner Darragh Fitzgibbon had a driving run to set up Horgan, who was fouled and he levelled from the free.

It was nip and tuck from there for most of the rest of the half. Twomey, making his first championship start, made his presence felt in the first half with a number of attacking forays that drew fouls, while the two defensive additions, Niall O’Leary and Eoin Downey, justified their selections, too.

Clare’s attacking potential meant that Cork were never going to overpower them early, though David McInerney was able to win three Cork puckouts to give them a platform and he also landed a free in the 26th minute to make it 0-9 to 0-8.

From the puckout, Shane Barrett did brilliantly to claim possession and then set Fitzgibbon away but he toped to shoot when a pass might have been better and Eibhear Quilligan saved.

Despite Peter Duggan’s lovely touch putting Clare two in front, Cork began to have more joy in goal-creation chances – after Séamus Harnedy pulled a point back, Ciarán Joyce sent a long ball to Brian Hayes, who squeezed between Adam and Conor Cleary before feeding Connolly, whose flicked effort caressed the top of the crossbar and bounced over.

Cork's Ciaran Joyce goes high with Clare's David Reidy during the Munster senior hurling championship round 2 at SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

McCarthy’s fifth put Clare back in front but Cork’s response was strong – Fitzgibbon made it 0-11 each from the left sidelined and a turnover free allowed Dalton to put Cork back in front before Niall O’Leary claimed the puckout and passed to the Fr O’Neills man, who fired over from miles out.

Joyce made it a three-point game with a point from halfway before McCarthy pulled one back in injury time.

On the resumption, Rodgers got his fourth point to reduce the gap to the minimum again but the Cork goal sparked things into life. 

When Dalton’s low delivery wasn’t dealt with, Horgan was on to it in a flash and sent a cushions shot over Eibhear Quilligan’s head and over the line just before Rory Hayes could clear.

With the home fans in full voice, points followed from Harnedy, Dalton and Horgan and the lead was seven points. 

The game was far from over, though.

Scorers for Cork: P Horgan 2-10 (1-7f, 0-2 65), D Dalton 0-4 (0-3f), S Harnedy 0-3, R Downey 1-0, D Fitzgibbon, A Connolly 0-2, T O’Mahony, C Joyce, S Kingston 0-1 each.

Clare: A McCarthy 0-10 (0-8f), M Rodgers 1-6 (0-1f, 0-1 sideline), D Fitzgerald, S O’Donnell 1-1 each, D Reidy 0-3, P Duggan, D Ryan 0-2 each, D McInerney 0-1.

CORK: P Collins; N O’Leary, E Downey, S O’Donoghue; T O’Mahony, C Joyce, R Downey; E Twomey, D Fitzgibbon; D Dalton, S Barrett, S Harnedy; P Horgan, A Connolly, B Hayes.

Subs: G Millerick for O’Mahony (7-8, temporary), M Coleman for Twomey (49), R O’Flynn for Dalton (60), L Meade for Harnedy (54), S Kingston for Hayes (59), D Cahalane for O’Mahony (65, injured).

CLARE: E Quilligan; A Hogan, C Cleary, R Hayes; D Ryan, J Conlon, D McInerney; C Malone, C Galvin; D Fitzgerald, D Reidy, P Duggan; M Rodgers, S O’Donnell, A McCarthy.

Subs: S Morey for Galvin (52), C Leen for McInerney (62), P Flanagan for Conlon (70), A Shanagher for McCarthy (70+3).

Referee: J Owens (Wexford).