*Clare’s Diarmuid Stritch. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
Fortune finally favoured the brave as Clare produced a late smash-and-grab victory to tee up a Munster Under 20 Final rematch with Tipperary next Wednesday.
Clare 2-15
Cork 0-20
Venue: SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Having been seemingly hanging on Cork’s coat-tails for the majority, a never-say-die Banner finally sparked into life entering the final ten minutes when frees from Fred Hegarty and substitute Harry Doherty were bolstered by a 59th minute goal for Diarmuid Stritch to soar into the ascendency at the perfect time.
Stemming from a Mark Sheedy puck-out that broke to the excellent Michael Collins, the Clonlara attacker bore down and goal attracting Cork’s last line before slipping the ball across to club-match Stritch to finish to the left corner of the net at 2-15 to 0-20.
What followed was a madcap final five minutes as Cork threw everything at the Banner, only for a combination of superb defending and poor shooting to prevent the Rebels from forcing extra-time.
While Clare had hit 15 wides over the hour, Cork’s shooting had been near flawless up to Stritch’s goal but as they desperately sought an equalising score, the home side frantically fired five successive wides to come up just short by Nicky O’Toole’s final whistle.
It was a remarkable Banner turnaround but having been pipped to the post themselves on home soil in last year’s semi-final by the same opponents, karma perhaps intervened to redress the balance this time around.
A Clare victory certainly didn’t seem likely for long periods as Cork only struck two wides over the first 59 minutes, led by talismanic freetaker Barry Walsh.
Five successive points, two from Walsh placed balls powered the Rebels 0-8 to 0-3 clear by the end of the opening quarter, with Adam O’Sullivan and Barry O’Flynn also having goal chances denied by last ditch blocks.
Sean Boyce and Finn O’Brien had chances at either end repelled before the former found his range with 1-1 in three minutes to finally slash the arrears to just one.
A short Sheedy restart down the left wing moved through Eoin McMahon, Michael Collins and Stritch who centred for Boyce to find the net via a deflection at 0-11 to 1-07.
Jack O’Neill completed a full recovery in the next passage of play but while Cork responded with the final two points of the half through Barry’s Walsh and O’Flynn at 0-13 to 1-08, there would be several more goal chances that went abegging.
James Hegarty made a crucial turnover to deny the Rebels a shot on Sheedy, only for O’Flynn to play in the lively Adam O’Sullivan who flicked over the onrushing goalkeeper only to see his lob canon off the crossbar.
In the 29th minute, Jamie Moylan’s persistence carved out an even better chance that home goalkeeper Daniel O’Connell would somehow prevent to keep his side in front by the break.
Clare would made amends on the resumption with the first three points of the half through Fred Hegarty (2) and Ronan Kilroy at 1-11 to 0-13 but the Banner were unable to sustain that standard and would in fact be fortunate to survive a strong Rebel backlash up to the two-thirds mark.
A brace of points each for Adam O’Sullivan and Barry Walsh were sandwiched by goal chances for both too as the former’s volley just cleared the crossbar while Walsh found the side-netting at 0-17 to 1-11.
Fred Hegarty and Jack O’Neill picked off points but they would be comfortably matched by the hosts who seemed ripe to grab a decisive goal at the turn of the final quarter.
Ryan Deasy’s shot was deflected for a ’65 while a brace of Finn O’Brien efforts would also be thwarted by first John Cahill but then an outstanding Mark Sheedy reflex stop entering the final ten minutes.
Walsh did convert a free to stretch the gap to four but having been under intense pressure for the bulk of the half, Clare appeared to find an extra gear when needed most coming down the final straight.
Fred Hegarty arrowed over a 60 metre free and while he would be replaced, a foul on Diarmuid Stritch was punished by replacement Harry Doherty at 0-20 to 1-15.
Then came the telling blow conducted by Sixmilebridge’s Sheedy but emphatically finished by the ingenuity of Clonlara’s dynamic duo of Collins and Stritch that catapulted Clare into a minimum lead that they duly fought tooth and nail to maintain.
Substitutes Doherty and Robert Lotus made two excellent catches from puck-outs while in contrast Cork’s composure faltered at just the wrong time as Clare advanced to a first Munster Under 20 Final since 2023 where they will face old minor foes Tipperary in the TUS Gaelic Grounds in Limerick next Wednesday (7.30pm).
Scorers for Clare: Fred Hegarty 0-7 (7f); Sean Boyce, Diarmuid Stritch 1-1 each; Jack O’Neill 0-3; Daniel Costelloe, Ronan Kilroy, Harry Doherty (f) 0-1 each
Scorers for Cork: Barry Walsh 0-9 (5f, 3’65); Adam O’Sullivan, Barry O’Flynn 0-3 each; Daniel O’Connell (f), Finn O’Brien, Ben Walsh, John Murphy, Oisin Fitzgerald 0-1 each
Clare
1: Mark Sheedy (Sixmilebridge)
2: Eoghan Gunning (Broadford)
4: Joe Casey (Kilmaley)
3: John Cahill (Clooney-Quin)
5: Jamie Moylan (Cratloe)
6: James Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona)
7: Eoin McMahon (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
8: Daniel Costelloe (Ballyea)
9: Ronan Kilroy (Banner)
10: James Organ (Corofin)
11: Jack O’Neill (Clooney-Quin)
12: Fred Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona)
13: Sean Boyce (O’Callaghan’s Mills)
14: Diarmuid Stritch (Clonlara)
15: Michael Collins (Clonlara)
Subs
20: Liam Crotty (Scariff) for Organ (42)
19: Tadhg Lohan (Cratloe) for Boyce (49)
17: Fiachra Ó Braoin (Sixmilebridge) for Casey (51)
24: Harry Doherty (Clarecastle) for F. Hegarty (54)
22: Robert Loftus (Éire Óg) for McMahon (54)
Cork
1: Daniel O’Connell (Domino)
6: David O’Leary (Ballincollig)
3: James O’Brien (Fermoy)
2: Denis Cashman (Bride Rovers)
5: Ben Walsh (Killeagh)
8: Eoin Guinane (Valley Rovers)
4: Timmy Wilk (Cobh)
12: Peter O’Shea (Erin’s Own)
14: Oisin Fitzgerald (St Catherine’s)
11: John Murphy (Mallow)
20: Adam O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig)
9: Ryan Deasy (Ballymartle)
13: Barry O’Flynn (Sarsfields)
10: Finn O’Brien (Erin’s Own)
15: Barry Walsh (Killeagh),
Subs
24: John Wigginton Barrett (St Finbarr’s) for O’Shea (43)
21: Johnnie Murphy (Dromina) for O’Sullivan (51)
22: Dylan McCarthy (Killeagh) for Fitzgerald (56)
23: Mark O’Brien (Douglas) for Deasy (61)
Referee: Nicky O’Toole (Waterford)
