*Photograph: Ruth Griffin
CLARE’S minor hurlers must play the waiting game following their defeat to Cork in their last Electric Ireland Munster MHC round-robin clash on Friday night.
Cork 1-22
Clare 1-12
Venue: Páirc Uí Rinn
While a win for Ger O’Connell’s side would have put them in with a shout of reaching the provincial final against Tipperary, the ten-point less left them with two points from their four games.
The sides finishing in third and fourth will progress to All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals.
As things stand, both Limerick and Waterford are on the same tally, but with better scoring-difference records, which would be used in the event of a three-way tie and so Clare will be hoping that Cork and Tipp can do them a favour against the Treatymen and the Déise respectively. In a two-way tie, Clare would edge Limerick on head-to-head but lose out to Waterford.
In terms of Friday’s clash, Clare will reflect on how Cork got on top at the start of the second half after the visitors had got themselves back into the game coming up to half-time.
The Rebels had moved into an 0-8 to 0-4 lead, and could have had goals but for interventions by Clare goalkeeper Patrick Murphy and wing-back Seán Donnellan, but a superb individual goal on 27 minutes from James O’Donnell – who finished with 1-2 – cut the gap to a point.
A free from Ben Talty levelled matters but Clare could never get in front. However, while frees from Sam Ring and Bobby Power gave Cork the upper hand at the break, Clare were well in contention.
Unfortunately for them, they never got any closer: Seán Riordan pointed for Cork on the restart and then a towering catch from Rebels captain Eoin Considine helped to build a great move that saw the dangerous Callum Coffey set up Tadhg McCarthy for a goal and a five-point lead, though Clare did have claims of over-carrying prior to the ball ending up in the net.
Goalkeeper Murphy, from a free, and midfielder Isaac Hassett had points as Clare kept pace with Cork after the goal, Coffey ever-dangerous for the hosts, but the boys in red and white were creating more chances and began to ease clear around the three-quarter mark.
The score was 1-15 to 1-9 when Murphy made a great save to deny Cork replacement Ryan Cagney but, while a point from Clare sub Max Sheehan followed that soon after his introduction, Cork had the momentum.
Power’s frees brought his tally to eight points, with two from Talty proving to the Clare’s last output.
While Cork got off to a bright start, they were wasteful and fine points from O’Donnell and Cian Mullins helped Clare to get off the mark. The early goal chances were for Cork though and Coffey almost scooped an effort in – the ball hit the post and Marcas Fitzpatrick did well to clear the danger.
Despite some long-range free-taking troubles, Cork pushed 0-6 to 0-3 ahead before Talty replied with a free and Power and Coffey extended the advantage as Clare experienced similar issues from dead balls.
The momentum looked to have shifted when O’Donnell created his goal from nothing – surging in from the left-hand sideline and evading challenges before slotting home – and then Talty tied the scores.
Cork responded well, however, and their opening to the second half gave them a cushion that could not be pierced.
Scorers for Cork: Bobby Power 0-8 (0-4f), Tadhg McCarthy 1-2, Callum Coffey 0-4, Sam Ring 0-3 (0-2f), Cormac Murphy 0-2, Tadhg Murphy, Seán Riordan, Ryan Cagney 0-1 each.
Scorers Clare: Ben Talty 0-6 (0-4 f), James O’Donnell 1-2, Isaac Hassett, Cian Mullins, Max Sheehan, Patrick Murphy (0-1f) 0-1 each.
CORK: Marley Walsh; Jack Batterbury, Finn Cahill, Nathan Coffey; Eoin Considine, Dabve Nolan, Cathal Barry; Seán Riordan, Stephen McHugh; Tadhg McCarthy, Bobby Power, Liam O’Regan; Sam Ring, Callum Coffey, Cormac Murphy.
Subs: Tadhg Murphy for Riordan (41), Ryan Cagney for O’Regan (45), Tom Huggins for McCarthy, Darragh Barry for Murphy (both 53), Ger Kingston for Considine (58).
CLARE: Patrick Murphy (Tulla); Marcas Fitzpatrick (Clooney-Quin), Cian Maxted (Clooney-Quin), Odhran Perill (Crusheen); Podge Murphy (Corofin), Colm Daly (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield), Seán Connellan (Kilmaley); Oran Duignan (Banner), Isaac Hassett (Clooney-Quin); James O’Donnell (Broadford), Gearóid Madden (Scarriff), Cian Mullins (Sixmilebridge); Donncha McKenna (Scarriff), Nikki Belenko (Tulla), Ben Talty (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield).
Subs: Dara Seery (Inagh-Kilnamona) for Duignan, Fionn Daffy (Inagh-Kilnamona) for Madden (both 43), Conor Coffey (Banner) for McKenna, Max Sheehan (Ruan) for Belenko (50), Seán Daly (Kilmaley) for Connellan (53).
Referee: Cian Ryan (Tipperary).
