Cork 1-13
Clare 1-13
By John Coleman
Cork and Clare played out a thrilling draw in Pairc Uí Chaoimh tonight in Division 2 of the Allianz NFL. In a game that was tied on seven occasions both sides seemed to have done enough to win it in the final ten minutes yet in the end a share of the spoils was the fair result.
When Keelan Sexton cracked home a penalty for the Banner men to give them a 1-11 to 0-11 lead with ten to go there seemed to be only one winner. Cork, however, had other ideas as they kicked the next two points before Brian Hurley had a chance to level the game with a free from distance. His effort dropped into the square and found its way into the net to put Cork two in front with three to play.
Clare then somehow managed to muster scores from Emmet McMahoin and Daniel Walsh to tie it at 1-13 apiece. Mark Cronin had a late chance to win it for the Rebels, but his free dropped short before Maurice Deegan called time.
Cork played into the elements and had the better of the opening quarter but failed to make it tell significantly enough on the scoreboard. Points from John O’Rourke and Brain Hurley kicked them into an early lead, but Keelan Sexton soon had the Banner men level with two quick scores of his own. Blake Murphy then put Cork back in front, but their wide tally had made it to five before Jamie Malone levelled matters for the second time in the eighteenth minute.
Quick fire scores from Murphy and Hurley then pushed Cork clear again but David Tubridy’s opening score and a free from Sexton evened it up again with ten minutes left to the break. Murphy slipped Cork back in front again, but Clare then began take control as the Rebels struggled to punch holes in their rear-guard. Eoin Cleary restored parity, Cian O’Dea gave them the lead for the first time with a super score from distance before two Sexton strikes from dead balls gave them a 0-9 to 0-6 lead at the interval.
The second half opened like a game of chess as both sides patiently tried to find gaps in the respective defences. Cork’s Seán Powter was the first to do so as his long range free fortuitously bounced over the bar, but this was quickly cancelled out by a free from Cleary. Cork then hit a purple patch, reeling off three in-a-row from Hurley, Fionn Herlihy and Kevin O’Donovan to tie the game for the fifth time.
Aaron Griffin then restored Clare’s lead before substitute Herlihy’s second score once again evened the tie. The came the game changing moment. Podge Collins drew the foul inside the square, and Sexton buried the resultant penalty past Micheál Martin. Cork showed great resolve thereafter, with Brian Hurley and Mark Cronin reducing the margin to the minimum before Hurley’s goal turned the game on its head.
But then, so did Clare as they enter the break with three points on the board while Cork is stuck on one and are facing into a real battle to retain their Division 2 status.
Scorers: Cork – B Hurley 1-4 (1-2 fs), B Murphy 0-3, F Herlihy 0-2, J O’Rourke K O’Donovan, S Powter (free) and M Cronin 0-1 each.
Clare – K Sexton 1-5 (1-0 pen, 1 ’45, 3 fs), E Cleary 0-2 (fs), C O’Dea, A Griffin, D Tubridy, J Malone, E McMahon and D Walsh 0-1 each.
Cork: M Martin; K O’Donovan, K Flahive, T Corkery; R Maguire, S Powter, M Taylor; S Merrit, C O’Callaghan; D Dineen, B Murphy, J O’Rourke; M Buckley, B Hurley, D Buckley. Subs: M Cronin for M Buckley (42 mins), P Allen for Merrit and F Herlihy for Murphy (both 48 mins), E McSweeney for Flahive (61 mins), C Kiely for D Buckley (67 mins).
Clare: S Ryan; M Doherty, C Brennan, C Rouine; C O’Dea, C Russell, A Sweeney; C O’Connor, D O’Neill; D Bohannon, E Cleary, P Lillis; A Griffin, K Sexton, D Turbidy. Subs: J Malone for Bohannon (8 mins), P Collins for Tubridy (48 mins), D Walsh for Sweeney (55 mins), E McMahon for O’Connor (64 mins), C Downes for Lillis (70 mins).
Referee: M Deegan (Laois)
