*Michael Collins. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
CLARE’S U20 hurlers had to settle for a draw against Cork and they were lucky to earn it for a finish.
Clare 1-16
Cork 1-16
Venue: O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge
A five point lead in the opening half came undone from Clare as they also coughed up a late free to win the game.
It was a bright first half from the hosts who became quite wasteful on the restart which saw them hit eight second half wides, two of them glorious goal chances.
However, to end up with a point in the round robin series is better than none at all and that will be the message echoed home by Terence Fahy and his management team. His side never went behind for the duration of the game.
Diarmuid Stritch was superb for Clare, hitting 0-4 over the hour. He had a lightning first touch and was equally at quick at turning his man once he secured primary possession.
At the opposing end, John Wiggington Barrett was to the fore to Cork, finishing with a personal tally of 1-3, the goal was well-taken but his final point was sublime when he picked off a crafty and wristy score.
Clare finished with fourteen men but Cork ended up with thirteen on the pitch by the sounding of the final whistle. Freetaker Fred Hegarty was shown a red card on forty three minutes with Cork duo Ben Walsh (56) and Barry O’Flynn (62) following him, Walsh dismissed for a second bookable offense.
Hegarty’s absence from placed balls was missed in the dying moments when Clare having won a sideline cut ended up with a free after Cork substitute Ross O’Sullivan pucked the sliotar away in frustration, the resulting free from James Organ went to the right of the target and with it a chance to nab a late victory.
Within the first ten minutes, Seán Boyce had hit 1-2 for Clare but from here on, the supply to the O’Callaghans Mills attacker slowly evaporated. The goal was finished well after Stritch was the provider while an assist was provided from Jack O’Neill for Boyce’s opener on forty four seconds.
Cork responded to Boyce’s ninth minute goal with the next two points from Wiggington Barrett and Mark O’Brien.
Eoghan McMahon who had a solid game at wing back struck Clare’s fourth point on thirteen minutes before the beginning of the second quarter saw Hegarty and Barry Walsh trade scores. Ronan Kilroy was liberated after he was gifted a puck out from Daniel O’Connell to fire Clare’s tenth point and it was followed by another from Stritch to see Clare lead 1-11 1-8 at the interval.
Scores dried up on the restart while missed chances increased from Clare, they went the first twenty minutes of the second half while goal chances were spurned by Jamie Moylan and Michael Collins, the Clonlara teenager had his effort blocked by Denis Cashman.
This allowed Cork to slowly claw back and they were further boosted by Hegarty’s dismissal but were of course aided by Clare hitting the ball to their spare man.
Cork equalised on fifty six minutes through Wiggington Barrett but Jack O’Neill responded to put the hosts back in the lead, however a free from Walsh tied matters one last time to see both counties pick up a point.
Along with the excellent Diarmuid Stritch, Clare had strong performances from the solid half-back line of Joe Casey, James Hegarty and Eoghan McMahon while in the opening half Seán Boyce and Jamie Moylan impressed.
Scorers for Clare: F Hegarty 0-5 f, S Boyce 1-2, D Stritch 0-4, R Kilroy, J O’Neill, E McMahon, J Hegarty (0-1 f), J Organ (0-1 f) 0-1 each.
Scorers Cork: Barry Walsh 0-12 (0-10 f, 0-1 65), J Wigginton Barrett 1-3, M O’Brien 0-1.
Clare:
1: Mark Sheedy (Sixmilebridge)
2: Eoghan Gunning (Broadford)
3: Fionnan Treacy (Éire Óg)
4: John Cahill (Clooney/Quin)
5: Joe Casey (Kilmaley)
6: James Hegarty (Inagh/Kilnamona)
7: Eoghan McMahon (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
8: Jamie Moylan (Cratloe)
9: Matthew O’Halloran (Sixmilebridge)
15: Michael Collins (Clonlara)
11: Jack O’Neill (Clooney/Quin)
10: Ronan Kilroy (Banner)
14: Diarmuid Stritch (Clonlara)
12: Fred Hegarty (Inagh/Kilnamona)
13: Seán Boyce (O’Callaghans Mills)
Subs:
16: Fionn Morgan (Clarecastle)
17: James Organ (Corofin)
18: Tadhg Lohan (Cratloe)
19: Robert Loftus (Éire Óg)
20: Dannan Fox (Clooney/Quin)
21: Piaras Ó Sé (Ruan)
22: Daniel Costelloe (Ballyea)
23: Fiachra Ó Braoin (Sixmilebridge)
24: Ronan Keane (Killanena)
Cork:
1: Daniel O’Connell (Dromina)
2: Denis Cashman (Bride Rovers)
3: James O’Brien (Fermoy)
9: Eoin Guinane (Valley Rovers)
5: Ben Walsh (Killeagh)
6: Cillian O’Callaghan (Dungourney)
7: Daniel Murnane (Carrigtwohill)
4: Timmy Wilk (Cobh)
10: Ryan Deasy (Ballymartle)
20: John Murphy (Mallow)
12: Barry Walsh (Killeagh)
13: Johnnie Murphy (Dromina)
11: John Wigginton Barrett (St Finbarr’s)
14: Barry O’Flynn (Sarsfields)
23: Mark O’Brien (Douglas)
Subs:
21: Zach Biggane (Charleville) for Murnane (37)
22: Oisin Fitzgerald (St Catherines) for Wilk (42)
15: Ross O’Sullivan (Na Piarsaigh) for O’Brien (43)
19: Matthew Barrett (Carrigtwohill) for Deasy (52)
Referee: Alan Tierney (Tipperary)
