Clare let Rebels off the hook in U20 stalemate

*Diarmuid McMahon looks for an option. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.

CLARE’s U20 footballers were denied a win over Cork in the first outing of the Munster championship’s second phase.

Clare 1-10
Cork 1-10
Venue: Páirc Naomh Mhuire, Quilty

That Clare were the side most disappointed with result says everything you need to know about this absorbing Munster Under 20 Phase 2 opener in Páirc Naomh Mhuire, Quilty.

Having remarkably recovered from a four point deficit led by a brace of Sean Fennell two-pointers at 1-9 to 1-9, the home side unquestionably had momentum behind them as they entered the final quarter.

However, while Ruben Fallon did eventually inch Clare in front in the 55th minute, five other scoring chances went abegging coming down the final straight, with those wides only magnified when Sean O’Leary popped up for a Cork equaliser in the 57th minute to ultimately split the points.

It’s hard to be critical considering the tireless display that the Banner gave but the truth is that they will never get a better chance of toppling the Rebels for the first time in 24 years.

Auxiliary factors only aided that theory as due to the ongoing fuel protests, Cork had to endure an arduous five hour bus and ferry journey for what was their first championship outing.

Clare meanwhile had honed their craft in a flawless three match Phase 1 campaign and seemed to demonstrate that greater current experience for large chunks of this contest.

Backed by the sizeable conditions, Cork certainly didn’t have it their own way as county senior Dara Sheedy had to answer a Sean Fennell opening free and was unlucky to see a potential goal chance just clear the home crossbar by the eleventh minute.

The visitors were still the minimum in front when Evan Cahill embarked on a scintillating drive through the heart of the Cork defence before nestling a powerful shot into the far bottom left corner of the net to catapult Clare into a 1-2 to 0-3 advantage by the 19th minute.

Dermot Coughlan’s side couldn’t build on that shot-in-the-arm though as Cork res-established control with the next three points through chief threats Danny Miskella (2) and Sheedy. However, Cahill again popped up to feed captain Daire Culligan for a merited equaliser through a tap-and-go injury-time free to level matters at 1-3 to 0-6 by the midway mark.

Half-time couldn’t come soon enough for Ray Keane’s Rebels to regroup and to be honest they were a much more cohesive unit on the resumption as evidenced most by Danny Miskella’s opportunist goal in the 37th minute. That major was accentuated by a Darragh Clifford point to open up the biggest gap of the evening at 1-8 to 1-4 by the two-thirds mark and at that stage, despite being favoured by the conditions, Clare looked to be tiring.

Not for the first time Sean Fennell would ignite their challenge once more while up the other end Diarmuid Boyle produced a superb interception on the raiding Dara Sheedy.

Five of the next six points followed for a rejuvenated Banner, all from the majestic boot of Fennell including a sumptuous pair of two-point frees to spectacularly reel in the visitors at 1-9 apiece.

Clare were ripe for an upset but despite having Cork on the ropes, they just agonisingly failed to land the knock-out punch as the relived Rebels were delighted to leave West Clare with a positive result.

Sean Fennell, Evan Cahill and Diarmuid Boyle were the outstanding triumvirate in another impressive collective display that saw Daniel Brody and Michael Kelly excel as did relentless half-forwards Donncha O’Dwyer, Colm Breen and Darragh Townsend.

A draw means that the race for Munster Under 20 final berths is still wide open, with the picture becoming much clearer next Thursday when Cork and Kerry lock horns in Supervalu Páirc Ui Chaoimh while Clare reunite with Waterford, who suffered a chastening 23 point reverse to the Kingdom, their next outing is in Quilty next Thursday at 7pm.

All photographs by Gerard O’Neill