*Clare’s Ronan Kilroy. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
Clare’s luck agonisingly ran out at the death in a superb wrestle for supremacy with hosts Cork on Wednesday evening but Terence Fahy’s side won’t be too perturbed as they get an immediate shot at redemption against the same opposition at the same venue next Wednesday evening (7.35pm) for a place in the Munster Under 20 Hurling Final against Tipperary.
Cork 4-19
Clare 2-21
Venue: SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Perversely, Clare’s best performance resulted in their first defeat but there was certainly no shame in just coming up short against the Rebels as the spoils could have gone either way in a breathtaking hour.
In the final analysis, while both sides scored 23 times, Clare carved out eleven goal chances to Cork’s five but the hosts ruthlessly scored all but one of their sightings. That said, four of the Banner’s came in a frantic finale in injury-time when it was more like ping pong than ding dong, with a packed Cork goalmouth throwing their bodies on the line to prevent Clare’s last siege that included shots from Fred Hegarty (2), Michael Collins and Marco Cleary.
Clare goalkeeper Mark Sheedy also made a superb stop to deny James O’Brien a clinching goal in the 59th minute but when they sit down and really analyse this game, Terence Fahy and Co. will rue missed goal chances of their own and preventable goals that should have been cleared at the other end.
That’s only nit-picking really as no-one in a Clare jersey could be faulted for a heartening collective effort that saw them roll with the punches brilliantly amidst three sucker-punch Cork goals in the second half.
Ronan Kilroy was easily Clare’s best performer but he was greatly aided by Michael Collins, Graham Ball, Fred Hegarty, Thomas O’Connor and another outstanding showing from the back. Matthew O’Halloran marked the opposition’s best player out of it for a second successive week as he completely nullified Barry Walsh’s threat in the opening half. Robert Lofuts was inspirational as were Eoghan Gunning and Joe Casey and it meant that Clare always had a chance.
And yet, to only lead by a solitary point by half-time, having held the whip hand for the majority backed by a strong wind, Clare seemed to be in a bit of trouble at the start of the second period when Cork resumed with 1-2 without reply to seize control.
Up to that point, Clare were in the ascendancy, wiping out Cork’s buzzing start with a well-worked fourth minute goal for Thomas O’Connor. It stemmed from a slick back-to-front move involving a Mark Sheedy puck-out that was excellently brought down in traffic by Graham Ball and offloaded to Michael Collins to deliver towards the square. Up popped the hurley of Paul Rodgers to knock the ball down for himself to tee up O’Connor to cooly finish at 1-1 to 0-2.
With that, Ronan Kilroy, Michael Collins and Fred Hegarty extended the gap to four nearing the end of the opening quarter, only to be floored by a home goal in the 13th minute.
Twice Clare should have cleared their lines but Barry O’Flynn was determined to capitalise and find the net to slash the arrears to just one at 1-5 to 1-4.
Long rang replies through Fred Hegarty and Daniel Costelloe was almost bolstered by a second O’Connor goal but this time the towering full-forward would be held back on his way to goal and had to unleash a one handed shot that just flew over the crossbar at 1-8 to 1-4.
That gap would have been a fair reflection of the first half but Cork grew in confidence as the half developed so despite near misses in front of goal for Ronan Kilroy and Paul Rodgers, it was Cork that fired two injury-time points through Zach Biggane and James O’Brien to lessen the half-time damage to 1-11 to 1-10.
Consequently, when Cork hit the ground sprinting in the new half copperfastened by a Johnny Murphy 32nd minute goal, the home side appeared to mean business at 2-12 to 1-11.
However, backing down from a challenge is something Clare simply cannot fathom as not only did they bounce back but actually took back the lead within five minutes after inspirational points through Michael Collins, Ryan Hayes and Fred Hegarty were decorated by a second Thomas O’Connor goal at 2-14 to 2-13 by the 38th minute.
The drama only intensified from there as two minutes later there were contrasting glorious goal chances that provided the next twist in an already slinky-like narrative. Paul Rodgers would see a bullet repelled by home goalkeeper Oisin Walsh, only for Cork to immediately counter and see county senior star Barry Walsh storm to the surface with a powerful solo goal at 3-13 to 2-14 by the 40th minute.
A further trio of points through James O’Brien, Barry Walsh and corner-back Darragh Heavin threatened to see Cork pull away at 3-16 to 2-15 entering the final quarter. However, Clare’s admirable never-say-die attitude that produced heroic fightback against Waterford, Limerick and Tipperary once more clicked into gear to tee up a grandstand finale.
A hat-trick of Fred Hegarty points left only the minimum between the sides by the 57th minute. And even after inevitable fatigue at the back coughed up what seemed a clinching goal for Finn O’Brien, Clare kept on defying the script to keep chipping away.
Fred Hegarty and Michael Collins halved the deficit to two but amidst two breath-taking responses for Barry Walsh, Clare peppered the Cork goal in search of an equalising goal that would have put them directly through to the final.
Try as they might, this time a late turnaround was just unattainable but Cork will not relish having to do it all over again next week against such a relentless opponent.
All photographs by Gerard O’Neill.
Scorers for Cork: Barry Walsh 1-5 (1f), James O’Brien 0-6 (5f), Johnny Murphy 1-2, Barry O’Flynn 1-0, Finn O’Brien 1-0, Zach Biggane 0-2, Conor Noonan 0-1, Ben Walsh 0-1, Colm Garde 0-1, Darragh Heavin 0-1
Scorers for Clare: Fred Hegarty 0-8 (5f), Thomas O’Connor 2-2, Ronan Kilroy 0-4, Michael Collins 0-4, Daniel Costelloe 0-1, Ryan Hayes 0-1, Paul Rodgers 0-1
Cork
1: Oisin Walsh (Youghal)
2: Denis Fitzgerald (Bride Rovers)
3: Matthew Barrett (Carrigtwohill)
4: Darragh Heavin (Russell Rovers)
5: Michael T Brosnan (Glen Rovers)
6: Colm Garde (Lisgoold)
7: David O’Leary (Ballincollig)
8: Ben Walsh (Killeagh)
9: Conor Noonan (Kanturk)
10: Zach Baggage (Charleville)
14: Barry Walsh (Killeagh)
15: James O’Brien (Cloyne)
11: Johnny Murphy (Dromina)
12: Barry O’Flynn (Sarsfields)
13: Finn O’Brien (Erin’s Own)
Subs
19: Jack Counihan (Watergrasshill) for Noonan (50-53, BS)
20: John Murphy (Mallow) for Biggane (55)
19: Counihan for O’Leary (56)
23: Craig O’Sullivan (Na Piarsaigh) for F. O’Brien (58)
21: Jack O’Brien (Douglas) for Brosnan (59)
Clare
1: Mark Sheedy (Sixmilebridge)
2: Eoghan Gunning (Broadford) (Captain)
3: Robert Loftus (Éire Óg)
4: Joe Casey (Kilmaley)
5: Jamie Moylan (Cratloe)
7: Matthew O’Halloran (Sixmilebridge)
6: Ryan Hayes (Tulla)
8: Daniel Costelloe (Ballyea)
9: Graham Ball (St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
12: Fred Hegarty (Inagh/Kilnamona)
10: Michael Collins (Clonlara)
11: Ronan Kilroy (Banner)
13. Sean Boyce (O’Callaghan’s Mills)
14: Thomas O’Connor (St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
15: Paul Rodgers (Scariff)
Subs
18: Harry Doherty (Clarecastle) for Boyce (38)
24: James Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona) for Moylan (47)
19: Ronan Keane (Killanena) for Ball (48)
20: Marco Cleary (Éire Óg) for Rodgers (54)
22: Sean Arthur (Newmarket-on-Fergus) for Costelloe (60)
Referee: Kieran Guina (Limerick)
