*Goalscorer Oisin Whelan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
Clare completed a unique double over Cork in the space of three days after the minor hurlers produced the performance of the year to dethrone provincial and All-Ireland champions Cork on Tuesday evening.
Clare 2-17
Cork 1-17
Venue: Páirc Uà Rinn, Cork
Following on from Sunday’s superb senior humbling of the Rebels, Clare’s Under 17 side produced a remarkable 43 point turnaround against the same opposition from the 2021 version and were full value for their advancement to a first provincial decider since 2019.
It was their collective spirit, character, quality and most importantly relentless hunger that proved simply too dynamic for their hosts to handle. Clare had their homework done and went about their task with a ruthless efficiency which was the antithesis of the Rebels who, following last year’s result, looked like a side that just expected to turn up and take the win.
Consequently, Clare’s superior intensity set a scorching pace whereas Cork, once realising that they were in a real battle, unforgivably slumped to 21 wides that were increasingly greeted by groans from the home support.
That said, while Clare never trailed over the hour and led by six points in both halves, they were controversially pegged back by half-time at 1-9 apiece following a flicked goal for Ross O’Sullivan. The Na Piarsaigh forward seemed to be in the square long before Peter O’Shea’s delivery dropped from the sky but it’s a mark of how far this Clare team have come that their response was to brush off that set-back and drive on.
Having faltered after been sucker-punched by a brace of goals in their opening match against Tipperary, this time Clare re-emerged in defiant mood, with a superb interception on a Cork puck-out from Sam Scanlan setting up Cian Neylon to squeeze an inch-perfect shot into the right corner of the net. With that, Clare moved swiftly through the gears once more with four of the net five points through scorers-in-chief Oisin Whelan (2), James Organ and Michael Collins at 2-13 to 1-10 by the 37th minute.
Whelan and Organ in particular led the line superbly for Clare all through, with outstanding first half scores in contrast to a wasteful Cork challenge. The sides were level on three occasions by the eighth minute but Clare seemed to take great energy from their opponent’s profligacy and in a ten minute spell midway through the opening period outscored Cork by 1-4 to 0-1 to establish a six point cushion.
The goal arrived in the 21st minute when Riain McNamara’s high delivery broke for Whelan to rifle to the net at 1-7 to 0-4 so while Cork did make a full recovery by half-time at 1-9 to 1-9, the Banner knew that they had the measure of their hosts.
And so it proved as Neylon’s goal allied to the work-rate of Organ and Diarmuid Stritch and Whelan’s flawless accuracy from placed balls provided the Banner with still a five point advantage by the 55th minute at 2-16 to 1-14.
Cork did inevitably chip away at the deficit and actually lowered the arrears to just two by the second of four additional minutes but crucially, goalkeeper Mark Sheedy prevented Ross O’Sullivan from grabbing a second goal.
Indeed, Clare’s defence was almost incredulously composed despite an incessant tension from the sideline and stands late on as they never opted to go long and aimless, and instead admirably kept their precise short-passing structure right to the very end.
Finally, Oisin Whelan roamed deep to win a free which he duly converted from 65 metres to finally clinch a Munster Final place against the Premier County who easily accounted for Waterford by 3-27 to 0-15 in Thurles.
Scorers for Clare: Oisin Whelan 1-8 (6f, 1’65), James Organ 0-4, Cian Neylon 1-1, Jack O’Neill 0-2, Michael Collins 0-2
Scorers for Cork: Ross O’Sullivan 1-4 (1f, 2’65), Adam O’Sullivan 0-4, Sean O’Donoghue 0-2, Timmy Wilk 0-2, Peter O’Shea 0-2, James Murray 0-1, Ben Walsh 0-1, Daniel Murnane 0-1
Clare
1: Mark Sheedy (Sixmilebridge)
2: Eoghan Gunning (Broadford)
3: Fionan Treacy (Éire Óg)
4: John Cahill (Clooney-Quin)
5: Sean McMahon (Smith O’Brien’s)
6: James Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona)
7: Riain McNamara (Cratloe)
8: Piaras Ó Sé (Ruan)
9: Diarmuid Stritch (Clonlara)
10: Michael Collins (Clonlara)
11: Jack O’Neill (Clooney-Quin)
12: James Organ (Corofin)
13: Sam Scanlan (Clooney-Quin)
14: Oisin Whelan (Clarecastle)
15: Cian Neylon (Kilmaley)
Subs
19: Dylan Keane Hayes (Kilmaley) for Collins (46)
18: Matthew O’Halloran (Sixmilebridge) for Stritch (54, inj)
23: Fred Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona) for O’Neill (63, inj)
24: Fionn Hayes (Sixmilebridge) for Scanlan (65)
Cork
1: Daniel O’Connell (Dromina)
4: Eoin Guinane (Valley Rovers)
3: James O’Brien (Fermoy)
2: Denis Cashman (Bride Rovers)
7: Matthew Woods (Valley Rovers)
6: Daniel Murnane (Carrigtwohill)
5: Tadhg O’Leary Hayes (Midleton)
8: Peter O’Shea (Erin’s Own)
9: Ben Walsh (Killeagh)
10: Adam O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig)
14: James Murray (Youghal)
11: Timmy Wilk (Cobh)
12: Jayden Casey (Youghal)
15: Sean O’Donoghue (St Catherine’s)
13: Ross O’Sullivan (Na Piarsaigh)
Subs
24: John Wigginton Barrett (St Finbarr’s) for Casey (42)
21: Oisin Fitzgerald (St Catherine’s) for Murray (47)
22: Dylan McCarthy (Killeagh) for Walsh (52)
Referee: Nicky Barry (Waterford)
