*Clare’s Tony Kelly with the Liam MacCarthy. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
A CHARACTER filled display saw Clare’s senior hurlers crowned All-Ireland champions for the fifth time with an extra time win over Cork.
Clare 3-29
Cork 1-34
Venue: Croke Park
Tony Kelly got his hands on the Liam MacCarthy after Clare edged out Cork by a single point following eighty minutes of action in the biggest game of the hurling calendar.
Despite losing Shane O’Donnell, Conor Cleary, Mark Rodgers and Peter Duggan to injury, Clare still found a way to win and Brian Lohan’s side took the greatest prize in the inter-county game.
Level at half-time, full-time and half-time in extra time, when the final whistle sounded it was Clare that were ahead and carving their piece of history, their ability to get green flags via Aidan McCarthy, Mark Rodgers and Tony Kelly proving crucial.
With eleven minutes played, the momentum was firmly with Cork as they led by seven points but the grit displayed by Clare on numerous occasions came to the surface and by the sounding of the half-time whistle they were on level terms.
A blistering start from Cork saw them put three points on the scoreboard before Clare could lay a glove. Tim O’Mahony had the opener with Seamus Harnedy and Shane Barrett strengthening their lead. Barrett’s score arising after Cathal Malone was outnumbered in possession with no support or options.
Things began to improve for Clare once they registered a point, this arriving on four minutes from Mark Rodgers with the duo of David McInerney and Tony Kelly doing the work to allow the Scariff man focus on the finishing.
Kelly was involved in the next score, John Conlon had the turnover, Tony the assist as Diarmuid Ryan pointed after making an off the shoulder the run. It was the Cratloe defender who levelled matters on five minutes, pointing from distance after Adam Hogan won back possession.
Defensively Clare were caught ball watching for the next score which left Alan Connolly with time and space to put Cork back in front. His point was the start of the Rebels firing 1-4 without reply to put some daylight between the sides. The first free of the afternoon was converted by Patrick Horgan on eight minutes and it was followed by further points from Harnedy and Barrett.
Robert Downey won the puckout from Barrett’s point, he ran the bones of 60m in possession without having to withstand a Clare tackle before burying the sliotar to the roof of the Clare net on the eleventh minute.
This was example one of Clare clawing their way back and sewing doubts into the minds of Cork. Many more would follow.
Although Mark Coleman pointed soon after Downey’s goal, a wing-back again allowed the freedom of the pitch before splitting the posts.
Hope for Clare duly arrived when Aidan McCarthy struck for the first of their goals on sixteen minutes. David McInerney won possession and it was Shane O’Donnell that added the creative spark to help the Inagh/Kilnamona man on his way to hitting the net.
O’Donnell hit the next two scores and David Fitzgerald was on target suddenly reducing the deficit to a single point on twenty one minutes.
Then it was time for the placed ball men to do the scoring, Patrick Horgan added three of the next five scores with McCarthy adding two. Clare were back on level terms when Mark Rodgers and McCarthy shot between the posts.
For the first time in the game, Clare went in front thanks to David Reidy with the Éire Óg man getting the score on thirty one minutes. Midfielder Dara Fitzgibbon equalised to leave the sides tied at the break.
Of the first five scores in the second half, Cork had three and Clare had two keeping the evenly matched nature of the tie on track.
Mark Rodgers demonstrated wonderful skill and power to finish home Clare’s second goal on thirty eight minutes. The Scariff man wonderfully won a break from an Eibhear Quilligan, he travelled the length of the Clare attack, shaking off every Cork defender that came along his path before sticking the sliotar beyond Patrick Collins.
Cork equalised with scores from Alan Connolly and Tim O’Mahony before Reidy again snuck Clare in front only for the Rebels to reply via Patrick Horgan.
Captain Tony Kelly exhibited a moment of magic on his way to scoring Clare’s third goal. He plucked the sliotar into his hand and then flicked it over the head of a Cork defender before firing beyond Collins on fifty one minutes.
Peter Duggan chipped over a sideline cut to give further belief that there was something special about how Clare were motoring.
Pat Ryan’s Cork were not rolling over and thanks to Horgan on the double, a long-range effort from Eoin Downey and the influential Seamus Harnedy they were level with fifty seven minutes on the clock.
Then Clare struck for four points in a row, two from David Fitzgerald with one each from Mark Rodgers and Diarmuid Ryan to make it a three point game with seven minutes of normal time remaining.
Scores began to dry up from here, with no movement on the board for five minutes. Cork knowing they had to pounce reeled off three points, two frees from Horgan and an effort from play via Mark Coleman.
At this stage it seemed that the game might just slip away from Clare as additional time commenced, Conor Cleary was forced off with a shoulder injury, Mark Rodgers’ involvement also ended with injury while Shane O’Donnell was struggling with a knock. It led to some rushed substitutions, Aron Shanagher though his introduction was planned was over-eager and coughed up some soft frees, the last of which saw Horgan force extra time and it came in response to yet another vital contribution from Kelly.
When it came to extra time, Aidan McCarthy was back on the field ending the cameo of Ruan’s Robin Mounsey, Darragh Lohan was now assuming the role of full-back. All over the field, bodies were beginning to tire, the odds appeared to be against Clare but the narrative was of no interest to them.
Ian Galvin had the first score on the restart, Shane Kingston replied for Cork, McCarthy added to his tally with another free before Cork had two scores thanks to Coleman and Kington.
A double save fuelled the Cork crowd, Patrick Collins made a save to deny Tony Kelly, then Kieran Joyce managed to block David Fitzgerald on the rebound.
Kelly levelled the tie once again on seventy six minutes before Joyce popped up at the other end to shove Cork back in front, to ensure the teams were tied at half time in extra time it was the man from Ballyea that split the posts.
Robbie O’Flynn struck first for Cork in the second half of extra time but Clare’s response came via an Aidan McCarthy free on eighty two minutes.
A period of five minutes without a score ensued but the dam erupted for Clare with three points on the bounce, courtesy of Tony Kelly, Aidan McCarthy and Shane Meehan which proved crucial to stop Patrick Horgan’s two late frees from stopping Clare claiming the spoils.
Overall, Clare’s collective proved superior than that of Cork, the most impressive aspect was how they withstood the setbacks in losing so many personnel and still managed to come out on top.
Leaders stood tallest when they needed with tremendous displays from Tony Kelly, Conor Leen, Diarmuid Ryan, Shane O’Donnell, Mark Rodgers, John Conlon and the entire side as Brian Lohan’s side won the All-Ireland title for the fifth time in Clare’s history.
Scorers for Clare: A. McCarthy (1-7, 0-3 frees, 1 65), T. Kelly (1-4); M. Rodgers (1-3); D. Fitzgerald, D. Ryan (0-3 each); S. O’Donnell, D. Reidy, P. Duggan (1 sideline) (0-2 each); R. Taylor, I. Galvin, S. Meehan (0-1 each).
Scorers for Cork: P. Horgan (0-12, 10 frees); S. Harnedy (0-4); T. O’Mahony, M. Coleman (0-3 each); R. Downey (1-0); B. Hayes, S. Barrett, D. Fitzgibbon, S. Kingston (0-2 each); A. Connolly, E. Downey, C. Joyce, R. O’Flynn (0-1 each).
Clare:
1: Eibhear Quilligan (Feakle)
3: Conor Cleary (Kilmaley)
2: Adam Hogan (Feakle)
4: Conor Leen (Corofin)
5: Diarmuid Ryan (Cratloe)
6: John Conlon (Clonlara)
7: David McInerney (Tulla)
9: Cathal Malone (Sixmilebridge)
10: Tony Kelly (Ballyea)
12: Peter Duggan (Clooney-Quin)
14: Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg,)
8: David Fitzgerald (Inagh/Kilnamona)
11: Mark Rodgers (Scariff)
13: Aidan McCarthy (Inagh-Kilnamona)
15: David Reidy (Éire Óg).
Subs:
21: Ryan Taylor (Clooney-Quin) for McCarthy (54)
24: Ian Galvin (Clonlara) for Reidy (58)
23: Aron Shanagher (Wolfe Tones) for Duggan (65)
20: Darragh Lohan (Wolfe Tones) for Cleary (70) (inj)
26: Robin Mounsey (Ruan) for Rodgers (72) (inj)
Aidan McCarthy for Mounsey (FT)
19: Cian Galvin (Clarecastle) for Ryan (79)
25: Shane Meehan (Banner) for O’Donnell (79) (inj)
22: Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge) for Malone
Cork:
1: Patrick Collins (Ballinhassig)
2: Niall O’ Leary (Castlelyons)
3: Eoin Downey (Glen Rovers)
4: Sean O’ Donoghue (Inniscarra) (c).
7: Mark Coleman (Blarney)
6: Robert Downey (Glen Rovers)
5: Ciaran Joyce (Castlemartyr)
8: Tim O Mahony (Newtownshandrum)
9: Darragh Fitzgibbon (Charleville)
10: Declan Dalton (Fr.O Neill’s).
11: Shane Barrett (Blarney)
12: Seamus Harnedy (St. Ita’s)
13: Patrick Horgan (Glen Rovers)
14: Alan Connolly (Blackrock)
15: Brian Hayes (St. Finbarr’s)
Subs:
21: Ethan Twomey (St.Finbarr’s) for Dalton (47)
23: Jack O Connor (Sarsfields) for Connolly (63)
24: Shane Kingston, (Douglas) for Barrett (65)
26: Robbie O’ Flynn (Erin’s Own) for Harnedy (67)
19: Tommy O Connell (Midleton) for R Downey (74) (inj)
18: Ger Millerick (Fr. O’Neill’s) for O’Donoghue (78)
20: Luke Meade (Newcestown) for O’Mahoney (84)
Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)
