*David Reidy gets away from Robert Downey. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
DOWN by twelve points at half time, Clare’s senior hurlers had their own Easter Rising to rescue a draw against Cork and indeed were unlucky not to claim a memorable victory.
Clare 3-21
Cork 2-24
Venue: Zimmer Biomet Páirc Cíosóg, Ennis
Three second half goals from Aidan McCarthy, David Reidy and Peter Duggan brought Clare right back into a game they were well and truly out of.
Reidy appeared to have snuck the victory for the All-Ireland champions after converting a free on seventy six minutes but Cork were able to work one last opportunity and were awarded a free which Declan Dalton duly delivered on to ensure the sides finished on level terms.
Following a first half where Clare showed a poor first touch and were way off championship levels, the outcome of a draw is one that Brian Lohan and his management would have gladly taken it if it was offered to them when the half-time score read 2-15 0-9 in favour of Cork.
Cork lost Shane Barrett to a straight red card on fifty six minutes, the gap at this stage was nine points, the Rebels only tacked on three points for the remainder of the game while Clare hit 1-9.
An injury to centre back Robert Downey which forced his exit on forty four minutes also weakened the Cork cause but Clare were far from full strength either with Conor Cleary not deemed to be one hundred percent fit for action while Diarmuid Ryan was forced off with injury less than a quarter of an hour into the game.
So far as the first half of championship hurling for Clare, there was some woeful stuff which allowed Cork to put themselves in such a strong spot. Cork played with precision and purpose whereas Clare lacked structure and symmetry with the full-back line ripped apart with ease on far too many occasions.
A return of one point from play in the first thirty minutes of hurling is one of the statistics to demonstrate how things were going for Clare in the opening half whereas they managed to produce 3-6 from play in the second half.
Cork started with a bang, firing over a Patrick Horgan free and a Darragh Fitzgibbon effort from play. Aidan McCarthy with two frees and a Tony Kelly point had Clare within a point on ten minutes.
Brian Hayes struck for goal on twelve minutes after securing possession, rounding Darragh Lohan and batting the sliotar under the legs of Eibhear Quilligan.
Quilligan had to react quickly to deny Alan Connolly from gaoling, five minutes later after an attempted John Conlon clearance was easily read and intercepted.
Hayes did rifle the net for a second time on twenty five minutes, the Rebels working the move from the puckout, Patrick Collins finding Ethan Twomey who found Alan Connolly and he attracted the attention of too many Clare defenders which left Hayes free and only the netminder to beat giving them a 2-8 0-5 advantage.
They kept going from here with white flags from Shane Barrett and Horgan on the double plus one from Tim O’Mahony to assume a twelve point interval lead.
Confidence was low at this stage and even the manner in which Clare waited on the field for their opponents didn’t do much to inspire a lift but once the ball was thrown in, Clare struck and in their first attack of the half had a goal from Aidan McCarthy with John Conlon and David Fitzgerald influential to assist.
McCarthy had been taken off the frees after missing two chances in the opening half, Tony Kelly took Clare’s first placed ball of the second half and split the posts.
David Reidy was next to land a blow ensuring Clare had outscored Cork 2-1 0-0 inside the first five minutes of the restart. A long ball was expertly batted down by Duggan to Reidy who managed to hold off the towering Robert Downey and manufacture a shot to the back of the net.
Pat Ryan’s Cork steadied with the next three scores to recover an eight point lead. By this stage of the game, Clare had made no changes in the second half compared to Cork’s three.
When the changes were finally made by Brian Lohan and his management, they made a difference. There was confusion surrounding the introduction of Ian Galvin, initially Peter Duggan’s name was called out to be replaced which prompted members of the Banner management to point out a mistake had been made.
Galvin made quite the impact from the bench as did Aron Shanagher, Galvin scoring two points with Shanagher fielding two balls and winning the free for Clare’s last score of the game.
Nine points was the gap with sixty two minutes on the clock but a strong quarter was to follow from Clare. Mark Rodgers with a free, Galvin’s first and a tidy Cathal Malone finish saw Clare cut the gap to seven on sixty three minutes, mixed with efforts from Brian Hayes and Tim O’Mahony.
1-6 without reply saw Clare storm into the lead for the first time as the game entered additional time. Duggan landed the major, making another fine catch and holding off Eoin Downey before adding the finish.
Reidy’s seventy sixth minute appeared to have done the business for Clare only for a late free to be conceded as Cork worked the ball up the field and substitute Dalton ensured it was honours even in Ennis.
Scorers for Clare: A McCarthy 1-7 (0-6 f), T Kelly 0-5 (0-2 f), D Reidy 1-2 (0-2 f), P Duggan 1-1, M Rodgers (0-2 f), I Galvin 0-2 each, D Fitzgerald, C Malone 0-1 each.
Scorers for Cork: P Horgan 0-9 (0-6 f, 0-1 65), B Hayes 2-2, A Connolly, D Fitzgibbon 0-3 each, T O’Mahony, S Barrett 0-2 each, B Roche, S Harnedy, D Dalton (0-1 f) 0-1 each.
Clare:
1: Eibhear Quilligan (Feakle)
4: Conor Leen (Corofin)
17: Darragh Lohan (Wolfe Tones)
2: Adam Hogan (Feakle)
5: Diarmuid Ryan (Cratloe)
6: John Conlon (Clonlara)
7: David McInerney (Tulla)
9: Cathal Malone (Sixmilebridge)
13: Ryan Taylor (Clooney/Quin)
10: Tony Kelly (Ballyea)
15: David Reidy (Éire Óg)
8: David Fitzgerald (Inagh/Kilnamona)
14: Aidan McCarthy (Inagh/Kilnamona)
12: Peter Duggan (Clooney/Quin)
11: Mark Rodgers (Scariff)
Subs:
18: Cian Galvin (Clarecastle) for Ryan (14) (inj)
24: Ian Galvin (Clonlara) for McCarthy (58)
21: Aron Shangher (Wolfe Tones) for Rodgers (67)
Cork:
1: Patrick Collins (Ballinhassig)
2: Niall O’Leary (Castlelyons)
3: Eoin Downey (Glen Rovers)
4: Seán O’Donoghue (Inniscarra)
5: Ciarán Joyce (Castlemartyr)
6: Robert Downey (Glen Rovers, captain)
7: Mark Coleman (Inniscarra)
8: Tim O’Mahony (Newtownshandrum)
9: Ethan Twomey (St Finbarr’s)
12: Shane Barrett (Blarney)
11: Darragh Fitzgibbon (Charleville)
10: Séamus Harnedy (St Ita’s)
14: Alan Connolly (Blackrock)
15: Brian Hayes (St Finbarr’s)
13: Patrick Horgan (Glen Rovers)
Subs:
19: Ger Millerick (Fr O’Neills) for Downey (44) (inj)
25: Declan Dalton (Fr O’Neills) for Harnedy (48)
22: Brian Roche (Bride Rovers) for Twomey (54)
26: Shane Kingston (Douglas) for Horgan (59)
23: Diarmuid Healy (Lisgoold) for Connolly (64)
Referee: Liam Gordon (Galway)
