*Éanna Rouine. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
Clare’s slim chances of reaching the Munster U20 Football Championship were put out by a relentless Cork team that won their Phase Two Round Three.
Cork 5-18
Clare 0-13
SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh
By Dylan O’Connell
The Banner were simply no match for the home side, who went into the break leading 4-11 to 0-4.
That sums up the night for Michael Neylon and his players. Cork were a force to be reckoned with on home soil, so much so that they had just one wide in the entire first half.
This tore up any pre-game narrative that involved Clare winning by eleven points and going on to the Munster final. The Rebels ignored any of that noise and raced into a four point lead.
Their night started with a Sam Copps point from open play, and that was followed by a brace of placed balls put over by Ed Meyers and Ross Corkery raised one white flag during this burst.
The Rebels were just putting the ball over the bar, it was that simple. Ray O’Mahony had his players sit back when out of possession, and they had clear instruction to stop Clare advancing beyond the 45. When players like Michael Kelly did get through, an attempt to shoot by the wing-back was blocked down by Jack O’Neill.
Clare’s lack of penetration wasn’t down to poor organisation, the players were all in position and looking for the ball. Michael Neylon and his selectors had made just two changes to the team that lost to Tipperary, with Luke Pyne and Sean Neylon coming into the side, and they did everything asked of them.
Cork were just sharper, more in control, and the players on the pitch used every inch of space to create scoring opportunities.
Each one of their goals was a testament to this, and the Rebel County made every opportunity count bar one as Ross Corkery was deemed to be inside the square when he received a pass from Ed Myers.
The would be scorer already raised one green flag by that stage of the game, and the corner forward added three more points onto Cork’s tally by punching in the ball. Hugh O’Connor also hit the back of the net for the Rebels during this spell, and this made it 2-5 with less than ten minutes played at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Daire Culligan then got his first point by converting a free at the Blackrock End, and this sparked something in the Clare forward line. Only one real chance during this burst of yellow and blue activity, and a shot by Darren Keane was pushed out for a 45 that came to nothing. Cork shrugged off this minor incursion and they finished the first half with goals from Hugh O’Connor and Ross Corkery.
The Banner used half-time to regroup, and they scored nine points during the second period of play.
This was just a moral victory, the Rebels were still in control and almost everything came after Dara Sheedy got the game’s fifth goal and made it 5-15 to 0-8. Darren Keane was largely responsible for these, and he was joined by Daire Culligan and Sean McMahon on the score-board at full-time.
Michael Neylon used the time that was left to empty his bench. Colm Meaney, Oisin McNamara, and Evan Cahill all came on for the last ten minutes, but their presence counted for very little. Cork had the win, they were just waiting for the full-time whistle.
Scorers for Cork: O’Connor 2-2 (2f); Myers 1-4 (1m); Corkery 1-3 (1f), Sheedy 1-2, McSweeney 0-2, O’Neill (0-1), Copps 0-1, Daly 0-1, Twomey 0-1, O’Shaughnessy 0-1.
Scorers for Clare: Keane 0-5 (4f, 1m); Culligan 0-2 (2f), McMahon 0-2 (2f), Kelly 0-1 (1f), Pyne 0-1, Curran 0-1, Curran 0-1.
Cork:
1. Aaron Mannix (Doheny’s)
2. Dan Twomey (Ballinascarthy)
3. Mark Og O’Sullivan (Kilshannig)
4. Colin Molloy (Nemo Rangers)
5. Gearoid Daly (Mallow)
6. David Buckley (Douglas)
7. Sam Copps (Mallow)
8. Rory O’Shaughnessy (St Michaels)
9. Michael McSweeney (Knocknagree)
10. Darragh O’Brien (Glanworth)
11. Hugh O’Connor (Newmarket) Captain
12. Jack O’Neill (Castlehaven)
13. Ross Corkery (Nemo Rangers)
14. Ed Myers (Naomh Abán)
15. Dara Sheedy (Bantry Blues)
Subs:
17. Trevor Kiely (Mallow) for Buckley (HT)
21. Gearoid Kearney (Kinsale) for O’Connor (39)
20. Aaron O’Sullivan (Aghabullogue) for O’Brien (39)
18. Mark Og O’Sullivan (Bantry Blues) for Kiely (46)
23. Darragh Clifford (Eire Og) for O’ O’Shaughnessy (52)
Clare:
1. Cian Corry (Killimer)
2. Aaron Kelly (Wolfe Tones Na Sionna)
3. Sean McAllister (Clondegad)
4. Conor Kearney (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
5. Luke Pyne (Eire Og Ennis)
6. Odhran Cunningham (Kilimer)
7. Michael Kelly (Lissycasey)
8. Joshua Vaughan (Ennistymon)
9. Eanna Rouine (Ennistymon)
10. Padraic O’Dwyer (St. Breckan’s)
11. Sean McMahon (Banner)
12. Darren Keane (Lissycasey)
13. Daire Culligan (Lissycasey)
14. Sean Neylon (St. Josephs, Miltown)
15. Conor Fennell (Kilrush Shamrocks)
Subs:
20. Oisin McNamara (Michael Cusacks) for O’Dwyer (24)
17. Tom Curran (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield) for Fennell (36)
19. Colm Meaney (Clondegad) for Pyne (50)
20. Oisin McNamara (Michael Cusack’s) for Kearney (50)
23. Evan Cahill (Kilmurry Ibrickane) for Neylon (50)
Referee: Jonathon Hayes (Limerick)
