Cork had game won before throw-in
How?
The changes they made in the starting line-up, and for this great credit to Jimmy Barry-Murphy and the Cork management team. You know the old saying, ‘Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me?’ Cork weren’t going to be fooled this year and they had their team lined up perfectly yesterday.
Stephen McDonnell to full-back on Conor McGrath, probably Clare’s most lethal forward — that worked a treat. Christopher Joyce on Tony Kelly, an athlete on an athlete — that worked. And Shane O’Neill on Podge Collins — again, a danger snuffed out.
Those three Clare players did untold damage for Clare last year; those three Cork players won those individual battles yesterday.
Then you go to Damien Cahalane at wing-back, another move that worked — what a point he got.
The two for Cork though who really made the biggest impact yesterday were the two midfielders, Daniel Kearney and Aidan Walsh.
I wonder, is there a better athlete in the GAA than Aidan Walsh? Because if there is, I’ve yet to see him. His work rate is phenomenal, his powerful running, and as for his leaping ability...
Then up front you had Patrick Horgan. What did he score, 2-11?
I know they were all from placed balls but Patrick did something yesterday that we haven’t seen in Thurles for a while. He shook the cobwebs from the net at both ends of the field.
He proved too that Cork never needed Anthony Nash to come up the field to take those penalties. Both of Patrick’s goals came from balls that he lifted well outside the 20m line, hit from just outside it, yet both were hit with such force that the net was shaking almost in the instant the ball left his hurley. What a ball striker.
I must mention another couple of newcomers also. Up front there was Alan Cadogan, a real livewire who proved a thorn for the defence again yesterday, scored three points but how many points were got from frees on him, never mind the first half goal by Horgan?
Then there was Mark Ellis at centre-back. He went off injured near the end and it was only then the Cork defence looked vulnerable. Cork will be hoping he’ll be fit for the Munster final, likewise Daniel Kearney. I think Daniel though probably just ran himself into the ground.
I’ve mentioned Anthony Nash, I’m going to mention him again now. Anthony is the All Star goalkeeper for the last two years and no-one can argue with that, but he was at fault for the two Clare goals yesterday. He should have cleared the first ball out to the side — safety first and should either have claimed the ball for the second goal or stayed back on his line.
When the defence is wondering about the goalkeeper, that’s never a good thing. Anthony needs to be more assured in those situations, full concentration needed at all times.
That’s just nit-picking though. Cork were far better than Clare yesterday, better prepared mentally and physically, better positioned also. Forget the final scoreline, there was more than five points of a difference and they go into the Munster final now in better shape than this time last year. It’s going to be some final.
Clare have to learn now. This was a poor performance yesterday, poorer than the equivalent game last year. I wonder how much Domhnall O’Donovan was missed? Why wasn’t he started? In fact were it not for David McInerney, Clare would have had a far worse defeat.
Discipline is a problem also. Several of the Clare players have lost their form and complaints about the referee aside, when you lose form and are beaten to the ball you tend to foul.
That’s the nature of the game. So it was that the likes of Brendan Bugler was caught several times. So it was that Patrick Horgan got all 2-11 from placed balls — he doesn’t miss.
There isn’t a lot a team management can do about those fouls, but there is something they can do about those who are conceding and I’d say training will be interesting in Cusack Park over the coming few weeks!
Clare knew teams were going to come to terms with the game they’ve developed over the last couple of years and the challenge now is to develop a style again.
Quick word on Saturday night: A very poor game, atrocious shooting, but led by Conal Keaney Dublin deserved their win. They have a lot of improving to do for the final though, as do Wexford if they want to advance in the qualifiers.
