Lively Rebel attack has more to offer than Clare

OVERNIGHT, the elimination of Galway meant the race for the Liam McCarthy Cup took an unexpected turn because of the dramatic upsurge in Cork’s form, even if it was the dismissal of Donal Óg Cusack which largely inspired a remarkable second-half display in Semple Stadium last Saturday.

With no disrespect to either Wexford or Clare, effectively it means that the GAA All-Ireland SHC is now a three-horse race, with Kilkenny still best equipped to succeed, Tipperary rightly viewed as very serious challengers and Cork now back in the frame.

And, for Gerald McCarthy and his players, there is the tantalising prospect of an All-Ireland semi-final appearance against Kilkenny on August 10 and doing what Cork did in the 2004 decider — and what Kilkenny themselves managed two years later — namely stopping them in their bid for three-in-a-row.