Loughnane: Cork minor standard at very low ebb

On Thursday night, as Ger Loughnane left Cusack Park following Clare’s easy win over Cork in the Munster minor championship, one would presume the result would be a source of satisfaction.

But Loughnane saw the bigger picture and it was the performance of the visitors that caused the overriding emotion and left him more worried about the state of the game than he has been for a long time.

“The standard of the Cork minors, I couldn’t believe they would ever sink so low,” Loughnane said. “I didn’t think it was possible for them to be as bad. Clare don’t propose to have a great minor team but they are honest. Cork were just deplorable and people coming out were just stunned Cork hurling could have descended to that level.