Cork on a learning curve as Clare charge into final

Clare 4-17 Cork 0-18: The Munster Council have brought forward the Munster SHL final between Clare and Limerick by one week to avoid the counties meeting on successive weekends.

The pair, who were initially supposed to meet in the round-robin phase this Sunday, with the decider the following weekend, will now contest the final this Sunday at the Gaelic Grounds after yesterday’s results confirmed a Clare-Limerick finale.

Indeed, with the first round of the Fitzgibbon Cup scheduled for Sunday, January 21, last night’s decision by Munster Council top brass ensures both managements will have a full complement to choose from. That wouldn’t have been the case had Munster Council stuck to their initial fixture plan.