Colm Collins proud of the Clare spirit shown against Cork

Clare 0-14 - Cork 0-12: The snowflakes were swirling around Páirc Uí Rinn as the Clare footballers headed to the dressing rooms at the final whistle last Saturday night, but the men from the Banner weren’t feeling the chill.

They’d beaten Cork in the NFL Division 2 clash and were a happy bunch, as were the small group of supporters who’d come down from Clare. They waited by the pitch entrance to salute their players, making light of the arctic conditions. The cold never bothered them anyway.

Clare were well worth their win. Inside the opening 10 minutes they had carved Cork open twice for goal chances, both of which they missed, and they overturned a two-point deficit at half-time to surge ahead. Though it wasn’t a game where either team established a commanding lead, it was the visitors who had the wherewithal — and critically, the patience — to hold the ball until a chance presented itself, and late on they hit the vital points that got them over the line.