Victory not enough as Clare exit Championship

[team1]CLARE[/team1][score1]2-23[/score1][team2]CORK[/team2][score2]2-18[/score2][/score]

Clare restored pride with a battling performance but exited the Munster championship yesterday despite beating Cork in Ennis.

The game began with a first-minute Clare goal, Shane O’Donnell rounding Niall O’Leary and finishing from an acute angle. Within a minute Cork had a goal in response Patrick Horgan finishing a rebound to the net from close range.

Clare were sharper for the rest of the half, however, drawing fouls from the Cork defence which Peter Duggan converted. Still, a Daniel Kearney point on 18 minutes made it 1-5 apiece, by which time

Clare added five points to Cork’s one in the second quarter, however, and as half-time approached, a fine Tony Kelly strike made it 2-10 to 1-6.

Cork had two Patrick Horgan free as the rain spilled down, making it 2-10 to 1-8 at the break.

The visitors restarted with four points on the spin before a Duggan free opened Clare’s account. Another two Duggan points made it 2-13 to 1-12 on 45 minutes.

With the rain, thunder and lightning raging Duggan hit another free, which Horgan responded to. A Galvin point and it was 2-16 to 1-14 at the three quarter stage.

Cork stayed in touch and a Horgan goal after good work by Cooper and Harnedy made it 2-18 to 2-17 with five left; another Duggan free made it a two point game and Colm Galvin made it three with almost 70 minutes played.

Scorers for Clare: P. Duggan (0-12)(8 frees); T. Kelly (1-2); S. O’Donnell (1-0); C. Galvin (0-3); D. Ryan, C. McInerney (0-2 each); J. Conlon, A. McCarthy (0-1 each).

Scorers for Cork: P. Horgan (2-9)(8 frees); A. Cadogan (0-4); D. Fitzgibbon (0-2); S. Harnedy, S. Kingston, D. Kearney (0-1 each).

CLARE: D. Tuohy, P. O’Connor (c), D. McInerney, S. Morey, C. Malone, J. Browne, C. Cleary, J. McCarthy, C. Galvin, P. Duggan, T. Kelly, D. Ryan, S. O’Donnell, J. Conlon, A. McCarthy.

Subs: R. Taylor for A. McCarthy (HT); D. Fitzgerald for O’Connor (55); P. Collins for Conlon (blood 52-6); S. Golden for J. McCarthy (62); A. Shanagher for Conlon (66); C. McInerney for Ryan (69).

CORK: A. Nash, S. O’Donoghue, E. Cadogan, N. O’Leary, R. Downey, M. Ellis, M. Coleman, B. Cooper, D. Fitzgibbon, D. Kearney, S. Harnedy (c), L. Meade, A. Cadogan, P. Horgan, A. Walsh.

Subs: S. McDonnell for Downey, D. Cahalane for Cadogan (HT); S. Kingston for Kearney (47); C. Lehane for Walsh (52); D. Dalton for Meade (65).

Referee: P. O’Dwyer (Carlow).

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Ken Hogan, Ger Cunningham and Michael Moynihan review the weekend's hurling drama with Anthony Daly