Tactics Board: Can Cork keep their heads against Clare's deep wall?

Clare will focus on reducing the space, putting decision-making pressure on the likes of Mark Coleman or Tim O'Mahony

Fri, 29 Apr, 2022 - 14:52

Barry Cleary

This weekend sees two teams enter battle off very different opening results. Cork were fancied to beat Limerick but felt the brunt of a super team looking to shake off a league hangover. Clare went into the home of hurling and ran riot for 35 minutes.

This pair served an epic battle last year with Cork holding on, just about, to win 3-19 to 1-23. Tony Kelly had a last-minute goal chance to steal the game, Clare having already scored 1-1 in injury time.

Key elements that may decide this game

1. Clare’s long puckout

Last week’s win saw Clare’s long puckout cause trouble in the first half against Tipp, for one main reason – a helping wind. The extra 10-15 metres added to Eibhear Quilligan's puckout allowed him to hit directly onto Peter Duggan inside the Tipperay 45m. Six longer puckouts in the first half were won five times by Clare and put pressure on James Quigley.

When Quilligan landed puckouts onto the Clare midfield or half-forward line they lost heavily, winning only four of 18 (22%), leading to eight shots conceded, which Tipp only turned into 1-2 on a very wasteful day.

If Clare don’t have a slight breeze to help carry that extra distance over Cork’s half-back line they may struggle to get themselves into the game.

Quilligan has also employed a tactic of quick short puckouts to start attacks after any opposition wide. This clever plpoy reduces Clare’s need to puck long but is referee dependent. Will the man in the middle allow Quilligan’s speed of strike?

2 Can Cork keep their heads?

The distinctive tactic during Brian Lohan’s term has been the playing of Ryan Taylor as a third midfielder. with an inside forward moved out to the half-forward line, leaving a two-man inside line with space.

At the back, Clare like to sit tight, keeping John Conlon close to his full-back line, asking questions of the opposition's method of attack.

In the 2021 Munster Championship, Waterford were found wanting when faced with a Clare defence that would not be drawn out. Waterford were given as much freedom as they wanted up to their own 50m, but Clare held 12 men in a defensive shape that gave them extra bodies defending any delivery.

Any ball turned over by Clare or won from a Waterford puckout was returned with interest – Clare picking a shoot-on-sight counter attack.

Waterford imploded mentally facing this tactic and were behind 1-13 to 0-7 at the half, with Clare having taken 28 shots to Waterford’s 13.

Wexford suffered the same fate in the qualifiers — they found themselves down 1-12 to 0-4 after 21 minutes and could not find a way to attack this Clare defensive shell. It can make teams crack. They are handed free possession and can’t find a way through the solid sea of Banner men.

Cork’s biggest fault to date is their need to play a precise pass around a defence, looking for space, lacking forwards to win the 'dirty ball'. Clare will focus on reducing the space, putting decision-making pressure on the likes of Mark Coleman or Tim O'Mahony to pick the right ball. Cork will need to keep their heads if Clare gain a lead. Chasing a lead against a solid defence has made many a coach and hurler lose composure and panic.

3 How do Clare and Cork get their big stars firing?

Tony Kelly did his best Roy of the Rovers impression against Cork last season, scoring 0-5 from play, 1-7 from placed ball while also assisting 1-2 and missing a goal chance at the death. The Ballyea man had a hand in 62% of Clare’s score that day.

In Clare’s past three games against Limerick, Galway and Tipperary, Kelly has hit a cold hand by his lofty standards. He has taken 17 shots from play with a return of 0-5.

On the opposing side, Cork have Patrick Horgan struggling to impose himself from play. Horgan took one shot from play against Limerick (for 0-1), following his contribution of 0-1 from play against Waterford and Kilkenny in the league knockout stages.

That means Cork's reliable target man is now making less than half his normal per game contribution through the previous three seasons.

Can Cork find a way to get quality ball into him in space? Last year Horgan scored 0-3 from play against Clare and from 2017-19 he was a major thorn in Clare’s side scoring 2-12 from play in his four championship games.

Horgan and Kelly are capable of starring in this contest but their respective managers might have to tweak tactics to get them in the best position to score.