'We got the scoreboard working and they didn't. That was the difference' says Clare boss Brian Lohan

"I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t say we were disappointed that we didn’t get the win especially with where we were at half-time,” said Pat Ryan.

Mon, 05 Feb, 2024 - 07:00

John Fogarty

CLARE 1-25 CORK 2-19

The ironies of league hurling were on full display in Ennis as both teams performed better into the wind.

Clare’s display against it in the second half was superior and they were deserving winners having won both halves, never trailed and were on level terms for less than three minutes.

Earning four yellow cards, they were the more aggressive too and while there was evidence of rust in their link-up play as there was in Cork’s their maturity was obvious.

Of their greenhorns, Gearóid Sheehy did enough to get a second starting opportunity and Darragh Lohan, who has been on the fringes of the team, had a solid outing.

Sending over 11 placed balls, Mark Rodgers staked another claim to take over free-taking duties on a permanent basis, while David Fitzgerald again demonstrated why he is among the most improved hurlers these last few seasons. Seadna Morey, meanwhile, transformed the Clare midfield upon his arrival after the resumption.

It was Fitzgerald’s cross-field pace that created the opening for Morey to score Clare’s crucial goal in the 65th minute. Cork had shrank a seven-point deficit to two when the Sixmilebridge man found the net.

A couple of points from another replacement Shane Barrett put some heat on Clare once more but the hosts were composed in the closing stages. Morey added a point, fellow substitute Shane Meehan did the same and Rodgers fired over his final free as Shane Kingston was finding his range at the other end.

Brian Lohan was pleased with a dazzling third quarter.

“Yeah, our attitude and desire to get forward and to break the tackle. Our midfield was really good in the second half. That was a boost for us. We got the scoreboard working and they didn't. That was probably the difference in the end.”

In the individual display of Christopher Joyce, Pat Ryan found a major positive. The Castlemartyr man was taking all sorts of punishment to win possession and the odd free came his way.

Some of Cork’s support play in the first half was top drawer too. Conor Lehane was industrious playing overhead stick-passes to keep attacks interesting and it was one such ball from Robbie O’Flynn that paved the way for Tommy O’Connell’s goal.

However, the transition to playing with the wind was difficult for them. If the quality of the ball that was going into Horgan and Brian Hayes in the second half wasn’t leaving plenty to desired, it was the pace of it or lack thereof.

“Coming up to Ennis, we said to the lads before the game it was nearly the hardest game you could start the way Clare play physical,” said Ryan.

The two managers, Clare manager Brian Lohan and Cork manager Pat Ryan, shake hands after the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Group A match between Clare and Cork at Cusack Park in Ennis, Clare. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile

“We were delighted with where we were at half-time, we worked the ball, we got a couple of great goals but as regards the league we’re trying to build for the championship. But I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t say we were disappointed that we didn’t get the win especially with where we were at half-time.”

In front of a 7,380 crowd, Clare restarted 0-14 to 2-7 ahead but were unrecognisable from the first half as their hard-running shook Cork. Rodgers started with four pointed frees and it wasn’t until Patrick Horgan responded with one of his own in the 50th minute that Cork scored in that period.

Seán O’Donoghue, who opened well but was at fault for three converted frees in the second half, came up from the back to score Cork’s first from play in 22 minutes. It started a revival of sorts only for Morey’s goal to dampen it.

Clare won the toss and chose to try and harness the elements in the first half.

Indiscipline and failing to track Cork’s runners were the root causes of it. With a trio of unanswered points, Clare led by six in the 19th minute but the advantage was halved when Horgan’s drop shot prompted a green flag after strong solos through the middle by Seán Twomey and Shane Kingston in the build-up.

Patrick Collins kept out a Rodgers’ strike in the 25th minute and while the Clare forward had the consolation of converting a 65 the margin only improved to three, which was then cancelled out by a second Cork goal.

This time, it was ingenuity and vision from O’Flynn that created the score. Taking a Horgan sideline cut, he looped the ball over the Clare cover to find O’Connell running into space. He sidestepped before sending a rasping shot past Eibhear Quilligan.

Clare outscored Clare three points to two to ensure they had something to show for the half at the interval but Cork could consider it half a job well done. Ultimately, that’s all it was.

Scorers for Clare: M. Rodgers (0-13, 10 frees, 1 65); S. Morey (1-1); C. Malone, R. Mounsey, D. Reidy, D. Fitzgerald (0-2 each); D. McInerney, G. Sheedy, S. Meehan (0-1 each).

Scorers for Cork: P. Horgan (1-7, 0-7 frees); T. O’Connell (1-0); S. Kingston (0-3); C. Lehane, S. Barrett (0-2 each); C. O’Brien, S. O’Donoghue, R. O’Flynn, C. Joyce, S. Twomey (0-1 each).

CLARE: E. Quilligan; A. Hogan, C. Cleary (c), P. Flanagan; D. Ryan, D. McInerney, D. Lohan; C. Malone, S. Rynne; D. Fitzgerald, R. Mounsey, G. Sheedy; D. Reidy, A. McCarthy, M. Rodgers.

Subs: S. Morey for S. Rynne (h-t); P. Duggan for G. Sheedy (50); S. Meehan for A. McCarthy (54); P. Crotty for R. Mounsey (66); K. Smyth for D. Reidy (69).

CORK: P. Collins; N. O’Leary, E. Roche, S. O’Donoghue (c); T. O’Connell, C. Joyce, C. O’Brien; B. Roche, E. Carey; S. Kingston, C. Lehane, S. Twomey; R. O’Flynn, P. Horgan, B. Hayes.

Subs: L. Meade for B. Roche (48); S. Barrett for B. Hayes (55); M. Mullins for E. Carey (62); R. Cotter for R. O’Flynn (68); J. O’Connor for C. Lehane (70).

Referee: M. Kennedy (Tipperary).