Clare decommissioned Cork's main weapon to win All-Ireland battle

On both days against Limerick, Cork had mined an accumulated total of 4-26 off their own restart, 3-19 of which had come from their booming long puckout. Yesterday, that tally was just 0-6 – across the guts of 100 minutes. Incredible.

Cork goalkeeper Patrick Collins dejected after his side's defeat against Clare in the All-Ireland hurling final. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

If Cork wanted to plunge a dagger into Clare’s heart, the first rapier thrust was a piercing and potentially deadly lance. Eibhear Quilligan boomed his puckout down on top of Peter Duggan, Clare’s best puckout target, the player who had rinsed Cork in the air when the sides met in April. And Downey caught it over Duggan’s head.

That was a win it itself but Downey, as he had done when scoring Cork’s inspirational opening point in the All-Ireland semi-final, identified the space and opportunity in front of him – and kept going. And going. And going.