Munster MHC: Cork close on final with comfortable win over Clare

A win or a draw for Cork at home to Limerick will send them through to the Munster MHC final against Tipperary. Clare must wait on other results to discover whether they progress to the All-Ireland series

Tadhg McCarthy scored 1-2 for Cork in their Munster MHC victory over Clare. Pic: Eddie O'Hare

Munster MHC: Cork 1-22 Clare 1-12 

Cork never trailed at any stage as a comfortable win over Clare at Páirc Uí Rinn last night put them one game away from a place in the Electric Ireland Munster MHC final.

Leading by two points, 0-10 to 1-5, at half-time after Clare had got themselves back into the game coming up to the interval, Cork seized control on the restart as Seán Riordan landed a point and then a super catch from a puckout by captain Eoin Considine – playing his first game after injury kept out up to now – set in train a fine move that saw Callum Coffey pass to Tadhg McCarthy to finish to the net.

While Clare did keep pace in the immediate aftermath of that as Isaac Hassett and goalkeeper Patrick Murphy (free) had points, Cork replied each time through Coffey – the attacker had also missed the first two matches and finished with four from play – and their lead was never less than six following a super McCarthy point to make it 1-14 to 1-8.

Bobby Power impressed after his promotion to the starting 15, a fine performance at centre-forward augmented by some excellent dead-ball accuracy after taking over the frees, and the ten-point lead could even have been more as Cork went close to finding the net again.

The result means that Clare must wait on the results of next Friday’s matches to see if they advance to the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals though the dent to scoring difference here could be costly. Cork’s task is more clear-cut: a win or a draw at home to Limerick will send them through to the final against Tipperary.

Their last outing was a seven-point loss to Tipp, but the return of Considine and Coffey were big boosts, albeit offset by the loss of full-back Howard O’Donovan while Tadhg Murphy was restricted to a substitute appearance.

They led throughout the first half, with Coffey, Power and Sam Ring among the scores as they pushed into an 0-8 to 0-4 advantage. Ring went close to a goal, denied by good Seán Connellan defending, while Patrick Murphy denied Ger O’Regan, but instead the first green flag went Clare’s way.

James O’Donnell was the architect and the finisher, jinking in from the left sideline and evading two challenges before finishing well to leave a point in it on 27 – the deficit was wiped out by a Ben Talty free.

However, the Cork reacted well and Considine and Seán Riordan combined to set up Coffey, with a foul on him allowing Ring to get his third.

Then, in injury time, hard work from the impressive Power yielded a long-range free – they had proven troublesome up to then but Power pointed for a 0-10 to 1-5 lead and the strong start to the second half allowed them to tighten their grip on proceedings.

Scorers for Cork: B Power 0-8 (0-4 f), T McCarthy 1-2, C Coffey 0-4, S Ring 0-3 (0-2 f), C Murphy 0-2, T Murphy, S Riordan, R Cagney 0-1 each.

Scorers for Clare: B Talty 0-6 (0-4 f), J O’Donnell 1-2, I Hassett, C Mullins, M Sheehan, P Murphy (0-1 f) 0-1 each.

CORK: M Walsh (Youghal); J Batterbury (Castletownroche), F Cahill (Midleton), N Coffey (Na Piarsaigh); E Considine (Sarsfields), D Nolan (Erin’s Own), C Barry (Bride Rovers); S Riordan (Kilworth), S McHugh (Newtownshandrum); T McCarthy (Watergrasshill), B Power (Ballincollig), L O’Regan (St Finbarr’s); S Ring (Carrigtwohill), C Coffey (Na Piarsaigh), C Murphy (Ballinora).

Subs: T Murphy (Cloughduv) for Riordan (41), R Cagney (Mallow) for O’Regan (45), T Huggins (Sarsfields) for McCarthy, D Barry (Douglas) for Murphy (both 53), G Kingston (Mallow) for Considine (58).

CLARE: P Murphy (Tulla); M Fitzpatrick (Clooney-Quin), C Maxted (Clooney-Quin), O Perill (Crusheen); P Murphy (Corofin), C Daly (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield), S Connellan (Kilmaley); O Duignan (Banner), I Hassett (Clooney-Quin); J O’Donnell (Broadford), G Madden (Scarriff), C Mullins (Sixmilebridge); D McKenna (Scarriff), N Belenko (Tulla), B Talty (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield).

Subs: D Seery (Inagh-Kilnamona) for Duignan, F Daffy (Inagh-Kilnamona) for Madden (both 43), C Coffey (Banner) for McKenna, M Sheehan (Ruan) for Belenko (50), S Daly (Kilmaley) for Connellan (53).

Referee: C Ryan (Tipperary).