Cork hurlers' improvements in defence have been platform for strong Munster campaign

Cork had it all too easy against a below-par Clare. 

Ben O’Connor’s side did what they had to do, but this game was nothing like what they can expect when Limerick rock up to the Páirc in a fortnight for the Munster final.

Clare had been awful against Limerick in Ennis and were as bad on Sunday. They never looked like securing the four-point win they required to usurp the Rebels.

The Cork defence completely shut down their attack. Clare got one solitary point from play from their starting six forwards, from Shane O’Donnell in the 29th minute. They did get a bit of a bounce off the bench with Shane Meehan grabbing 1-1 and Cian Galvin a point, but their attack was well and truly beaten up on the day by a Cork side that were in no mood to let the opportunity of qualifying for the Munster final pass in front of their own fans.

Clare got 1-1 in injury time but had only scored seven points from play up until then. Cork had rifled 1-21 from play, from eight different players.

Clare had a brilliant record coming into this. Cork only managed a single victory over them in the last seven championship encounters, way back in 2021. 

Well, this was as convincing as they come, with Clare well beaten before the final whistle and picking up a lot of late yellow cards for dangerous chops, clearly frustrated by their poor showing.

It might have been different if Clare had taken some of the early goal-scoring opportunities. Patrick Collins saved from Ian Galvin in the second minute, with the Clare forward’s first touch denying him a certain goal, and four minutes later, Damian Cahalane somehow stopped Galvin’s effort on the line. Cork survived those scares, and despite one dangerous moment from Peter Duggan, looked secure until Meehan flicked home in garbage time.

Cork were easily the better side in the first half. Shane Barrett ran John Conlon ragged. He could have had a goal after a minute, and he had three points on the board by the 15th minute. 

He would end the game with 0-5, with Conlon pulled in the 42nd minute by Brian Lohan after being yellow-carded for a wild swing across Barrett. Given what happened in the All-Ireland final, the Blarney man would have enjoyed that.

William Buckley was electric in that first half too. It was a surprise to find he only got four points from play when totting the totals at the end, as he had his hands all over so many other scores too, including the assist for Brian Hayes’ goal as it effectively ended the game as a contest before half-time.

Given how poor Clare were not too much can be taken from the tie. It was a positive to see Barry Walsh and Diarmuid Healy grabbing fine scores in the second half, as well as seeing Shane Kingston snatch 0-3 off the bench to remind us what a brilliant impact he can still bring.

His 70th-minute effort brought to an end Cork’s longest spell in the game without a score, 10 minutes after Buckley's fourth white flag. The next longest spell without a score was the eight and a half minutes that preceded Brian Hayes’ 27th-minute point. 

Clare did not hit too many scores during these periods, so Cork never had to worry.

LEADERS

The Cork half-back line obliterated their men. 

The Downeys brought a physicality that Clare could not match and Mark Coleman is arguably Cork's best performer at present. He is a real leader now.

Tim O’Mahony and Niall O’Leary shut down Clare’s marquee men Tony Kelly and Shane O’Donnell. Those two have done serious damage to Cork down the years, but both were very much on the periphery.

O’Leary hobbled off late on, and Cork fans will be hoping it was only precautionary as the Castlelyons man is in the form of his life at present.