Cork football won't forget Clare's Rouine in a hurry

CLARE hero Cillian Rouine turned back the clock 26 years with his sensational winning point in the defeat of Cork in the Munster SFC in Ennis at the weekend.

In June 1997, his father Brendan was centre-back on another famous day for the Banner County, when Martin Daly pounced for an equally dramatic late score to deny Cork in the provincial semi-final.

There was an uncanny resemblance in the score lines, too, Clare edging it by 0-14 to 0-13 on this occasion and by 1-14 to 1-13 back then, but the gulf in attendance figures was stark.

A crowd of 11,376 crammed into the tight confines of Cusack Park in ’97 to witness one of the great days in Clare football, almost 8,000 greater than the official figure from Sunday’s encounter.

Francis McInerney was another to play a hugely influential role 26 years ago and his son Mark was introduced during the second-half.

Unsurprisingly, there were similar euphoric scenes at the final whistle, which was greeted by a bucketful of rain and an appreciable drop in temperatures.

Yet, Clare, who were relegated at the end of the Division 2 season, must do it all again on Saturday night week by dropping in on the Gaelic Grounds to meet fellow basement dwellers Limerick, who will also be in Division 3 next season.

The stakes are huge because in effect it’s an All-Ireland qualifier. The winner reaches the Munster final against Kerry or Tipperary, but more importantly joins the 16 teams contesting the new group stage format in the race for the Sam Maguire Cup. The losers are in the Tailteann Cup.

The defeat will have ramifications for Cork, who should still qualify for the All-Ireland unless Leinster and Ulster produce a series of unlikely results, which after the weekend’s shocks, couldn’t be ruled out but will go in as the number 4 seeds.

The opening game on May 20-28 is against a provincial runner-up, which could be Sligo or New York from Connacht or Meath in Leinster though Colm O’Rourke’s side are the most affected by Clare’s victory and are vulnerable to missing out.

To avoid that the Royals, who finished sixth in Division 2, just above the relegation places, have to qualify for the Leinster final.

Their first meeting is a quarter-final against Offaly, who pipped Longford by a point at the weekend, on Sunday week with the winners taking on either Westmeath or Louth in the semi-finals.

Both have already booked their places in the All-Ireland, Westmeath for winning last season’s Tailteann Cup and Louth by finishing third in Division 2 and immune to the unfolding events in the coming weeks.

To put it mildly, Meath are a state of some lather given the unthinkable happening and a famous county with such a rich tradition and history being condemned to the All-Ireland B championship.

Should Meath prevail and qualify for the Leinster final, then Kildare become the next county to be looking over their shoulders and their plight is compounded by having Dublin on the same side of the draw.

The Lillywhites meet Oisin McConville’s Wicklow, who accounted for Carlow by eight points, with the winners meeting either the Dubs or Laois, who defeated Wexford by four.

The side of the draw in Ulster involving Armagh against Cavan and Donegal taking on Down could also affect the final 16, notably if Cavan or Down reach the final.

Having played seven league games in nine weeks and an eighth in 11, Cork will welcome the break to regroup considering they’re not in action again for six weeks or so.

It’s an opportunity for those who require a lull in activities to put the feet or for those who need games to return to their clubs.