Defeat for Cork hurlers in league opener against Clare

Clare 1-25 Cork 2-19

CORK never led as they opened their Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Group A campaign with defeat to Clare in Ennis on Sunday.

Before a crowd of 7,380 in Ennis, Pat Ryan’s side trailed by a point after playing against the wind in the first half but endured 15 scoreless minutes at the start of the second half, allowing Clare to frank their advantage, and parity was never achieved.

Goals from Patrick Horgan and Tommy O’Connell had helped Cork to go in down by just a point, 0-14 to 2-7. However, the concession of avoidable frees on the resumption allowed Clare’s primary marksman Mark Rodgers to tack on four unanswered points in the opening eight minutes.

When David Reidy scored his second point of the game, it was 0-19 to 2-7 and it took until the 50th minute for Cork’s tally to be augmented as Horgan scored a free.

Even then, the elements were not harnessed satisfactorily as Cathal Malone set up the hardworking David Fitzgerald for his second and Rodgers brought his total to 11 with another free.

A good point from captain Seán O’Donoghue reignited the Cork challenge before Horgan set up O’Flynn and then landed a free from distance to leave just four in it.

Rodgers’ 12th pushed Clare further ahead but Cork had the momentum, evidenced by a Joyce point from halfway before another Horgan following a foul as a delivery arrived inside.

That was followed by a Conor Lehane point and the lead was down to just two, 0-22 to 2-14, but Clare struck back strongly. It was fitting that the Fitzgerald should play such a key role, winning a 50-50 ball on the left sideline and then placing a wonderful pass into the hand of Séadna Morey, who had charged forward from midfield. While he was tracked well by Micheál Mullins, Morey did enough to make space for a shot, giving Patrick Collins no chance.

Sub Shane Barrett did reduce the impact of the goal with a pair of quick points to leave it 1-22 to 2-16, but Clare saw out the game to get off to a winning start.

With Kilkenny visiting SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh next Saturday night, the Rebels will be seeking a strong response, given the importance of a top-three finish in this year’s league.

Prior to Horgan’s first-half goal, Cork had fallen into a 0-9 to 0-3 deficit, though things could have been much different had an early opportunity been taken. When Brian Roche found Robbie O’Flynn, he turned Conor Cleary to give himself an unimpeded avenue towards goal but, with Horgan an option in the middle, his shot from a narrow angle went into the side netting.

Rodgers’ early frees, allied to a pair of points from midfielder Cathal Malone and good work from David Fitzgerald in the half-forward line, helped Brian Lohan’s side to ease clear.

Hope arrived in the 19th minute as O’Connell fed Seán Twomey, allowing him to make a searing run through the middle. He passed to Shane Kingston, who in turn imparted the ball to Horgan and he did the rest.

When Horgan added a free, the lead was down to just two points though on 25 Clare might have wiped out the goal advantage. Fitzgerald latched on to a break from a puckout and drove towards the Cork before passing to Rodgers, but his shot was brilliantly saved by Patrick Collins.

Rodgers did convert the 65 for an 0-11 to 1-5 advantage but that margin was wiped out with the next play. When Horgan took a quick sideline on the right, O’Flynn did brilliantly to find O’Connell in space and he crashed a shot high beyond Eibhear Quilligan to tie the game.

Cork couldn’t find a lead score in the six minutes from there to half-time while a few long-range frees were not converted, but a one-point deficit looked manageable.

Unfortunately, Clare seized the initiative on the restart and did not let it go.

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

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

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

Subs: S Morey for Donnellan (half-time), P Duggan for Sheedy (50), S Meehan for McCarthy (54), P Crotty for Mounsey (60), K Smyth for Reidy (69).

CORK: P Collins; N O’Leary, E Roche, S O’Donoghue; 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 Hayes (55), M Mullins for Carey (62), R Cotter for O’Flynn (68), J O’Connor for Lehane (69).

Referee: M Kennedy (Tipperary).