Pat Ryan: Slow start to second half costly for Cork against Clare

CORK manager Pat Ryan was left to rue his team’s slow start of the second half as a key factor in the defeat to Clare.

The visitors trailed by 0-14 to 2-7 at half-time in Cusack Park but conceded seven of the first eight points of the second half, including a 15-minute scoreless spell from the throw-in.

While the seven-point margin was whittled down to two thanks to a strong response, Clare’s late goal more or less decided the outcome.

“We were happy with the first half,” Ryan said.

“We moved the ball and made a few goalscoring opportunities, probably could have had one or two more.

“We were in a very good place at half-time but just didn’t come out for the first part of the second half. In fairness, they worked the ball well and got a few scores, a few turnovers, built up a lead.

“We were very proud of our lads, the way they came back into it in the last ten or 15 minutes, a couple of subs we brought on made a bit of a difference.

“We were in a great spot with seven or eight minutes to go but Séadna Morey got inside us and got a great goal and that probably killed the game then at that stage.”

Having done well against the wind in the first half, with their challenge buttressed by goals from Patrick Horgan and Tommy O’Connell, Cork failed to push on as the expected boost from the natural resources did not materialise.

“I think that that’s it,” Ryan said. “We knew in the first half when we were against the wind that we had to work hard, really hard.

I thought we did that and created some great opportunities and goalscoring chances and could have had a few more.

“We’ll discuss it and look into that as regards what our mindset was coming out at half-time. It was a bit of a disappointing thing from our point of view and it’s something to work on going forward.”

HOME COMFORTS

With points needed to ensure a place in next year’s seven-team Division 1, Cork must effect a quick response as Kilkenny visit SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh next Saturday night.

“We’re at home new next,” Ryan said. “Obviously, we knew coming up to Clare that it wasn’t going to be easy, it’s never easy up here and Clare have a good record.

“We’re disappointed that we didn’t get the result but there are lots of good things that we’ll take and move on with it.”

In terms of injuries, Ben Cunningham is out, along with Declan Dalton, while Robert Downey is a doubt but Mark Coleman could be back in a Cork jersey for the first time since 2022.

“Ben got injured the last day with UCC,” he said. “Rob got injured in the previous game with them and he’s on the way back, we’ll just see where that is.

“He’s captain of UCC and they’re out again on Wednesday night, whether he’ll be available for that I’m not too sure. We’ll just have to see if he’d be able to back up two games in a row.

Mark should be available for next week, but probably not from the start. 

"He’s played no game since Blarney’s county final, so we might be able to get 20 or 25 minutes out of him in terms of just getting him back on the pitch.”