Munster U20: Football captain Hugh O'Connor included in Cork hurling side for Clare clash

Cork U20 football captain Hugh O’Connor will make his debut for the Rebels’ hurlers in Friday night’s oneills.com Munster U20HC semi-final against Clare.

During the spring, the Newmarket man had been committed to the football side. A star as Cork claimed provincial honours in 2023, he was skipper for the current campaign.

That came to an end with defeat to Kerry in Tralee on May Day, O’Connor Cork’s top scorer in a 1-15 to 0-12 defeat. Free to focus on hurling since, he has made his mark and the Cork management have named him at number 12 for the pivotal clash in Cusack Park in Ennis, which has a 6.45pm throw-in to allow for potential extra time and penalties.

O’Connor is the sole addition to the side, an indirect replacement for Oran O’Regan, who had lined out at centre-back in the four group games. Cillian Tobin moves from left half-back to number 6, with Ben Walsh dropping from midfield to the left wing.

Tadhg O’Connell, who had previously been operating at left half-forward, now partners Mikey Finn at centrefield. Barry O’Flynn, one of the stars of last year’s minor side, is named among the substitutes.

Cork finished level on six points with Tipperary and Clare at the conclusion of the round-robin section but the 11-point defeat to Tipp in Thurles a fortnight ago left them with a scoring difference of plus five.

Even so, that looked good enough to secure home advantage in the semi-final as Tipp led Clare at FBD Semple Stadium last Friday, but the Banner’s late scores to secure a one-point victory were enough to give them second place ahead of Cork and the home comforts that accrued. Tipp topped the section and moved directly to next Friday night's final.

Cork met Clare at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh in their second round-robin match and trailed by 0-10 to 0-3 at one stage in the first half. After a red card for Clare, they rallied with a Ross O’Sullivan goal before half-time and Jack Leahy netted in the second half, the Dungourney man finishing with 1-6 as Cork won by 2-22 to 1-19.

CORK (Munster U20HC v Clare): 

Paudie O’Sullivan (Fr O’Neills); 

Denis Cashman (Bride Rovers), Kevin Lyons (Ballygarvan), Darragh O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig, c); 

James Dwyer (Ballincollig), Cillian Tobin (Bride Rovers), Ben Walsh (Killeagh); 

Mikey Finn (Midleton), Tadhg O’Connell (Ballincollig); 

Diarmuid Healy (Lisgoold), William Buckley (St Finbarr’s), Hugh O’Connor (Newmarket); 

David Cremin (Midleton), Barry Walsh (Killeagh), Jack Leahy (Dungourney).

Subs: 

Daniel O’Connell (Dromina), James O’Brien (Fermoy), Oran O’Regan (Erin’s Own), Timmy Wilk (Cobh), Peter O’Shea (Erin’s Own), Adam O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig), Ross O’Sullivan (Na Piarsaigh), Eoin O’Leary (Glen Rovers), Barry O’Flynn (Sarsfields).