John Horgan: I expected Cork to beat Clare but huge win shows how fired up Rebels were

Rare as they are, there are days when the entire plan comes together and the result is to everybody's satisfaction.

For the Cork hurlers at Cusack Park last Sunday, this was one of those days when nearly everything came together.

The old adage that everything comes to those who wait could be applied to Cork's resounding victory over Clare in a NHL encounter that had significant implications for both sides at the top and bottom of Division 1A in the secondary competition.

A Cork win and a place in the league final gathered great momentum while a defeat for Clare almost certainly condemned them to Division 1B next season.

That would bring its own implications in the quality of the opposition you would encounter in the lower tier and the financial hit that the county board in the Banner county would have to take because the games in 1B come nowhere near attracting the attendance levels that you reach in the top division.

Clare had the Indian sign on Cork in the league, Munster and All-Ireland championships in recent times and the team from Leeside had come up short on too many occasions.

The time had come for things to change, Cork were waiting just too long for a win over their Munster rivals.

Prior to last Sunday's throw-in, both counties had some momentum behind them, Cork's victory the previous week over Kilkenny and Clare, despite being pointless after their opening three games, going into the Gaelic Grounds and coming away with a very significant victory over Limerick.

But games in the league at this early juncture in the season can give a very false reading and in a lot of instances, you do not know what to expect.

Teams are depleted for one reason or another, management teams are in experimental mode and on the training ground championship preparations are ongoing.

But what transpired in Ennis last Sunday, very few if anyone at all could have predicted, a six-goal hammering for the team with the Liam MacCarthy Cup in their possession.

HOME ADVANTAGE

In fact, in quite a few of the newspaper previews on Saturday the consensus was that Clare would emerge with the win after their performance against Limerick and the fact that they had home advantage on a ground that has not always been kind to Cork teams.

This time, however, it was an entirely different story on one of the best days weather-wise thus far in the year.

Cork just trampled on the All-Ireland champions almost from the word go, the forward unit had one of its best days for a very long while and by half-time the portents did not look good for the Banner.

It would have been an exaggeration to suggest that the game was done and dusted with a three-goal Cork lead after 35 minutes because we have seen many times in the past significant advantages being wiped out.

Cork excelled in that opening half, the hat-trick of goals posted by Shane Barrett, Deccie Dalton and Brian Hayes were of the highest quality and the work-rate of Pat Ryan's team all over the field was from the top drawer.

It has been often thrown at Cork teams in the past that they were found wanting in the physical stakes, not coping against physically stronger opponents.

Well, the players on duty last Sunday were not found wanting in that regard and there is no doubt this team is developing into a side that will be well able to cope in that department with anything that the championship will bring.

Ethan Twomey worked his socks off, fired over some big points while others like the returning Sean O'Donoghue, Cormac O'Brien and sub, Mick Mullins put in the hard yards.

But on this superb spring day in the Banner county, it was all about the return from the Cork front six who rained six goals down on the Clare defence.

A week earlier, three of the starting six were replaced before the final whistle, Deccie Dalton and Brian Hayes among them.

But what a difference a week makes, those two were in scintillating form this time, sharing five goals between them, Hayes with three and the Man of the Match award. Dalton was surely not far behind him where that accolade was concerned.

Shane Barrett continues on his journey to becoming one of the most important players on this team and this was certainly one of those days when the fierce competition for places in the forward sector was tellingly illustrated.

There was no Alan Connolly, no Shane Kingston and no Duds Healy, who made his maiden voyage in a Cork senior jersey such a successful one a week earlier on view here.

A mention too for Brion Saunderson who hardly did anything wrong between the sticks and exhibited what a fine number two he is to Patrick Collins.

In Cork's wildest dreams and Clare's worst nightmares, nobody saw this outcome forthcoming, all the more so given the highly competitive environment that exists in the Munster arena.

Terrific and all that Cork's display was and how outclassed Clare were, there can still be no shouting from the rooftops and be certain sure that when these two collide again on the same sod on Easter Sunday things are very likely to be much different and whoever emerges victorious, won't bang in six goals.

However, it was important at the same time for Cork to break this losing sequence over a team that has had the edge over them for far too long.

Again this outcome will not be overly relevant in the Munster championship opener but whatever bit of a psychological edge was there to be gained last Sunday, Cork grabbed it with both hands but have no doubt, this Clare trouncing will be dissected over the coming days.

And it's often said that a team learns more from a defeat than a victory.

Of course, given the number of yellows and the two reds that were handed out and how sharp the exchanges were at times, it sets it up perfectly for that championship showdown.

Cork are winning big league games now, there is the necessary momentum being gathered and there may well be a league final place coming down the line.

There would be nothing wrong with that and in a lot of instances, success breeds success.

DRIVEN

It could be said that Cork were up for this game that bit more than Clare were given the results between the counties in the past few years.

Maybe they were and they certainly set out their stall from the outset.

Scoring goals provides huge impetus for any team and while there is no such thing as the perfect performance or the perfect day, Cork put in a great shift last Sunday over the 70 minutes. Restricting the best team of 2024 to just 11 points from open play has to be looked upon as a damn good day at the Cork office.