Cork minor hurling: Team named as Fergal McCormack's side look to lower the Banner

The Cork minor hurling management have opted to stick with the same starting 15 for Saturday’s Electric Ireland Munster MHC clash with Clare in Tulla (2pm).

Having enjoyed a 2-25 to 0-21 win in their opener away to Limerick a fortnight ago, Fergal McCormack and his selectors have kept faith with the same team as they take to the mid-west again.

Cormac Deane, scorer of 1-4 from play against the Shannonsiders, is again at centre-forward, flanked by Ruairc Donovan – who scored the first goal at the TUS Gaelic Grounds – and Ryan Dineen, while Na Piarsaigh pair Craig O’Sullivan and Callum Coffey form a strong inside line with Eoghan O’Shea of Ballinhassig.

The half-back line of Michael Tadhg Brosnan (Glen Rovers), captain Bobby Carroll of Dromina and Lisgoold’s Colm Garde excelled against Limerick, with Brosnan scoring three points and Garde landing one.

Despite the 10-point winning margin on the Ennis Road, Cork’s lead might have been eroded to just a point with ten minutes left but for a superb save by goalkeeper Tom C Walsh (Aghada), while the full-back line of Darragh Heavin, Denis Fitzgerald and Cian Lawton did much to frustrate the Treatymen’s attack for the remainder of the game.

The ‘other’ Tom Walsh, midfielder Tom A Walsh of Carrigtwohill, combined well with Jack Counihan and they are again the partnership in the centre.

There are three changes on the substitutes’ bench, with Michael Quill of Blackrock, Midleton’s Senan Carroll and Adam (Sarsfields) all included among the options to come in.

While the other three counties in the round-robin have played two games, Clare – like Cork – have had just one outing to date. That was last weekend, when John Barry scored 14 points (12 frees) as they edged reigning All-Ireland minor champions Tipperary by 1-17 to 2-12 in Ennis. Midfielder Evan Cleary was another to impress for the Banner County in that match, scoring their only goal.

Given the long journey and the 2pm throw-in time, it means an early start for Cork but manager McCormack isn’t using that as an excuse.

“The results will tell you how we planned it,” he laughs.

As for now, I think the planning looks very good and to combine everything else, it's going to be pretty simple, pretty straightforward, same as the last day.

“And there'll be fellas that play well and fellas that play not so well, I don't think it'll be down to the planning.”

After the Clare match, Cork have another break of a fortnight before welcoming Waterford to Páirc Uí Rinn on Friday, April 25 at 7pm, while they round off their round-robin programme at home to Tipperary a week later at the same time.

At the culmination of the league section, the top two counties will progress directly to the Munster final, with the winners of that going straight to the All-Ireland semi-final and the runners-up in the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

The sides finishing third and fourth in Munster will contest the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals against the beaten Leinster semi-finalists.

CORK (Munster MHC v Clare): 

Tom C Walsh (Aghada); 

Darragh Heavin (Russell Rovers), Denis Fitzgerald (Bride Rovers), Cian Lawton (Midleton); 

Michael T Brosnan (Glen Rovers), Bobby Carroll (Dromina), Colm Garde (Lisgoold); 

Tom A Walsh (Carrigtwohill), Jack Counihan (Watergrasshill); 

Ruairc Donovan (Fermoy), Cormac Deane (Killeagh), Ryan Dineen (Erin’s Own); 

Craig O’Sullivan (Na Piarsaigh), Callum Coffey (Na Piarsigh), Eoghan O’Shea (Ballinhassig). 

Subs: 

Cathal Galvin (Sarsfields), Seán Coughlan (Passage), Evan Connolly (Dungourney), Sam Ring (Carrigtwohill), Michael Quill (Blackrock), Charlie Hanratty (Carrigaline), Tom O’Flynn (Sarsfields), Senan Carroll (Midleton), Adam Dunlea (Sarsfields).