Cork v Clare: Rebels on a roll as they reach Munster final

Cork 1-30 Clare 1-14

Cork are one game away from retaining the Munster SHC after a what was a comfortable win over Clare at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday.

With three round-robin wins already secured, Cork could afford anything up to a three-point loss if Limerick beat Tipperary, which they did, but the outcome rarely looked doubt.

The only time Clare led was when Tony Kelly converted a 65 for the game’s first score and Cork had moved into a 0-12 to 0-7 advantage coming up to half-time when Brian Hayes struck for a goal and the lead in the second half was never less than eight points.

It all adds up to another provincial final joust with Limerick and the two teams look to be well clear of the field in the All-Ireland reckoning. A lot may change between now and then as knockout hurling kicks in but Ben O’Connor, his squad and management can be satisfied with a 100% group-stage record.

It always seems surprising in hindsight to recall how Clare threatened early goals. Ian Galvin drew a great save from Patrick Collins leading to that opening Kelly 65 while the score was 0-2 each on six minutes when Niall O’Farrell’s delivery down the left flank for Galvin saw him get past Seán O’Donoghue and come in along. This time, his shot passed Collins and came off the post, with a goal-line scrum leading to a throw-in.

Beyond those let-offs, Cork’s hurling was sharper. Shane Barrett revelled in the latitude afforded him as John Conlon failed to dominate as he had in Clare’s win over Tipperary and the Blarney had three points registered in the opening half-hour, finishing with 0-5.

Robert Downey was declared hit after a quick return from his ankle-ligament injury and he, his brother Eoin and Mark Coleman shut down the Clare half-forward line – a 25th-minute Shane O’Donnell point was the only score from the visitors’ starting attackers.

At midfield, Tommy O’Connell maintained his fine form as he resumed his partnership with Tim O’Mahony as they nullified Kelly and Cathal Malone.

The goal that underlined Cork’s superiority in the opening half had taken time to come, but it was worth the wait. From a sideline cut by Eoin Downey, William Buckled turned early sub Rory Hayes and then linked with another of the Hayes clan, his St Finbarr’s clubmate Brian. The All-Star made no mistake as he fired beyond Éibhear Quilligan and Alan Connolly’s fourth point, a free, sent Cork in leading by nine points, 1-13 to 0-7.

Kelly’s sixth point briefly cut the gap on the restart from from the puckout, Patrick Collins went long and Hayes’s lay-off to Tim O’Mahony led to Buckley scoring his third.

After O’Connell set up Barrett for his fifth, Clare wing-back Diarmuid Ryan replied – he was the only starter for the Banner to score more than once from play – but thereafter followed a ten-minute period where Cork outscored their opponents by 0-8 to 0-1.

Hayes was withdrawn with 1-2 scored and his replacement Shane Kingston score with his first contribution while Diarmuid Healy got on the scoresheet after a hardworking performance that had showcased his distribution while Barry Walsh showed lovely skill to get his second.

The life seeped out of the game as both sides emptied the benches, Connolly finishing with ten and while there was one late disappointment as Kelly and O’Donnell set up sub Shane Meehan for a goal, Cork had done more than enough to stamp their ticket to the final.

Scorers for Cork: A Connolly 0-11 (0-8 f), S Barrett 0-5, B Hayes 1-2, W Buckley 0-4, S Kingston 0-3, B Walsh 0-2, E Downey, T O’Mahony (0-1 f), D Healy 0-1 each.

Clare: T Kelly 0-8 (0-6 f, 0-1 65), S Meehan 1-1, D Ryan 0-3, S O’Donnell, C Galvin 0-1 each.

CORK: P Collins; N O’Leary, D Cahalane, S O’Donoghue; E Downey, R Downey, M Coleman; T O’Mahony, T O’Connell; B Walsh, S Barrett, D Healy; A Connolly, B Hayes, W Buckley.

Subs: S Kingston for Hayes (45), G Millerick for Cahalane (55), C O’Brien for R Downey (57), H O’Connor for O’Mahony, P Power for B Walsh (58).

CLARE: É Quilligan; D Lohan, D McInerney, A Hogan; D Ryan, J Conlon, N O’Farrell; C Malone, T Kelly; D Fitzgerald, D Stritch, S Rynne; I Galvin, P Duggan, S O’Donnell.

Subs: R Hayes for Lohan (13, injured), D Reidy for Stritch (22-27), C Galvin for Conlon (42), J Kirwan for Fitzgerald (45), S Meehan for I Galvin (47), Reidy for Malone (57).

Referee: J Murphy (Limerick).