Clare and Cork clashed in the Electric Ireland Munster MHC. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Electric Ireland Munster MHC
Cork 3-24 Clare 3-17
By Eoin Brennan at Dr. Daly Park, Tulla
Cork’s first Munster Minor victory over Clare in five years was worth the wait in what was an emphatic 12 point turnaround in Dr. Daly Park in Tulla.
Needing to keep pace with a flawless Waterford, it was the Rebels who stepped up superbly, with a pivotal third quarter surge of 1-9 to 0-2 effectively sealing a second successive victory of the campaign.
Only trailing by the minimum by the break, Fergal McCormack’s side hit the ground sprinting on the resumption as backed by the conditions, Craig O’Sullivan’s six point haul helped his side raid for eight of the first nine points of the new half.
Two final quarter opportunist goals for Callum Coffey completed a memorable hat-trick as Cork eased to the points ahead of a top-of-the-table showdown with the Deise in Páirc Ui Rinn in two weeks time.
All that after Clare had set a scorching early pace as returning pair Paul Rodgers and Liam Murphy combined for the latter to score a brace of goals in the first six minutes. The visitors hit straight back, with Cormac Deane gathering the restart and weaving his way through the heart of the home defence before offloading to Coffey to spectacularly open his account at 2-2 to 1-3.
Finally reeling in their hosts fully through the unerring Craig O’Sullivan by the eighth minute, the sides would be locked together on five further occasions before John Barry edged Clare clear in injury-time at 2-08 to 1-10 by the break.
With wing-backs Michael T Brosnan and Colm Garde excelling and Cormac Deane expertly pulling the strings, Cork welcomed the conditions to assume complete control on the restart. However, it was Callum Coffey’s second goal entering the final quarter, following great work from substitute Sean Coughlan, that really proved decisive as it came only minutes after Ian O’Brien had been thwarted by goalkeeper Tom Walsh at the other end.
Now nine clear, a buoyant Cork would actually stretch the gap to eleven when excellent poacher Coffey grabbed a third goal in the 53rd minute at 3-22 to 2-14.
Clare did receive a slice of much-needed fortune in injury-time when John Barry’s innocuous shot managed to find itself in the net. However, it merely served to keep the final damage below double figures as a rampant Cork maintained their push for a first final appearance since being beaten by the Banner in 2023.
Scorers for Cork: Craig O’Sullivan (0-14, 6f, 2’65), Callum Coffey 3-1, Cormac Deane 0-3, Eoghan O’Shea 0-2, Michael T Brosnan, Ryan Dineen, Tom A Walsh, Evan Connolly 0-1 each.
Scorers for Clare: John Barry 1-5 (3fs), Liam Murphy 2-2, Paul Rodgers 0-5 (1f), Zak Phelan 0-2, Ian O’Brien, Colm Daly, Jake Gibbons 0-1 each.
Cork: Tom C Walsh; Darragh Heavin, Denis Fitzgerald, Cian Lawton; Michael T Brosnan, Bobby Carroll, Colm Garde; Tom Walsh, Jack Counihan; Ruairc Donovan, Cormac Deane, Ryan Dineen; Craig O’Sullivan, Callum Coffey, Eoghan O’Shea
Subs: Sean Coughlan for Counihan (42), Sam Ring for Donovan (52), Evan Connolly for Dineen (54), Charlie Hanratty for Tom A Walsh (59), Senan Carroll for O’Shea (62).
Clare: Leon Talty; Cormac Gunning, Niall Doyle, Darragh Murrihy; Zak Phelan, Evan Crimmins, Jack O’Halloran; Graham Ball, Evan Cleary; Gavin Marshall, John Barry, Ian O’Brien; James O’Donnell, Paul Rodgers, Liam Murphy
Subs: Cathal O’Doherty for Gunning (23, inj), Rory Ralph for O’Donnell (HT), Jake Gibbons for Marshall (44), Colm Daly for O’Brien (49), Jason Keane Hayes for Cleary (56).
Referee: Ciaran O’Donovan (Tipperary)
