NHL round-up: A rejuvenated Cork fought back from a six-point deficit and survived the dismissal of Niall McCarthy to signal their intent now that the 2008 panel are back in the fold. The Rebels triumphed 2-13 to 0-16 at Cusack Park to notch their first win of the campaign.
Claims that Cork would suffer from a lack of fitness following their self-imposed exile were emphatically dispelled as the returning players, with the league all but done and dusted, laid down a marker for the forthcoming championship campaign.
A lack of match sharpness may have been in evidence in the first-half as Clare, with Colin Ryan to the fore, opened an 0-11 to 0-6 lead at the break.
And things would get worse before they got better for John Considine’s men as Clare tagged on another score and McCarthy received his marching orders shortly after the interval.
But Cork were not about to roll over and Ben O’Connor’s goal, direct from a sideline cut, breathed new life into the side and Pat Horgan grabbed a second three pointer to further reduce the deficit.
Thereafter it was all Cork, as a raft of unanswered late points consigned Clare to their fourth consecutive defeat and lifted Cork off the bottom of the Division One table.
Dublin joined Kilkenny and Tipperary at the top of the standings thanks to a narrow 0-15 to 1-11 win against Waterford. Alan McCrabbe was the star man for Anthony Daly’s side as Dublin pressed their claim for a place in the final. Kilkenny lead the way on points difference thanks to a resounding 5-17 to 1-12 win over Tipperary.
National Hurling League Results
Saturday
Division 3A
Mayo 0-12 0-07 Armagh
Kildare 3-15 1-17 Derry
Division 3B
Donegal 3-19 0-09 Tyrone
Sunday
Division 1
Galway 1-14 1-12 Limerick
Dublin 0-15 1-11 Waterford
Kilkenny 5-17 1-12 Tipperary
Clare 0-16 2-13 Cork
Division 2
Down 0-14 2-21 Offaly
Carlow 3-12 1-15 Antrim
Kerry 0-12 0-17 Laois
Wexford 3-15 2-14 Westmeath
Division 3A
Meath 2-16 1-19 Wicklow
Division 3B
London 3-12 1-10 Fingal
Longford 1-08 3-18 Louth
Division 4
Leitrim 0-15 0-12 Cavan
Fermanagh 2-08 2-15 Monaghan
South Down 2-10 1-13 Sligo