Not a bad return as Cork turn the tables on Clare

NHL DIVISION ONE Cork 2-14 Clare 0-16ENTIRE SEASONS can change in a couple of minutes. Yesterday, after months of controversy, Cork turned up to an Allianz National Hurling League fixture with, for the first time, a recognisable team.

Unsurprisingly, their efforts to take the bare look off their points tally were complicated by a lack of sharpness and match practice.

By the 58th minute, Clare were beginning to coast, going clear by 0-16 to 1-7, as Cork struggled along with 14 players after Niall McCarthy’s red card 10 minutes earlier.

From the 63rd minute, however, the match, its destination apparently clear, simply hurtled into reverse gear. Clare, visibly on top and drawing fouls like confetti compared to their opponents, suddenly couldn’t buy a free while Cork doubled their total in 15 minutes – including a hefty five of injury-time – without response for a four-point win that places Clare in severe danger of relegation.

Their dismay at this outcome must have been intensified by the manner in which simple errors contributed so handsomely to their undoing. Jonathan Clancy whose hard work and even harder running had been impressive, miss-hit a clearance to Ben O’Connor who stuck it over the bar.

In the 65th minute, goalkeeper Philip Brennan was penalised for fouling the ball – despite complaints he had been held while trying to clear – and Pat Horgan crashed the free into the net and the margin was now down to two.

Brennan was again punished, this time for delaying the puck-out and from the resulting throw-in possession was lost, leading to a tap-over free for O’Connor.

Wing back Pat Donnellan was wide with the only response Clare managed during the meltdown of their challenge, whereas Cork managed another five points.

For much of the match Clare were better. They had to start without Gerry Quinn, cut from the panel apparently for disciplinary reasons, and James McInerney came in at wing back, with Brendan Bugler moving to centre back. In a scrappy first half, the home side had the benefit of the wind and also some excellent dead-ball striking by Colin Ryan.

Cork’s rustiness was visible in laboured attacks and poor movement, but they held their own in the opening quarter with a couple of O’Connor frees and well-taken, long-range points from Cathal Naughton and McCarthy. Overall though, with Cathal Dillon in command against Neil Ronan, Clare’s defence was coping.

Just after the break a couple of yellow cards saw the departure of Ronan Curran, for mouthing at the referee, and Tony Griffin for a second black-book offence. Clare had extended the half-time lead of 0-11 to 0-6 by a point and McCarthy had been red-carded for a tussle with Bugler when the first of Cork’s lifelines was grabbed.

Having seen a sideline cut blocked out, Ben O’Connor floated the next one in on goal where Horgan got a touch for Cork’s first goal. But at 0-12 to 1-6, Clare responded well and restored the six-point advantage with Niall Gilligan overcoming a certain sluggishness to score one and set up another for fellow sub Tony Carmody, and Brian O’Connell and Ryan added others to set the scene for the great unravelling.

Interim Cork manager John Considine was a pleased man, as he reflected on the outcome of less than a week’s training.

“Delighted. I thought we played exceptionally well. Our touch wasn’t exactly great and we were slow reacting so there’s a lot of work to be done – but maybe not as much as we thought. We were down to 14, but we had the wind.

“For the first 15 minutes after half-time we were poor and had no structure, but we found our rhythm and maybe Clare took their foot off the pedal. But the most important thing as I was saying during the week was to find out where we were at. We had only two training sessions and didn’t know where fellas were.”

Ben O’Connor said the players had been unfazed by the comeback. “Ah no. We just took it as another game. We knew it was a big one because it was our first one back. This is what we wanted, we wanted to be hurling and playing the top teams in the country. This is the first step back and, hopefully, we will be able to drive on from here. We don’t want to talk about it any more. We are back doing what we want to do now which is playing hurling.”

Clare manager Michael McNamara was trying to put a positive spin on the afternoon. “Yeah well we gave them the initiative. We gave them the scores exactly when they wanted them. We conceded scores again and goals again at inopportune times for us.

“We were coasting to a victory at that stage, but it didn’t work out. Sport has that knack of kicking you right into the face when you think you have it overcome but sport can also lift you up when you’re down.”

Spiking the gloom with a little deadpan humour he contemplated the remainder of the campaign.

“We’ve Kilkenny next week and I think if we play as well as that against Kilkenny that we’ll probably beat them.”

CLARE:P Brennan; G O'Grady (capt), C Dillon, C McMahon; J McInerney, B Bugler, P Donnellan; B O'Connell, P Vaughan (0-1); C Ryan (0-8, six frees, sideline), D McMahon (0-1), J Clancy (0-2); G Arthur, B Nugent (0-1), T Griffin (0-1). Subs:N Gilligan (0-1) for Arthur (half-time), T Carmody (0-1) for Griffin (41 minutes, yellow), E Barrett for O'Connell (60 mins), C Morey for Nugent (73 mins), A Markham for O'Grady (75 mins, yellow).

CORK:D Cusack; S O'Neill, E Cadogan, C O'Sullivan; J Gardiner (capt), R Curran, K Hartnett; T Kenny, C Naughton (0-1); B O'Connor (0-9, eight frees), N McCarthy (0-1), P Cronin; P Horgan (2-1, 1-0 free), N Ronan, K Murphy (Sarsfields, 0-1). Subs:B Corry for Ronan (half-time), K McGann for Curran (37 mins, yellow), K Murphy (Erin's Own, 0-1) for Gardiner (40 mins), P O'Sullivan for Cronin (54 mins).

Referee:A Kelly (Galway).