Clare win out over Cork in nail-biting finish
Clare took the honours in this Division 2 clash on a bitterly cold night in Pairc Ui Rinn.
Cork defended the scoreboard end in the first half and opened the scoring with a good Mark Collins point, Clare responding with a David Tubridy free.
Clare wasted two good goal chances before Tubridy added another free - Colm O’Neill hit two points in the 17th minute, however, to put Cork ahead, and captain Ian Maguire made it 0-4 to 0-2 on 19 minutes.
Tubridy (free) and Jamie Malone levelled the game for Clare by the 26th minute, but Cork regained the momentum through Cian Dorgan and Collins (free); Gary Brennan ranged upfield for a good Clare point but there was time enough before half-time for John O’Rourke to point - and for Cork to hit the woodwork twice in the same passage of play. Cork led 0-7 to 0-5 at the break.
The second half began with a flurry of scores - Clare points from Brennan and Eoin Cleary, with O’Neill replying for Cork. Another Cleary point tied the game up on 44 minutes, eight apiece, but John O’Rourke pointed within a minute.
Going into the final quarter Jamie Malone pushed Clare ahead and a well-worked Keelan Sexton point gave them some daylight, 0-11 to 0-9.
Collins (free) made it a one-point game with 12 minutes left but Brennan’s fine individual effort restored Clare’s two point lead.
With four minutes left sub Stephen Sherlock cut Clare’s lead to one and O’Neill’s late free levelled matters.
Malone surged downfield for the Clare lead point from distance, however, and in injury time Brennan made it safe.
C. O’Neill (1 free)(0-4); M. Collins (2 frees) (0-3); J. O’Rourke (0-2); I. Maguire, C. Dorgan, S. Sherlock (0-1 each).
D. Tubridy (frees), E. Cleary (2 frees), G. Brennan, J. Malone (0-3 each); K. Sexton (0-1).
M. White, S. Ryan, J. O’Sullivan, K. Crowley, M. Taylor, K. Flahive, T. Clancy, I. Maguire (c), C. O’Hanlon, C. Dorgan, M. Collins, P. Kelleher, J. O’Rourke, C. O’Neill, M. Hurley.
S Sherlock for Kelleher and D. O’Connor for Dorgan (both 53); C. Kiely for Taylor (59); S. Wilson for Kiely (black card, 60); D. O’Callaghan for Hurley (69); M. McSweeney for Clancy (black card, 71).
E. Tubridy, C. O’Dea, C. Brennan, E. Collins, J. Malone, A. Fitzgerald, P. Lillis, G. Brennan (c), C. O’Connor, K. Malone, E. Cleary, S. Collins, S. O’Donoghue, K. Sexton D. Tubridy.
C. Finucane for S. Collins (66); S. Malone for E. Collins (70); E. Courtney for D. Tubridy (73).
P. O’Sullivan (Kerry).
