Munster Senior Hurling Championship – Sunday, 16th June 2019
Clare 2-23 Cork 2-18
Clare are out of the All-Ireland senior hurling championship despite putting in a spirited performance against Cork in Cusack Park.
The Banner were five point winners over the Rebels but Tipperary’s victory over Limerick meant the result was enough.
Ultimately, it was Clare’s performances against the latter two that saw them fall through the exit door but supporters could take some heart that they went down fighting.
And from the start, their intent was evident as Shane O’Donnell had the ball in the net from the first play before Aidan McCarthy made it 1-1 to 0-0.
Patrick Horgan disrupted the momentum briefly with a Cork goal on two minutes in a pulsating tie but after finishing the first nine minutes level at 1-4 apiece, Clare gained ground in the second quarter.
Tony Kelly and Daniel Kearney traded white flags before five unanswered Banner points from Peter Duggan (3), Colm Galvin and John Conlon made it 1-10 to 1-5 on 31 minutes.
Alan Cadogen’s third Cork score broke the scoring spree but Tony Kelly hit back with Clare’s second goal and they led 2-10 to 1-8 at half-time following two Patrick Horgan frees.
John Meyler’s team started the second half brightly with four unanswered scores before Clare replied through a Peter Duggan hat-trick.
Diarmuid Ryan and Colm Galvin also got in on the act as Clare stretched 2-18 to 1-16 clear but following Seamus Harnedy’s response, Patrick Horgan’s second goal left it just 2-18 to 2-17 with four minutes remaining.
Clare’s character had been questioned over the two previous weeks but they gave an emphatic response outscoring their opponents by 0-5 to 0-1 in the closing stages.
Peter Duggan (2) and Colm Galvin hit the target before a Patrick Horgan free. Substitute Cathal McInerney supplied the insurance points as Clare exited the championship only on scoring difference.
Scorers – Clare: Peter Duggan 0-12, Tony Kelly 1-2, Shane O’Donnell 1-0, Colm Galvin 0-3, Diarmuid Ryan 0-2, Cathal McInerney 0-2, Aidan McCarthy 0-1, John Conlon 0-1.
Scorers – Cork: Patrick Horgan 2-9, Alan Cadogen 0-4, Darragh Fitzgibbon 0-2, Daniel Kearney 0-1, Shane Kingston 0-1, Seamus Harnedy 0-1.
Clare: Donal Tuohy; Patrick O’Connor, David McInerney, Jason McCarthy; Cathal Malone, Jack Browne, Conor Cleary; Aidan McCarthy, Colm Galvin; Peter Duggan, Tony Kelly, Diarmuid Ryan; Shane O’Donnell, John Conlon, Seadna Morey.
