This article is from page 69 of the 2011-05-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 69 JPG
LESS said about this the better, really. Suffice to say Clare came to their home patch with real hope; presumably they came with a game-plan too, but whatever it was they must have left it in the dressing room because it was hard to believe after this excruciating hour that they brought it out onto the field.
It was that bad and worse as Clare endured a dark day – their biggest defeat against the Rebels at championship level in 15 years.
Yes, conceding a goal to Mark Sugrue inside 15 seconds was a hammer blow, but equally as bad was the lack of any pattern to Clare’s play – apart from bunching and following the ball like an under 10 that is.
Harsh yes, but true to as Clare were given a harsh lesson in the real realities of championship football at the knockout stage.
The goal came when midfielders Sean Kiely and Kevin Kavanagh fed Sugrue who sailed through on goal before blasting to the net. It was an exocet missile to Clare’s chances at the same time as the Rebels, despite playing against the breeze and being very profligate over the 30 minutes still cruised into a 1-5 to 0-3 lead.
Clare were scoreless until the 21st minute when Niall Hickey pointed a free, while their only point from play in the half came seven minutes later when Eoin Cleary’s goalbound effort was tipped over the bar.
Truth told, that goal effort was as good as it got from Clare as Cork turned the screw with the wind at their backs as they tacked on four points inside the first ten minutes from O’Mahony, Sugrue, the impressive MacEoin and Cian O’Sullivan to move nine clear before Eoin Cleary converted a 43rd minute free.
Cork
James McDonnell, Jamie Davis, Conor Dorman, Kevin Fulignati, Kevin Crowley, Brian O’Driscoll (0-2, one 45),Tadhg Brosnan, Sean Kiely, Kevin Kavanagh, Mark Sugrue (1-2), David Harrington, Cathal Vaughan (0-3, 2f), Dan MacEoin (0-5), Stephen O’Mahony (0-1), Cian O’Sullivan (0-2).
Subs
Alan Cadogan for Harrington (37), J Corkery (0-1) for O’Mahony (40), DMurphy for Brosnan (47), Killian McIntyre for O’Sullivan (54), Andy O’Connell for Kavanagh (57).
Clare
Darren Sexton (Kilmurry Ibrickane), OisinVaughan (Ennistymon), Jamie Malone (Corofin)(0-1), Conor Gavin (Clondegad), Stan Lineen (Kilmihil), Darragh McDonagh (St Joseph’s Miltown), Jarlath Colleran (St Joseph’s DooraBarefield),Alan O’Neill (St Joseph’s DooraBarefield), Conor Cleary (St Joseph’s Miltown), Eoin Cleary (St Joseph’s Miltown) (0-2, 1f), Ciaran Devitt (Ennistymon), Joey Rouine (Ennistymon) Martin O’Leary (Kilmihil), Niall Hickey (Kilmurry Ibrickane) (0-3f), Jack Scanlon (O’Curry’s).
Subs
WilliamFlynn (WolfeTones) for Rouine (half-time), LiamCorbett (Corofin) for Devitt (40), Craig O’Brien (WolfeTones) for Lineen (48), Eoin Donnellan (Clondegad) for Scanlon (54).
Man of the Match
Dan McEoin (Cork) Referee Sean Joy (Kerry)