Ben O'Connor's Cork take advantage of 14-man Clare to edge home in U20 clash

Jack Leahy.

Clare 1-19

A COMBINED TOTAL of 1-14 from Jack Leahy and William Buckley maintained Cork’s U20 winning streak against a Clare side derailed by a 25th-minute red card for midfielder Ronan Keane.

Backed by the wind, the Banner led 0-11 to 0-5 at that juncture but Ben O’Connor’s Rebels took over with the extra man.

Leahy had been taken off the frees at half-time after three misses but re-emerged with a sensational second-half blitz of 1-4 in the subsequent 10 minutes. He finished with 1-6 while Buckley tallied 0-8, four from play.

There were plenty of All-Ireland winners on either side. Cork togged out 10 players who featured in last year’s U20 success but Ben O’Connor only had room to start eight in a stacked squad. Clare have given a major vote of confidence to last year’s minor champions, elevating seven straight into the starting team.

At the U17 grade, this Cork team inflicted a 40-point hammering on Clare, 6-28 to 0-6, but the Banner’s fortunes have dramatically risen since then.

They got off to a flier to build up a 0-10 to 0-3 lead by the 15th minute. Five of their forwards were on the board early, with Conor Whelan, who finished with 0-10, launching the first two and Ronan Kilroy picking off a pair. Centre-back James Hegarty also split the posts with a long-range missile.

Buckley was best on show for Cork with two early points before the momentum changed with Keane’s red.

A melee, which saw Clare manager Terence Fahy and a player from either side yellow-carded, hadn’t fully cooled as play resumed. Keane appeared to lean his head in on Buckley and was sent off after Nicky O’Toole consulted with his linesman.

A Ross O’Sullivan goal, after Diarmuid Healy’s initial strike was brilliantly saved by Mark Sheedy, plus two huge points from Mikey Finn cut the gap to two, 0-13 to 1-8, by half-time.

Leahy was on fire from there. He created his goal with a terrific turn to sit down his marker and rattle the top corner. They outscored the Banner 1-7 to 0-1 between the 32nd and 40th minutes to move six clear.

The gap was still six with five minutes to play when Clare briefly brought the game back to life. Substitute James Organ grabbed the sliotar out of the night sky and rifled to the roof of the net.

Cork’s response was a string of points to put the game out of sight, three from Buckley and another for Eoin O’Leary.

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Scorers for Cork: Jack Leahy 1-6 (0-2f), William Buckley 0-8 (3f, 1 65), Ross O’Sullivan 1-0, Mikey Finn 0-3, James Dwyer 0-2, Eoin O’Leary 0-2, Diarmuid Healy 0-1.

Scorers for Clare: Conor Whelan 0-10 (8f), James Organ 1-0, Ronan Kilroy 0-2, Ronan Keane 0-1, James Hegarty 0-1, Ronan O’Connor 0-1, Seán Rynne 0-1, Niall O’Farrell 0-1, Jack O’Neill 0-1, Michael Collins 0-1.

Cork

1. Paudie O’Sullivan (Fr O’Neills)

2. Denis Cashman (Bride Rovers), 3. Kevin Lyons (Ballygarvan), 4. Darragh O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig, capt)

5. James Dwyer (Ballincollig), 6. Óran O’Regan (Erins Own), 7. Cillian Tobin (Bride Rovers)

8. Mikey Finn (Midleton), 9. Ben Walsh (Killeagh)

12. David Cremin (Midleton), 13. William Buckley (St Finbarr’s), 10. Diarmuid Healy (Lisgoold)

11. Tadhg O’Connell (Ballincollig), 14. Jack Leahy (Dungourney), 15. Ross O’Sullivan (Na Piarsaigh)

Subs

23. Eoin O’Leary (Glen Rovers) for R O’Sullivan (44)

22. Adam O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig) for O’Connell (46)

19. Peter O’Shea (Erins Own) for Tobin (53)

17. James O’Brien (Fermoy) for Cashman (56-58, temporary)

24. Barry Walsh (Killeagh) for Cremin (60)

Clare

1. Mark Sheedy (Sixmilebridge)

2. John Cahill (Clooney-Quin), 3. Tony Leyden (Tulla), 6. James Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona)

7. Jamie Moylan (Cratloe), 9. Eoghan Gunning (Broadford), 17. Evan Maxted (Clooney-Quin)

8. Ronan O’Connor (Feakle), 4. Ronan Keane (Killanena)

12. Ronan Kilroy (Banner), 11. Seán Rynne (Inagh-Kilnamona), 13. Niall O’Farrell (Broadford)

10. Conor Whelan (Whitegate), 15. Michael Collins (Clonlara), 14. Jack O’Neill (Clooney-Quin)

Subs

18. James Organ (Corofin) for Collins (51)

20. Oisín O’Connor (Feakle) for R O’Connor (52)

19. Liam Crotty (Scariff) for Kilroy (60)

Referee: Nicky O’Toole (Waterford)