Cork’s Munster hopes recede further as Clare bounce back to take six-goal thriller

Cork’s Munster SHC prospects are hanging by a thread after they lost out in a six-goal thriller at Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

All the goals came in the second half as Clare came from seven points down to recover after last week’s collapse against Limerick.

The concession of three more goals will concern them again, but for now, there is relief after their championship challenge got back on track.

Without Tony Kelly, who was withdrawn from the squad beforehand, Shane O’Donnell again led superbly, scoring a goal and setting up another for Mark Rodgers.

But they were helped by the dismissal of Seán O’Donoghue in the 53rd minute for a second yellow card after he needlessly barged O’Donnell off the ball, having made a great covering tackle on Rodgers as a certain goal loomed.

From the free, Aidan McCarthy levelled, 1-20 each, and within minutes, O’Donnell was spinning to score a second Clare goal after a lung-bursting Diarmuid Ryan run.

Clare had the edge again, having been 1-17 to 0-13 down in the 39th minute after a whirlwind start to the second half for the home side.

Cork had led by 0-14 to 0-12 at the break and built on that with a goal from Patrick Horgan from a clever flick after Adam Hogan failed to deal with a lengthy Patrick Collins puckout.

David Fitzgerald came to life in the second half and got the third Clare goal on 63 minutes as gaps appeared, turning inside Eoin Downey to make it 3-22 to 1-23.

There was life in 14-man Cork yet, however, and Horgan rammed a free home with power from close range on 66 minutes to cut a six-point gap in half.

Clare got five ahead again as the extra man told, but there were more anxious moments when Rob Downey got forward for a third Cork goal after Darragh Fitzgibbon had been blocked.

It had been a testy second half and tensions rose everywhere. But with wind advantage and Rodgers, Reidy and O’Donnell in such energetic form, Cork struggled in defence.

Clare had established a three-point lead and O’Donnell looked dangerous early on, but gradually Cork got to grips with him and other Banner threats and were level by the ninth minute, 0-3 each, before Horgan put them ahead, 0-5 to 0-4, through a free.

Clare would lead three more times in the half, but Cork never let them out of their sights and were always willing to run at the Clare defenders, knowing there were openings.

Fitzgibbon made one such incision on 26 minutes when Shane Barrett put him through, but the midfielder’s shot wasn’t crisp and Éibhear Quilligan stopped it.

But when Fitzgibbon levelled, 0-11 each from a tight angle off his left as he hugged the sideline on 34 minutes, the energy surged through the 36,814 crowd.

They put pressure on the puck-out and were rewarded with points from Declan Dalton and Ciaran Joyce after Dalton had put them ahead from a free after Fitzgerald, subdued in the opening half, had overcarried to forge a three-point lead, pared back to two when McCarthy converted a free to leave it 0-14 to 0-12 at the break.

For Clare, Hogan and Ryan excelled in defence in addition to Rodgers, who hit 1-6, O’Donnell and Reidy while Fitzgibbon and Joyce were electrifying at times for Cork and Horgan landed 2-10.

But the extensive makeover given to the team midweek, with six changes from the Waterford game, didn’t have the desired effect and Cork must now beat All-Ireland champions Limerick next time out to survive.

SCORERS – Cork: P Horgan 2-10 (1-7fs, 2 65s); D Dalton 0-4 (3fs); R Downey 1-0; S Harnedy 0-3; A Connolly, D Fitzgibbon 0-2 each; T O’Mahony, C Joyce, S Kingston all 0-1 each. Clare: A McCarthy 0-10 (8fs); M Rodgers 1-6 (0-1f, 0-1sl); D Fitzgerald, S O’Donnell 1-1 each; D Reidy 0-3; P Duggan, D Ryan 0-2 each, D McInerney 0-1.

CORK: P Collins: N O’Leary, S O’Donoghue, E Downey; T O’Mahony, C Joyce, R Downey; E Twomey, D Fitzgibbon; D Dalton, S Barrett, S Harnedy; B Hayes, A Connolly, P Horgan. Subs: M Coleman for Twomey (49), R O’Flynn for Dalton (51), L Meade for Harnedy (54), S Kingston for Hayes (59), D Cahalane for O’Mahony inj (65)

CLARE: E Quilligan; R Hayes, C Cleary, R Hayes; D Ryan, J Conlon, D McInerney; C Malone, C Galvin; D Fitzgerald, D Reidy, P Duggan; A McCarthy, S O’Donnell, M Rodgers. Subs: S Morey for Galvin (52), C Leen for McInerney (62), P Flanagan for Conlon (70), A Shanagher for McCarthy (70+4)

REFEREE: J Owens (Wexford)

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