The Banner on song against The
Rebels
NHL DIVISION 1A
CLARE 0-18
CORK 0-16
 By STEPHEN
O’SHEA
A Cork side, which featured eight of the players who started the All-Ireland
final, were outfought by Clare at Pairc Ui Rinn.
Clare raced into an early lead with a rapid trio of quick-fire points
from James McInerney, Gerry Quinn and Sean McMahon. The disjointed nature
of the game meant that neither side was likely to pull clear and the free
taking of impressive debutant teenager Tom Kenny soon levelled matters
for the Rebels.
While Clare fielded many young players, it was one of their old stagers
Niall Gilligan who was instrumental in their victory. His frees pushed
the Banner back in front before more of Cork’s young talent, Ciaran
McGann, Conor Cusack and Cian O’Connor, rifled the All-Ireland champions
into a 0-6 to 0-5 lead.
More Gilligan frees left the scores 0-9 to 0-8 at the break.
The contest never hit championship pace, but the tackling was as tough
as you will see anywhere. The experienced players tended to take on the
attritional duties which complimented the flair of the younger players.
It was one such callow talent, Newtownshandrums’s Conor Naughton,
who seized the advantage for the Rebels with a brace of quality points
on the resumption. Veteran Colin Lynch replied with two of his own on
40 minutes.
The game grew more open with the drying of the sod and the scores flowed.
The sides were level for the seventh time on 55 minutes when Gerry O’Connor
arched over a point from the top drawer.
Gilligan, who contributed a total of nine points on the day, knocked
over a close range free on 60 minutes to restore the lead but Tom Kenny
levelled matters for Cork with five minutes left and a draw looked much
the most likely result.
Clare were probably the hungrier side all day and scorched to victory
in the dying minutes with a charging run and point from Seanie McMahon
putting them back in front.
When Diarmuid McMahon was hacked down in the square in the final minute,
Niall Gilligan used the game’s final puck to clip over a point and
seal a well merited victory for Anthony Daly’s men, who can now
look forward to a league semi-final. While Cork have seven weeks of chasing
challenge games before the championship.
Meanwhile in other Division 1A games, a brilliant first-half performance
from Offaly set up a well-merited 3-14 to 0-15 victory over Waterford
in Birr. Offaly’s outstanding forward line dominated the game.
Brian Carroll and Joe Bergin notched early points, before Bergin caught
a high ball and finished to the net on eight minutes. Offaly’s lead
was soon seven points with Gary Hanniffy, Carroll and Dylan Hayden clipping
over excellent scores.
Waterford’s best player on the day was Eoin Kelly who contributed
five points. Further goals from the outstanding Alan Egan and then Bergin,
who was by a stretch the best hurler on display, at the start of the second-half,
put the result beyond doubt.
Waterford racked up a few scores to edge towards respectability in the
second half, but they never looked like getting the goals they needed.
When they had Eoin Kelly, about the only Deice man to perform to the
required standard, sent-off on 56 minutes their chances of a remarkable
comeback disappeared.
So it is Offaly who deservedly progress to a quarter- final clash with
Tipperary at the weekend, a match which on this performance need hold
no fear for the Faithful men. Wexford rounded off their league campaign
with a narrow defeat (0-18 1-11) of Down at Ballycran on Sunday.
The scores were level after 67 minutes but a late surge from the Slaneysiders
saw them home. Rory Jacob and the excellent Stephen Doyle and Micheal
Jacobs knocked over four points in the final five minutes.
Down were in charge of Corkman Sean Murphy for the first time. The Ulstermen
lead for most of the first half thanks to Eoin Clarke’s goal, Down
emerged with a lot of credit, but it is Wexford who claim the points and
the momentum with the Leinster Championship looming. |
