Cork produce perfect response against Clare to set up Kerry rematch in Munster MFC Final

Munster MFC Semi-Final

Cork 1-13

Clare 0-8

The Cork minor footballers found a response. The response has them looking forward to a rematch with Kerry.

Having come away disappointed with both their effort and the result when losing away to Kerry last Tuesday, Cork enjoyed a happier harvest on the road this week.

Above in West Clare, they got their season motoring. This provincial semi-final victory secured a home Munster final against the Kingdom next Monday. And irrespective of how that rematch pans out, Haulie O’Sullivan’s youngsters have an All-Ireland quarter-final to look forward to beyond that.

In essence, this comfortable eight-point victory was both a season-starting and season-extending result.

Cork kicked 1-7 in total against Kerry during their disappointing opener last week. It was a total they had matched by the 19th minute here.

Cork kicked 0-3 from play across the hour against Kerry. That was a total they had matched by the eighth minute and bettered by the ninth.

As the above numbers attest to, the respective displays were night and day.

Slow off the mark in Tralee, Cork had effectively sealed their Munster final passage when sprinting eight clear by the 11th minute of proceedings on Tuesday evening.

Corner-forward Dylan O’Neill was at the centre of Cork’s incisive start. His right boot delivered their second and third points. Ben O’Shea had supplied their opener and he supplied the assist for Danny Miskella’s well-taken goal on nine minutes.

Harry Cogan - grandson to 1973 All-Ireland winner Frank - and Seán Whelton quickly added points to leave Cork sitting very healthy at 1-5 to 0-0 in front after only 11 minutes.

Beyond those populating the scoresheet, defenders Cathal McCarthy and Oisín Harrington were showing well in the air and on the ground respectively.

Seán Fennell opened the Banner account on 14 minutes. It was to prove their sole score of the half. Shots on target were pretty much non-existent for Dermot Coughlan’s struggling outfit, their first half wide count reading a single missed free.

Their evening went from very bad to much worse on 22 minutes, midfielder Aidan Weaver dismissed on a straight red card.

The home side were, by this juncture, 1-7 to 0-1 in arrears, Cork having matched their Tralee tally through O’Neill’s third from play of the opening half and a Ben Delaney free.

Such was the difference on the board, Cork did not display a whole pile of urgency in making their numerical advantage count.

A succession of misses just before the break brought the visiting wide count to five at the turnaround and meant they had to wait until a minute into the second period before their lead stretched to double digits.

It was Delaney - one of four changes to the starting team from the Kerry game - who kicked his second free to open that gap of 10 between them.

The hosts, with a slight breeze behind them, were a far more competitive entity in the second period, even with only 14 on the field.

Cork’s Oisin Harrington and Clare’s Daniel Brody in action during the Clare V Cork Munster Minor Football Championship match at Páirc Mhuire Quilty Co Clare on Tuesday evening. Picture : Eamon Ward

Conor Burke and Shane O’Connell, two of their brightest sparks, threw over successive points. Sub Darragh Townsend elbowed in on the scoring act to reduce the margin to 1-9 to 0-4.

It would have reduced further had Burke’s 40th minute goal effort not flashed the wrong side of the Cork post. A green flag here would have filled Clare boots with confidence and asked a question or two of Cork ones.

As it was, the Cork pair of Danny Miskella and Dylan O’Neill, from play and the placed ball, responded to each white flag that Conor Burke arrowed over at the far end.

Come the finish, O’Neill had six strokes beside his name, all bar one from play. He’ll hope for a similar return at Páirc Uí Rinn next Monday.

It is redemption, rather than a response, Cork will be hunting there.

Scorers for Cork: D O’Neill (0-6, 0-1 free); D Miskella (1-1); B Delaney (0-2 frees), S Whelton (0-2 each); H Cogan, B O’Shea (0-1 each).

Scorers for Clare: C Burke (0-5, 0-4 frees); S Fennell, S O’Connell, D Townsend (0-1 each).

CORK: J O’Flaherty (Douglas); N O’Shea (Urhan), A Keane (Kinsale), J Mouret (Douglas); C McCarthy (St Colum’s), C O’Connor (Ballincollig), O Harrington (Kilmeen); H Cogan (Glanmire), J Trench (Ballinora); D Miskella (Ballincollig), B O’Shea (Mallow), S Whelton (St James’); H Canty (Newcestown), B Delaney (Carrigaline), D O’Neill (Carbery Rangers).

Subs: C Cooney (Clyda Rovers) for O’Shea (38 inj); B Ryan (Glenville) for Mouret (41); N O’Callaghan (Castlehaven) for Trench (44); D O’Donovan (Castlehaven) for Delaney (51); C Ahern (Ballincollig) for O’Connor (61).

CLARE: E Byrne (St Breckan’s); A Killeen (Lissycasey), C Hill (Lissycasey), J Blunnie (Kilrush); L Switzer (Kilmurry Ibrickane), D Boyle (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield), S Murphy (St Joseph’s Miltown); A Weaver (Lissycasey), C Downes (Shannon Gaels); D Brody (Ennistymon), S Fennell (Kilrush), D Cahill (Clooney-Quin); D McMahon (Lissycasey), S O’Connell (Cooraclare), C Burke (Kilmurry Ibrickane).

Subs: D Townsend (Cooraclare) for Cahill (21); C Walsh (Banner) for Murphy, L Clune (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield) for Brody (both HT); C Casey (Lissycasey) for Switzer (48); G Fennell (Cooraclare) for Downes (62).

Referee: T McGrath (Limerick).

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