oneills.com Munster U20 Hurling Championship

Cork 1-24 Clare 0-22

By Eoin Brennan at Cusack Park

Outscoring their opponents by 1-5 to 0-3 coming down the final straight, Cork finally overcame stubborn hosts Clare to secure their passage to the business end of the Munster Under 20 Hurling Championship in Cusack Park Ennis.

It seemed as if nothing could separate these sides amidst an anxious second period that was level eight times, with never more than a point between them at any stage. That was until Cork finally raided for the only goal of the game in the 55th minute when David Cremin excellently fielded an Eoin Downey free to tee up Ben Cunningham to flick past goalkeeper Aaron Shanahan and effectively seal Cork’s third successive victory.

In such an inch-tight contest, a goal was always going to be decisive but Clare’s first defeat will unfortunately be remembered for missed opportunities of their own especially from frees as the Banner’s profligacy from placed balls extended to seven wides over the hour.

It means that Terence Fahy’s side’s fate is out of their own hands if they are to join Cork in the knock-out stages, with a victory for neighbours Limerick over Tipperary in FBS Semple Stadium on Friday evening sufficient to send Clare through to a semi-final berth.

A scintillating second quarter from Clare suggested that they were gunning for a direct passage to the decider as they overturned wind-assisted Cork’s early four point cushion with nine of the next eleven points. Five different players including a trio of points each for Oisin O’Donnell and Keith Smyth catapulted the Banner 0-12 to 0-9 clear before being pegged back to the minimum by the break.

The second half was best watched between one’s fingers as the sides were frequently locked together as the lead changed hands four times. Cunningham’s goal irrevocably altered the narrative of the tie however, a clinching blow that keeps the Rebels on track for a place in the final if they can complete a perfect group campaign away to Limerick in the TUS Gaelic Grounds on Friday week (7.30pm)

Scorers for Cork: Ben Cunningham 1-7 (7fs), Timmy Wilk, Diarmuid Healy 0-4 each, Tadhg O’Connell, William Buckley, David Cremin 0-2 each, Ross O’Sullivan, Shane Kingston, Colin Walsh 0-1 each.

Scorers for Clare: Keith Smyth 0-6 (4fs) Oisin O’Donnell 0-3, David Kennedy, Jack O’Neill, Patrick Crotty, Niall O’Farrell 0-2 each, Senan Dunford, Sean Rynne, Jarlath Colleran, Colm Cleary, Conor Whelan (f) 0-1 each.

Cork: Brion Saunderson; Sean Daly, Shane Kingston, Darragh O’Sullivan; James Dwyer, Eoin Downey, Timmy Wilk; Michael Mullins, Tadhg O’Connell; Diarmuid Healy, Ben Cunningham, Colin Walsh; William Buckley, David Cremin, Ross O’Sullivan

Subs: Mark Howell for Daly (27, inj), Adam O’Sullivan for R. O’Sullivan (43), Cillian Tobin for Dwyer (50), Brian Keating for Walsh (56, inj), Ciaran Doolan for O’Connell (60).

Clare: Aaron Shanahan; Jarlath Collins, John Conneally, Ian McNamara; Daithi Lohan, Oisin Clune, Oran Cahill; Sean Rynne, Oisin O’Donnell; Jack O’Neill, Patrick Crotty, Keith Smyth; David Kennedy, Senan Dunford, Gearoid Sheedy

Subs: Niall O’Farrell for Smyth (42), Colm Cleary for Kennedy (45), Killian O’Connor for Sheedy (56), Keelan Hartigan for O’Donnell (57), Conor Whelan for Rynne (59).

Referee: Conor Doyle (Tipperary)