GAA: Cork claim Munster Hurling title with win over Cork
By Ciaran McGreal
Last Updated: 10/07/17 9:11am
Patrick Horgan hit 0-13 as Cork beat Clare 1-25 to 1-20 in Thurles and with it secured their 52nd Munster Senior Hurling Championship.
Cork led by five points at the break and they finished the game with the same cushion after a commanding second half display against the wind which sees them march on to the All Ireland semi-finals where they join Galway.
Alan Cadogan shone throughout the game for Cork and he opened the scoring after just 22 seconds after being supplied by captain Stephen McDonnell.
Tony Kelly was top scorer for Clare on the day and he replied with a free before a well-taken score by Seamus Harnedy put Cork in front again after three minutes.
Clare spurned a great goal chance on 11 minutes as Cathal Malone rattled the post with a kicked effort. The rebound fell to Podge Collins who popped the ball over the bar but the crucial score of the half came from the resulting puckout.
Cadogan gave the Clare defence the slip to finish well past Andrew Fahy and put Cork 1-3 to 0-3 up after 12 minutes.
Clare responded well with three unanswered points from Kelly after Cadogan's goal. The third of these points came from a penalty in the 20th minute after Shane O'Donnell was dragged down. Kelly stepped up and despite sending Anthony Nash the wrong way, the Ballyea man's shot shaved the crossbar and went over.
The concession of the penalty gave Cork a wake-up call and they outscored their opponents by seven points to two in the remaining period of the half.
Conor Lehane and Darragh Fitzgibbon opened their accounts before two pointed frees from Horgan gave them a four point lead.
The excellent Cadogan got on the scoresheet again with a good score before Kelly and John Conlon closed the gap for the Banner county.
Clare's discipline let them down in the opening half and two more pointed frees from Horgan in injury time meant the Rebels went in 1-10 to 0-8 up at the interval.
Cork played against the wind in the second half but they dominated the opening period of the half. Horgan was in superb form as he shot three points after a score from Shane Kingston before Luke Meade picked off his first point of the game to give Cork a 1-16 to 0-12 lead after 52 minutes.
Kelly replied with a point for Clare before Conor McGrath struck a fantastic goal after great work in the build up by John Conlon. The Cratloe man gave Nash no chance with his well-struck effort. And Kelly knocked over a brilliant point to bring Clare to within two points of the Rebels.
Unfortunately for Clare this was as close as they got to Cork as the Leesiders kept them at arm's length for the remainder of the contest.
Horgan couldn't miss while the impressive Mark Coleman slotted two inspirational scores for Cork. The first of these efforts was a superb sideline and then the 19 year old doubled his tally with a point from distance.
Substitutes Aaron Cunningham and Jason McCarthy got on the scoresheet for Clare while Kelly's tally continued to rise but it wasn't enough as two late points from Horgan either side of another score from Cadogan gave Cork a five point victory.
Cork - A Nash; S McDonnell, D Cahalane, C Spillane; C Joyce, M Ellis, M Coleman (0-2, 1 sideline); B Cooper, D Fitzgibbon (0-1); S Harnedy (0-2), C Lehane (0-1), S Kingston (0-1); A Cadogan (1-4), P Horgan (0-13, 10f), L Meade (0-1).
Subs: D Kearney for Kingston (57), L O'Farrell for Fitzgibbon (61), M Cahalane for Meade (66).
Clare - A Fahy; S Morey (0-1), D McInerney (0-1), P O'Connor; D Fitzgerald, C Cleary, O O'Brien; C Galvin (0-1), C Malone; T Kelly (0-10, 6f, 1 pen), P Collins (0-1), J Conlon (0-2); S O'Donnell, A Shanagher (0-1), C McGrath (1-1).
Subs: J McCarthy (0-1) for O'Brien (33), D Reidy for Collins (36), C Dillon for O'Connor (43), A Cunningham (0-1) for Shanagher (60), P Duggan for Malone (66).
Referee: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary)
