Cork 2-21
Clare 0-18
TWO LUKE O’FARRELL goals were central to Cork advancing to the Waterford Crystal Cup final as they saw off Clare in Mallow yesterday afternoon.
The Rebels are the only one of the ‘big five’ Munster hurling powers not to win the season-opening competition, but if they can reproduce a performance like this against Limerick next Saturday night then they will have every chance of breaking their duck.
O’Farrell scored 2-3 – the exact difference between the teams – while Cian McCarthy contributed seven points but they had stars in all lines. Clare, who looked to have a stronger side on paper, laboured in the first half, recording nine wides, and while they improved after half-time they never looked like salvaging the game.
The sides were level at 0-3 each when O’Farrell finished from close range after good work by impressive midfielder Andy Walsh in the 12th minute. Had Patrick Donnellan not been denied by a save from Cork goalkeeper Patrick Collins on 18, the sides would have been tied at 1-5 but Cork made the most of that let-off and outscored their opponents by 1-8 to 0-2 for the remainder of the half.
O’Farrell’s second goal came in the 33rd minute as he perfectly met a McCarthy delivery to double the ball to the net and give Cork a 2-13 to 0-7 interval lead.
Colin Ryan and Bobby Duggan were among the scored as Clare got seven of the first eight points of the second half. Even so, the goals were always a cushion from Cork and they saw out the game well.
Scorers for Cork: Luke O’Farrell 2-3, Cian McCarthy 0-7 (0-3f, 0-2 65), Stephen Moylan, Andy Walsh 0-2 each, Brian Murray, Peter Kelleher, Brian Lawton, Darren McCarthy, Dayne Lee, Paul Haughney, Alan Frahill-O’Connor 0-1 each.
Scorers for Clare: Cathal O’Connell (0-3f), Bobby Duggan 0-4 each, Brendan Bugler, Colin Ryan (0-1f) 0-3 each, Patrick Donnellan 0-2, Shane Golden, Daire Keane 0-1 each.
CORK
1. Patrick Collins
2. Conor O’Sullivan
3. Damien Cahalane
4. Seán O’Donoghue
5. Brian O’Sullivan
6. Lorcán McLoughlin
7. Glen O’Connor
8. Brian Murray
9. Andy Walsh
10. Peter Kelleher
11. Cian McCarthy
12. Brian Lawton
13. Stephen Moylan
14. Luke O’Farrell
15. Darren McCarthy
Subs:
20. Paul Haughney for Murray (43)
21. Dayne Lee for Kelleher (48)
23. Alan Frahill-O’Connor for Lawton (58)
17. William Kearney for O’Donoghue (62)
19. Mark Ellis for O’Connor (64)
CLARE
1. Patrick Kelly
2. Domhnall O’Donovan
3. Cillian Duggan
4. Seadna Morey
7. Conor Cleary
6. Conor Ryan
5. Gearóid O’Connell
19. Colin Ryan
9. Brendan Bugler
10. Patrick Donnellan
11. Bobby Duggan
12. Shane Golden
15. David O’Halloran
14. Aaron Cunningham
13. Cathal O’Connell
Subs:
17. Paul Flanagan for O’Donovan (9-13, blood)
18. Cian Dillon for Conor Ryan (47)
17. Flanagan for O’Connell (49)
20. John Conlon for O’Halloran (50)
24. Daire Keane for Donnellan (52)
Referee: Paul Foley (Waterford)
- This article was first published on 24 January at 15.00pm
