23 June: Munster SHC semi-final, Gaelic Grounds.
Cork 0-23 Clare 0-15
FOR CORK, THE hope is that the journey will end in the exact same manner as it began.
After losing three times to the Banner in 2013, Cork also lost the first half of this encounter and went into the Limerick dressing rooms facing a 0-11 to 0-8 deficit.
They had also been facing a wind though, and the Rebel forwards soon made the elements count in their favour with eight unanswered points bringing the scoreboard to 0-16 to 0-11 within 16 minutes of the restart.
Championship debutant Seamus Harnedy upstaged Patrick Horgan’s eight-point haul with a man-of-the-match worthy three from play.
Scorers for Cork: Patrick Horgan 0-8 (0-5f), Seamus Harnedy 0-3, Jamie Coughlan, Anthony Nash (0-2f), Luke O’Farrell, Conor Lehane 0-2 each, Cian McCarthy, Daniel Kearney, William Egan, Patrick Cronin 0-1 each.
Scorers for Clare: Padraic Collins 0-5, Darach Honan, Conor McGrath, Colm Galvin, Colin Ryan (0-1 ’65, 0-1f) 0-2 each, Tony Kelly, Shane O’Donnell 0-1 each.
14 July: Munster SHC Final, Gaelic Grounds. Limerick 0-24 Cork 0-15
On Bastille Day it was Limerick who produced a storming performance in front of 42,000 fans and made Croke Park feel a very, very long way from Leeside.
©INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan
In a tight contest under the blazing sun, the sides were level six times in the first half and at half time, despite a controversial red card handed to Patrick Horgan.
After the break, the 14 men couldn’t cope with the extra man. From being within striking distance at 0-15 to 0-17, it was Cork’s turn to watch helplessly as a side fire off one point after another. Limerick tagged on seven without reply before the finish.
Scorers for Limerick: Declan Hannon 0-8 (0-5f, 0-1 sideline), James Ryan, Shane Dowling 0-3 each, Kevin Downes, Graeme Mulcahy, Sean Tobin 0-2 each, Paudie O’Brien, Niall Moran, Paul Browne, Seamus Hickey 0-1 each.
Scorers for Cork: Patrick Horgan 0-5 (0-3f), Seamus Harnedy 0-3, Patrick Cronin, Jamie Coughlan (0-2f) 0-2 each, Luke O’Farrell, Daniel Kearney, Cathal Naughton 0-1 each.
28 July: All-Ireland SHC quarter-final, Semple Stadium. Cork 0-19 Kilkenny 0-14
Rebirth.
Beating Kilkenny is usually the turning point in any season and this was the 7o-minute period which confirmed that Jimmy Barry-Murphy had put Cork back at the top table.
This was Cork’s turn to benefit from a questionable red. Just as Horgan was dismissed before the break in Limerick, Henry Shefflin was shown the line on the stroke of half-time in Thurles to leave Cork with an 0-11 to 0-06 and one-man advantage.
Typically, Kilkenny roared back and few would have put a comeback beyond the realm of possibility when the managed to reel Cork’s lead back to three points. Cork, however, were not for shaking. As the clock ticked on, the familiar swagger returned and with Conor O’Sullivan acting as the spare man the Rebels confidently kept the Cats at arm’s length for the final quarter.
Scorers for Cork: P Horgan (0-11, 0-8f), C Lehane, P Cronin (0-2), S Harnedy, J Coughlan, L O’Farrell, S Moylan (all 0-1).
Scorers for Kilkenny: E Larkin (0-6, 0-3f, 0-1 ’65′), M Fennelly (0-2), R Power (0-2, 0-1f), T Walsh, W Walsh, P Murphy, A Fogarty (0-1).
11 August: All-Ireland SHC semi-final, Croke Park. Dublin 1-19 Cork 1-24
GOALS! You wait all summer long for one and then two come along in one game.
However, Patrick Horgan’s brilliantly instinctive 67th minute flick served only to confirm a result which was foretold as soon as Ryan O’Dwyer was issued a second yellow with Dublin leading on 50 minutes.
With a man to the good, Cork once again showed all the calm and class you’d expect from a county who know the route to the Liam MacCarthy Cup. Once more, they expertly held Dublin at bay while calmly picking off scores rather than panicking and going for the jugular early on.
Scorers for Cork: Patrick Horgan 1-7 (0-5f), Lorcan McLoughlin, Conor Lehane, Anthony Nash (0-3f) 0-3 each, Seamus Harnedy, Luke O’Farrell 0-2 each, Daniel Kearney, Jamie Coughlan, Patrick Cronin, Stephen Moylan 0-1 each.
Scorers for Dublin: Paul Ryan 0-5 (0-4f, 0-1 ’65), Danny Sutcliffe 0-4, David Treacy 1-1, Conal Keaney, David O’Callaghan 0-2 each, Ryan O’Dwyer, John McCaffrey, Joseph Boland, Shane Durkin 0-1 each.
8 September: All-Ireland SHC final, Croke Park…. to be decided.
