Dublin 4-14 Clare 2-17
OISIN O’RORKE’S injury-time goal was all that separated the hurlers of Dublin and Clare at the end of a thrilling All-Ireland MHC semi-final in Croke Park.
The curtain-raiser to Sunday afternoon’s senior showdown between Galway and Cork proved to be the perfect appetiser as Dublin clawed their way into the All-Ireland final having trailed by five points at one stage in the second half.
It was the second time in three years that these two counties have met in the Championship’s penultimate round and it was Clare who started strongest, opening up a seven-point lead when Jamie Shanahan slotted a penalty to make it 1-5 to 0-1 inside 15 minutes.
The comfort was short-lived for Eamonn Fennessy’s men though as O’Rorke netted his first goal of the game to jolt the Dubs back to life.
Caolan Conway raised a second green flag for Leinster champions in the 23rd minute but with Shanahan in fine scoring form and Clarecastle’s Bobby Duggan making the most of his dead-ball chances, it was the Banner who led by two points at the break, 1-11 to 2-6.
Despite their best efforts to claw back the deficit, Dublin still trailed by four points as the game entered its final 10 minutes. Colm Cronin’s opportunistic strike for goal in the 54th minute gave them the lifeline they so desperately needed and as the clock ticked into the red with the sides neck and neck, O’Rorke was in the right place at the right time to steal it at the death.
Scorers for Dublin: Oisin O’Rorke 2-1, Colm Cronin 1-1, Caolan Conway 1-0, Paul Winters (0-1f, 0-1 ’65), Conor McHugh, Cian Boland 0-2 each, Sean McClelland, Cormac Costello, Sean Treacy, Donal Gormley 0-1 each.
Scorers for Clare: Jamie Shanahan 1-4 (1-0 pen, 0-1f), Bobby Duggan 0-7 (0-7f), Shane O’Donnell 1-1, Shane Taylor 0-3, Niall Deasy, David Conroy 0-1 each.
DUBLIN: Cian Mac Gabhann (Kilmacud Crokes); Shane Barrett (Na Fianna), Cian OCallaghan (Cuala), Eric Lowndes (St Peregrine’s) ; Eoghan O’Donnell (Whitehall Colmcille), Robert Murphy (Kilmacud Crokes), Seán McClelland (Lucan Sarsfields); Cormac Costello (Whitehall Colmcille), Colm Cronin (Cuala); Conor McHugh (Na Fianna), Seán Treacy (Cuala); Caolan Conway (Kilmacud Crokes); Oisín O’Rorke (Kilmacud Crokes), Cian Boland (St Oliver Plunketts/Eoghan Ruadh), Paul Winters (St Brigids).
CLARE: Eibhear Quilligan (Feakle); Shane O’Brien (Clonlara), Brian Carey (Sixmilebridge), Gearoid Ryan (Clarecastle); Aidan McGuane (Kilmaley), Conor Cleary (St Joseph’s Milltown), Eoin Quirke (Whitegate); David Conroy (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield), Jamie Shanahan (Sixmilebridge); Shane Taylor (Broadford), Alex Morey (Sixmilebridge), Aidan O’Gorman (O’Callaghan Mills); Bobby Duggan (Clarecastle), Niall Deasy (Ballyea), Shane O’Donnell (Eire Og Ennis).
Referee: David Hughes
