Munster SFC quarter-final: Clare 0-14 Cork 0-13
Corner back Cillian Rouine rescued Clare’s season with a dramatic winning point in the final play of an exciting Munster Senior Football Championship quarter-final before a crowd of 3,661 at Cusack Park, Ennis, on Sunday.
They now meet Limerick in the semi-final with a place in the new All-Ireland format on the line, a prospect which seemed remote following their relegation from Division Two along with their mid-west neighbours.
The game looked to be heading for extra-time, when another defender, Cork’s Kevin O’Donovan popped up in the third minute of four added on to bring the rivals level for a seventh time, but a sweeping move upfield led to Rouine fisting over the winner.
Clare deserved to win this game. They put fierce pressure on the Cork kick-out while generally handling their own confidently and, but for some terrible finishing, the Banner would have been well ahead, their final tally of 14 wides, compared to Cork’s five, telling its own story.
Seán Moran: League’s championship promise may be clouding but it remains bright at the top
Malachy Clerkin: The GAA should make more of St Patrick’s Day - and more of its intercounty stars
Sports Review 2023: Mary Hannigan picks the best quotes from the sporting year
GAA happy that GAAGo has ‘bedded in well’ as 2024 season launches
And Clare showed plenty of courage too, considering they fell 0-9 to 0-5 in arrears within five minutes of the resumption as the ever-reliable Steven Sherlock, in for the injured Brian Hurley, kicked points from a 45 and a free either side of a Seán Powter effort from play.
But, instead of driving on, Cork were overtaken by a revved up Clare, whose response of three points of their own – two from Eoin Cleary and another from Keelan Sexton – in a three-minute spell reflected their never-say-die approach.
They restored parity for a third time with Emmett McMahon’s score after 53 minutes and it was nip and tuck from there to the sensational finish though Cork were grateful for keeper Micheal Aodh Martin’s intervention on the hour.
The outstanding Jamie Malone set-up Darragh Bohannon, whose stunning shot was brilliantly stopped one-handed by Martin at the expense of a 45, which came to nothing.
The same goal frame denied Cork in the 20th minute, when Ruairí Deane, one of the better Cork players on display, created the opportunity for Brian O’Driscoll, but his powerful shot cannoned back off the underside of the crossbar and away.
Clare settled quicker through a couple of Sexton points and their massed ranks of players behind the ball, when Cork had possession, restricted the visitors to Sherlock frees, four on the bounce before Rory Maguire kicked the first from play after 26 minutes.
Cork led by 0-6 to 0-4 at the interval and they opened up a four-point lead which suggested they were on their way only for Clare to have other ideas.
The result will have big implications elsewhere, with Meath for example now required to reach the Leinster final if they are to qualify for the Sam Maguire Cup race, as opposed to the Tailteann Cup.
CLARE: S Ryan; M Doherty, C Brennan, C Rouine (0-1); C Russell, J Malone (0-1), D Walsh; C O’Connor, D Bohannon; P Lillis, E McMahon (0-2), D Coughlan; E Cleary (0-4, two frees), K Sexton (0-4), P Collins (0-1).
Subs: D O’Neill for O’Connor (h-t) G Cooney (0-1) for Coughlan (50 mins), M McInerney for McMahon (68), A Sweeney for Collins (inj, 70+2).
CORK: MA Martin; K O’Donovan (0-1), D O’Mahony, T Walsh; L Fahy, R Maguire (0-1), M Taylor; C O’Callaghan, I Maguire; E McSweeney, R Deane, B O’Driscoll; S Powter (0-1), S Sherlock (0-10, seven frees, one 45), C Óg Jones.
Subs: K O’Hanlon for McSweeney (48 mins), C Corbett for Jones (57), J O’Rourke for O’Driscoll and C Kiely for Fahy (both 68).
Referee: F Kelly (Longford).
