Rebel revival crushes courageous Clare

Champions Cork produced a remarkable fightback to pip brilliant Clare by 0-16 to 0-15 in an epic All-Ireland SHC semi-final at Croke Park.

Jerry O’Connor struck in the 69th-minute to finally break the Banner men, as Cork took the lead for the first and only time in the second half and booked a hard-fought passage to their fourth successive national decider.

For most of the match, Clare looked on course to cause a huge upset but Cork demonstrated the mettle of true champions to pull the match out of the fire in a grandstand finale.

In fairness, Clare could hardly have done more than steal into a six-point lead, 0-13 to 0-7, with 21 minutes remaining, but the Rebels aren’t All-Ireland champions for nothing and they staged an irresistible revival to outscore their provincial rivals by nine points to two from there to the finishing line.

John Gardiner had an opportunity to put Cork in front from a long-range free inside the first minute, but his effort didn’t come inside the posts.

Clare also had a couple of early wides from midfielder Colin Lynch before Tony Carmody opened the scoring with a neat tap-over from close to goal in the fourth minute.

Jerry O’Connor replied for the All-Ireland champions but Tony Griffin quickly restored the Banner lead with a great point from play.

The scores continued to flow and Timmy McCarthy landed a whopper to again draw the Rebels level. Lynch again missed the target.

Cork captain Sean Og O hAilpin has clearly been bitten by the scoring bug – he broke forward to score his second-ever championship point and put Cork ahead for the first time in the tenth minute

Alan Markham had a gilt-edge opportunity to equalise but he opted to go for goal from a tight angle and Donal Og Cusack stood up to the shot well. At the other end, Ben O’Connor made Clare pay when he dissected the posts from a free, 0-4 to 0-2.

When Tom Kenny was penalised in the twelfth minute, Niall Gilligan obliged from the free to reduce the arrears and Seanie McMahon restored parity for the second time with a huge strike from a ’65’ into the Canal End from out on the right wing in the 15th minute.

Gardiner chipped over a Cork free but Gilligan did likewise at the other end as the underdogs refused to let the Leesiders get away. It was all-square at the end of the opening quarter – 0-5 apiece.

Griffin flicked over a lovely point after Davy Fitzgerald put the pressure on the Cork defence with a huge free from deep inside his own half and Clare were back in front.

When Tom Kenny burst through the heart of the Clare defence, his low shot looked destined for the bottom corner of the Banner County net. However, the shot lacked power and this allowed Fitzgerald to make a heroic save.

Untidy Cork defending allowed Gilligan to extend the Clare lead from another free, but Ben O’Connor demonstrated wonderful mastery to clip a sideline cut over the bar.

Andrew Quinn made it 0-8 to 0-6 to Clare but Griffin’s bold effort from an acute angle missed the target. Tony Carmody pointed from a full 60 metres in the 29th minute as Clare assumed a surprise three-point lead.

Kieran Murphy from Sarsfields opened his account in the 32nd minute but the first half ended with Anthony Daly’s team two points ahead. Half time: Clare 0-9 Cork 0-7.

Tony Griffin opened the second half scoring with a Clare point (his third of the match) six minutes after the re-start. Gilligan stretched the Banner advantage before Brian O’Connell landed an inspirational score from way out as Clare took an astonishing 0-12 to 0-7 lead.

Carmody made it four out of four for Clare in the second half when he hit another unbelievable point from distance and it looked to all the world as if Anthony Daly’s charges were about to pull off a remarkable victory.

Fourteen second-half minutes had elapsed before Ben O’Connor added to Cork’s tally with a point from a free. Little did we know it at the time, but this score was the beginning of a wondrous Cork comeback.

Joe Deane finally got into the game with a point from an acute angle a minute later and Ben O’Connor followed up with a spectacular point – his fourth – as the Munster champions closed within three.

Cork were responding to the challenge and Gardiner made it four points in quick succession with a stellar strike from play. Deane’s second point 30 seconds later made it five-in-a-row and there was just a point in it (0-13 to 0-12 in favour of Clare) with 15 minutes remaining.

Quinn lifted the siege with a Clare point but Cork closed again with a point from substitute Neil Ronan. Ben O’Connor should have levelled but his free drifted uncharacteristically wide.

Carmody hit an excellent Clare point over his shoulder almost instantly and the Banner had another lucky escape when Ben O’Connor, after being set up by twin brother Jerry, blasted a close-range shot inches over the bar with the goal gaping.

The last two scores would go to the holders as Clare ran out of steam and luck.

Cork were straining their sinews in an attempt to get the equalising point but the Clare defence – inspired by a rejuvenated Brian Lohan – was refusing to budge.

It must be said that the Clare No.3 rolled back the years today and gave a breathtaking display, commanding his line and reminding the world how rare a talent he is.

Jerry O’Connor appeared to have landed the leveller in the 30th minute but the score was ruled out when Ronan was adjudged to have fouled the ball in the build-up.

Mulcahy and substitute Kieran Murphy from Erin’s Own both missed the target but Niall McCarthy eventually made it 0-15 apiece three minutes from the end of normal time to set up a thrilling climax.

Garda Jerry O’Connor ’nicked’ it for the Rebel County with his second point of the match in the final minute. The Newtownshandrum clubman floated over brilliantly after some excellent battling in the middle of the pitch followed by a clever handpass from his midfield partner Tom Kenny.

Cork were back in front but there would be two minutes of added time. When Lynch’s late, late effort drifted wide, Clare were effectively consigned to a heartbreaking defeat.

Fitzgerald saved a last-second goalbound shot but time ran out on the underdogs who were desperately unlucky to finish on the wrong side of the scoreline in the game of the 2005 senior hurling championship.

The Banner County had led for most of the match and their players were inconsolable when the long whistle sounded.

Cork are through to another final after an amazing fightback but spare a thought for Clare who contributed enormously to a magnificent hurling match.

Cork - D Og Cusack; P Mulcahy, D O’Sullivan, B Murphy; J Gardiner 0-2, R Curran, S Og O hAilpin 0-1; T Kenny, J O’Connor 0-2; K Murphy 0-1 (Sarsfields), N McCarthy 0-1, T McCarthy 0-1; B O’Connor 0-5, B Corcoran, J Deane 0-2. Subs - K Murphy (Erin’s Own) for McCarthy, W Sherlock for Curran, N Ronan 0-1 for Corcoran, J O’Callaghan for K Murphy (Sarsfields).

Clare - D Fitzgerald; G O’Grady, B Lohan, F Lohan; D Hoey, S McMahon 0-1, G Quinn; B O’Connell 0-1, C Lynch; D McMahon, T Carmody 0-4, A Markham; A Quinn 0-2, N Gilligan 0-4, T Griffin 0-3. Subs - F Lynch for Markham, J Clancy for O’Connell, D O’Rourke for A Quinn.

Referee - D Murphy (Wexford)