Munster Junior Football Championship Semi Final – Cork 0-18 Clare 0-9

Rebels in cruise control as they ease into final

By Eoghan Cormican for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Clare 0-9 Cork 0-18

Click to view photos from this game

A dour affair this one, even if Cork did garner the desired result. In another dominant showing, the Rebels rarely broke sweat in advancing to the Munster junior football championship decider and though the winning margin was not quite as substantial as their win over Limerick, the result was every bit as comfortable. The home side offered little resistance to the pace and ferocity of Cork’s play and had the winners displayed a more ruthless streak in patches, this would have been a landslide.

Cork led 0-10 to 0-1 at the interval with Andrew O’Brien and Cathal Vaughan laying the early foundations in kicking three points apiece. Thereafter, the only issue that remained in doubt for those who arrived early at Cusack Park was the size of the hammering. In the end, Cork eased off the throttle ever so slightly with Clare’s Mark McCarthy kicking seven second-half points to keep a manner of respectability about proceedings. At the other end, Cathal Vaughan continued to torment the Banner rearguard, notching five further minors with Fiachra Lynch, Eoghan Buckley and Kevin O’Driscoll also finding the target.

Scorers for Clare: M McCarthy (0-7, two frees); C O’Brien (0-1, one free); D O’Neill (0-1, one free).

Scorers for Cork: C Vaughan (0-8, five frees); A O’Brien (0-4); F Lynch (0-3); E Buckley (0-2); K O’Driscoll (0-1).

CLARE: T Burke; E Flanagan, S Collins, S Lineen; C Doohan, M Moloney, D McMahon; D O’Neill, K O’Connor; C O’Brien, E Finucane, E Brew; R O’Connor, J Looney, M McCarthy.

Subs: M O’Shea for C Doohan (half-time); E Cleary for R O’Connor (41); D Bolton for E Brew (45); M Lorigan for J Looney (45); L Corry for C O’Brien (58).

CORK: D Hanrahan; AJ O’Connor, E O’Mahony, K Harrington; Richard O’Sullivan, Rory O’Sullivan, S Kiely; R Deane, M O’Leary; C Vaughan, A O’Brien, C O’Driscoll; E Buckley, F Lynch, D Harrington.

Subs: K O’Driscoll for R Deane (37); M Vaughan for D Harrington (49); C Vaughan for M Sugrue (58); P Daly for Richard O’Sullivan (58); J Cronin for AJ O’Connor.

Referee: M Meade (Limerick)

Team News

The Cork Junior Football team to play Clare at 1.30pm on Sunday at Cusack Park, Ennis, will line out as follows:

1. David Hanrahan

2. A.J O’Connor 3. Eoin O’Mahony 4. Kevin Harrington

5. Richard O’ Sullivan 6. Rory O’Sullivan 7. Sean Kiely

8. Ruairi Deane 9. Michael O’ Laoire

10. Cathal Vaughan 11. Andrew O’ Brien 12. Colm O’ Driscoll

13. Eoghan Buckley 14. Fiachra Lynch 15. David Harrington

Subs

16. Seán Mellett Carrigaline

17. Peter Daly St. Mary’s

18. John Cronin Lisgoold

19. Kevin Barrett Kilmurry

20. Niall McCarthy Kinsale

21. Kevin O’Driscoll Tadhg MacCarthaigh

22. Seamus Hickey Rockchapel

23. Mark Sugrue Bandon

24. Michael Vaughan Millstreet

Captain: Ruairi Deane

There is one change from the team that defeated Limerick in the quarter-final, as Cork U21 goalkeeper, David Hanrahan, starts in place of Seán Mellett.