Clare 3-15 Cork 1-14

Saturday May 9th Celtic Challenge For all match photos click here >>

Cork's Celtic Challenge White team met Clare this past Saturday, in Ballinlough, for a 12pm throw-in the shield Quarter-Final. Clare, like Cork, boast two Celtic Challenge teams, Saffron and Blues. This Saffron team were the first to open scoring when Kevin Noonan of Ruan popped over a neat free within the opening minute. Cork found themselves with their own shortly after, when eagle-eyed Fionn O'Shea of Ballinhassig shot Cork onto the scoreboard.

Cork's Fionn O'Shea, of Ballinhassig, lines up for a free.

Both sides played a good attacking game in the opening 10 minutes, but some excellent defending kept scoring low. Cork's Na Piarsaigh duo of Jacks, one, O'Connor at right corner back, the other, Burke at full back, did well, finding a lot of ball coming their way. Near neighbour at home on the northside, St. Vincent's lad, Ben Mulcahy, also managed his man well in the left corner. Together the strong Cork full back line harried Clare's forwards and drove them back out to midfield. Down the other end, Crusheen's Cathal Lyons, Clare's fullback and corner back's Jack Quinn of Éire Óg Ennis and Ross Kearney of Sixmilebridge, were busy as Cork's forward line poked for holes in their defence.

In amongst midfield and the half forwards, battle lines were drawn on both sides. When the ref deemed the next tackle by Cork a foul, Clare were awarded a free but narrowly missed the uprights. Cork traded wides with them when Blarney's Aaron Condon shaved the post, testing the wind. He'd make no mistakes minutes later.

Na Piarsaigh lads Jack Burke and Ruairí Quinlan of Cork, make life difficult for Clare's Tadhg Hassett of Inagh Kilnamona. Clare fouled Cork next and O'Shea rifled Cork's second point onto the board to put them in front before Iniscarra's Jamie Dineen converted an excellent point off a well aimed delivery from centerback and Glen Rovers man, Conor Cunningham. A nice margin opened for Cork 0-03 to 0-01 but Clare weren't fazed, making some neat runs of their own. Cratloe's Oli Sherlock and Clooney Quin's Éoin O'Connor doing well on the breaking ball and center back Michael Kelly of Doora Barefield busy keeping Cork away from goal with a lot of ball coming in his direction. However, Cork would soon rattle the net and it began with some skill under a high ball.

Clare's Donnacha Kelly of Inagh Kilnamona is tailed by Cork's Chris Woodland of Cloughduv. With ten minutes gone, we saw the white jersey of Douglas' Danny O'Donovan rise high for an inbound ball. A beauty of a set up ensued. Many players go up for a ball and tap it down anywhere, but ever so gracefully, smart O'Donovan angled the boss and tapped the ball in the direction of Condon waiting in the wings. The Blarney man tore off for goal and, leaving his mark behind him, he slingshot the ball high into the right corner of the net to put Cork nicely in the clear 1-03 to 0-01.

Corks Aaron Condon, rattles the net early in the first half. To Clare's credit they rallied hard and owned the next eight-odd minutes but a strong wind didn't help their aim and three wides, one from a free, then a '65 and one from play saw the Clare side none the better at the end of their period of possession. However, Clooney Quin's James Canny at full forward made sure with Clare's next opportunity, slotting the ball over the bar before Ruan's Kevin Noonan, joined the scoring fray and added two points in quick succession. This put Clare back on the map, trailing by just two points to Cork, 1-03 to 0-04.

Clare's Kevin Noonan of Ruan, points over in the first half. Cunningham was hoovering up a lot of ball from center back for the white jerseys and he delivered the next one to Jack Costello of Ballincollig who fired the ball nicely through the uprights. Then Clare capitalised on a free chance through Éire-Óg Ennis man, David Keating and added another one from play, via Ennis clubmate, halfback, Lewis O'Dwyer. Clare's halfback line doing well to win possession and overturn with Seán Coll from Doora Barefield on the other wing.

Calm Glen Rover's man, Conor Cunningham, in control at centerback. A point now between the teams, Cork 1-04 to Clare's 0-06, saw Cork refocus and regroup. With five minutes to go before the break, St. Finbarr's Evan Nuaghton, fresh on the field while O'Shea went off injured, fed O'Donovan of Douglas for a lovely point. O'Donovan could have added a second a minute later, the wind edging the ball just wide. With the scoreline now reading 1-05 to 0-06 and two points between the teams, Cork looked to be in the clear heading into halftime with barely a two minutes left on the clock but a lot can happen in two minutes.

Cork's Fionn O'Shea of Ballincollig and Clare's Cathal Lyons of Crusheen, eye a free ball. Cue a brace of goals. Clare were tenacious and made the most of their next opportunity in the square with Seán Meere of Clarecastle raising the green flag. Then a free, not a minute later, 30 meters out was well taken by Clare's Noonan who also lifted the green flag. Then the Clare side truly barrelled into half time with another gift of a goal which saw, Éoin O'Connor, the corner forward from Clooney Quin, rattle the net sharply. At halftime Clare led, thanks to their final few minutes of a purple-patch, 3-07 to 1-05.

HALFTIME CLARE 3-07 CORK 1-05

Clare's Jack Quinn of Éire Óg Ennis challenges Cork's Fionn O'Shea for possession.

Eight points between the teams can always seem like a bit of a gulf, but with a whole half to play it's a very possible margin to overcome and Cork went at it with gusto. O'Shea was back on the pitch and in flying form, pointing another free over for Cork just after the throw in. His effort however was levelled out by a neat point lobbed over the crossbar for the saffron of Clare by Oli Sherlock of Cratloe. O'Shea retaliated with another point from play to claw back at the scoreline again. He could've made it two, ten minutes into the half but the free he took breezed just wide. Thankfully for Cork, this was matched by a wide for Clare down the other end.

Ruairí Quinlan, of Na Piarsaigh, takes a sideline cut in the second half for Cork. Chris Woodland of Cloughduv narrowed the gap further for Cork with two excellent points, the latter off a stylish assist from Ballincollig's Costello. Cork now 1-09 to Clare 3-08. Then another free for O'Shea and a beauty, straight over the crossbar, from Blackrock's Conor O'Neill, fresh on the field for Cork, saw momentum rise for the Leesiders. While Clare fired a warning shot down the other end, from Noonan of Ruan, it edged just wide of the posts.

Clare's Kevin Noonan of Ruan moves to block Ruairí Quinlan of Na Piarsaigh, Cork.

Over these few minutes, Clare couldn't keep Cork down however and O'Donovan of Douglas instead kept Cork's spirits up with a classy point from play, to make it 1-12 to 3-09, leaving the scoreline with just three points between the teams and a good twenty minutes to go.

Jack Costello of Ballincollig takes big strides for Cork before firing the ball upfield.

With all in the balance, Clare made a play, sending waves of attack through their half-forward line. Inagh Kilnamona lads, Donnacha Kelly and Tadhg Hassett, Clare's two midfielders were instrumental in getting ball to Sherlock and Noonan on the wings. Awarded a free, Noonan sent the next over the bar before Clare flew another two points onto the scoreboard,by Seán Meere of Clarecastle and Tom Hegarty. With six points now needed to level, Cork were on the back foot going into the last fifteen minutes. Not undoable, but Clare were battling at every opportunity also.

Cork and Cloughduv's Chris Woodland staves off Clare's Oli Sherlock of Cratloe and Tadhg Hassett of Inagh Kilnamona.

Cork's Woodland and Dessie Carroll from Carrigaline did especially well in midfield to try and hold back the saffron tide, as did the half back line of Ruairi Quinlan from Na Piarsaigh, The Glen's Cunningham and Paddy O'Mahony of Inniscarra, the latter taking on a big workload down his wing to chase ball and win it over for Cork but Clare's earlier three goals stood to them and with confidence they drove at the Cork defence, showing some physicality to get past Cork's big backs. A free arrowed over the bar by O'Shea gave some respite to the Clare surge but the banner lads were on a roll, a further four points including two from Éire Óg Ennis sharpshooter Sherlock and Grady Hogan, of Clonlara, fresh on the field, saw Clare power ahead. Despite last minute pushes from Woodland and forwards O'Shea, Dineen and O'Donovan for Cork, at the full time whistle this time, Clare took the victory 3-15 to 1-14.

While this is the end of the road for Cork White, with four matches under their belt at county level, playing Clare Blues, Dublin, Tipperary Gold and this Clare Saffron side, we're sure the matches will stand to them as they return to their clubs for championship season and we're sure we haven't seen the last of them yet and what they are capable of. Keep your ear to the ground, these lads are ones to watch. Scorers: O'Shea (0-06F), J. Dineen(0-01), A. Condon(0-01), J. Costello (0-04), D. O'Donovan (0-02), C. Woodland (0-02), C. O'Neill (0-01). Team: Seán O'Connell (Donoughmore), Jack O'Connor (Na Piarsaigh), Jack Burke (Na Piarsaigh), Ben Mulcahy (St. Vincents), Ruairí Quinlan (Na Piarsaigh), Conor Cunninghan (Glen Rovers), Paddy O'Mahony (Inniscarra), Dessie Carroll (Carrigaline), Chris Woodland( Cloughduv), Ben Hayes (Bishopstown), Jack Costello (Ballincollig), Aaron Condon (Blarney), Jamie Dineen (Iniscarra), Fionn O'Shea (Ballinhassig), Danny O'Donovan (Douglas), Callum McCarhy O'Donovan (Nemo Rangers), Seán Collins ( Cloughduv), Jack Hurley, Darragh Casey (Na Piarsaigj), Patrick McCarthy (Blackrock), Tom O'Sullivan (St. Colmcilles)Conor O'Neill blackrock, Evan Naughton (St. Finbarrs), Brian Kelleher (Kilbrittain), Ronan Sheehy (Kilbrittain), Michael Forde (Glen Rovers) Padraig Coveney (Whitechurch)

Scorers: K.Noonan1-06 (0-3 frees), L. O Dwyer (0-01), O.Sherlock (0-02), D.Keating (0-01) E.O' Connor(1-0) , T. Hegarty (0-01), J.Canny (0-01), G Hogan (0-01), S.Meere(1-01)

Team: Jamie Moroney (O'Callaghan Mills), Jack Quinn(Éire Óg Ennis), Cathal Lyons (Crusheen), Ross Kearney (Sixmilebridge), Lewis O'Dwyer(Éire Óg Ennis), Michael Kelly (Doora Barefield), Seán Coll (Doora Barefield), Donnacha Kelly (Inagh Kilnamona), Tadhg Hassett (Inagh Kilnamona), David Keating (Éire Óg Ennis), Kevin Noonan (Ruan), Oli Sherlock (Cratloe), Éoin O'Connor (Clooney Quin), James Canny (Clooney Quin), Seán Meere (Clarecastle), Grady Hogan (Clonlara), Tom Hegarty (Inagh Kilnamona).