Rampant Cork far too strong for Clare in 18-point win at Cusack Park

Clare 1-4 Cork 2-19

CORK made it three from three in the group stages of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie championship after their win over Clare at Cusack Park.

By half time it was a case of what Cork were going to win by, rather than if, as they led by 2-11 to 0-1 as they were simply for too strong for the home side.

The defending champions are the driving seat in their group with the three wins seeing them top the table as they have a weekend off next week, before two home games.

Cork were never in trouble in this tie as they controlled it from start to finish. Defensively their half-back line of Laura Hayes, Aoife Healy and Izzy O’Regan were rock solid and laid the platform for many of their attacks.

Up front Cork were simply too strong for the Banner, with the starting six and those that came on tormenting Clare.

Of them Orlaith Cahalane was outstanding, along with Saoirse McCarthy, Katrina Mackey, amongst others.

Cork took the lead in the second minute when Ashling Thompson and Saoirse McCarthy combined to set up Orlaith Cahalane to point.

With seven minutes gone Cork took a firm grip on the game when Cahalane and Pamela Mackey combined to put Amy O’Connor through and she gave Rachael Daly no chance of saving.

From the restart McCarthy added a point to make it 1-2 to no score as Cork were dominating all over the pitch. Two minutes later and Cork went further in front when Fiona Keating split the posts as Clare were finding it difficult to get out of their own half.

Keating added her second to push Cork further ahead as they were making full use of the strong wind in their favour.

It was all one way traffic at this stage as Cliona Healy made it 1-5 to no score after 16 minutes. It could have been worse only for a brilliant save from Daly to deny Keating what looked like a certain second goal for the Rebels.

Amy O’Connor pointed from a free after 21 minutes as Clare were yet to threaten the Cork goal, as the visitors led by 1-6 to no score.

Mackey and O’Connor were among the point scorers for Cork as they led 1-11 to no score after 29 minutes. A minute later and Cahalane scored Cork’s second goal, after a mix-up in the Clare defence, to more or less end this game as a contest.

It took until two minutes into injury-time for Clare to register their first point when Caoimhe Carmody scored as Cork led by 2-11 to 0-1 at half time.

Healy got the first point of the second half as Cork continued to dominate, despite now playing against the strong wind.

Hannah Looney got in on the scoring act to further increase Cork’s lead to 2-14 to 0-1 after 40 minutes.

Two minutes later and it was a huge boost for Cork as Laura Tracey returned to action following a long injury layoff. Aine O’Loughlin pulled a point back for Clare from a free for their second point, coming after 47 minutes.

Orlaith Mullins replied for Cork to make it 2-17 to 0-2 with 10 minutes left. O’Loughlin hit two more frees for Clare and they had a late goal from Roisin Begley before Looney replied as Cork ran out comprehensive winners.

They now face Dublin at home in two weeks time.

Scorers for Clare: R Begley 1-0, A O’Loughlin 0-3 f, C Carmody 0-1.

Cork: A O’Connor 1-5 (0-2 f), O Cahalane 1-4, C Healy 0-3, F Keating, H Looney 0-2 each, S McCarthy, K Mackey, O Mullins 0-1 each.

CLARE: R Daly; S Daly, C Lally, M Scanlan; E Casey, C Grogan, N Mulqueen; C Carmody, G Carmody; L Daly, A O’Loughlin, J Daly; Zi Yan Spillane, R Begley, H May Neylon.

Subs: L Ryan for C Lally (21), C Cahill for H May Neylon (37), L O’Donnell for E Casey (44), A Andersen for G Carmody (55).

CORK: A Lee; M Murphy, M Cahalane, G Cahalane; I O’Regan, A Healy, L Hayes; A Thompson, H Looney; S McCarthy, F Keating, C Healy; A O’Connor, K Mackey, O Cahalane.

Subs: K Mackey for O Mullins, C O’Sullivan for A Thompson (both ht), L Tracey for A Healy (42), S McCartan for C Healy (43), H Ryan for A O’Connor (51).

Referee: Liz Dempsey (Kilkenny).