Cork 4-25

Clare 0-12

CORK minors warmed up for their upcoming clash with Kerry by putting Clare to the sword in their Munster minor football championship opener.

The young Rebels take on the Kingdom next Monday, May 4th in Austin Stack Park, Tralee (7pm) in their second Munster MFC Phase 2 game before playing Waterford at home on May 11th.

The provincial final, should Cork qualify, is on May 18th.

With Cork competing in the Leinster Development League earlier this year, manager Keith Ricken feels those extra matches have stood to them.

‘We’ve had a couple of games like that this year where we have shot the lights out. In some games, the margins were down at single digits. It depends what kind of opposition we’re playing. Over the last few weeks or challenge matches, the lads are starting to find form. We train twice a week and we have a game every week. We’re scoring a lot but what I was impressed with was us defending well,’ Ricken explained.

‘Clare had a very good start and it was nip and tuck for the first number of minutes. I was glad we got on the scoreboard.

‘Their keeper made fantastic saves and I thought we were going to be in trouble a few times when they went down and kicked some great scores but we settled. That’s a sign of a disciplined and organised team. We got our scores.

‘It’s only the first round. We have one wall plastered. There’s three more to go.’

This Munster opener was over by half-time as the Rebels raced into a 3-13 to 0-5 lead.

Goals by Clonakilty’s Tom Whooley, Jacob Barry and Donal Herlihy swelled Cork’s advantage while a Joe Miskella major added to the rout in the second period.

The full-forward line of Whooley, Barry and Herlihy hit 3-9 from play between them.

Other local players that started against Clare include Barryroe’s Conrad Murphy, who converted Cork’s only two-pointer, Rory Twohig of Kilmeen, Adrigole’s Conor Downing and Urhan player Kieran O’Shea.

Newcestown’s Donncha O’Mahony came on as a sub while Riley O’Donovan (Barryroe), Luke O’Neill (Carbery Rangers), Fionn O’Donovan (Clonakilty) and Kevin O’Donovan (O’Donovan Rossa) are all part of the panel too.

Scorers 

Cork: Tom Whooley 1-5; Joe Miskella, Donal Herlihy 1-2 each; Ben Hegarty 0-4 (2f); Conrad Murphy (1 2pt), Eoghan Ahern, Alex O’Herlihy 0-3 each; Jacob Barry 1-0, Conor Garvey, Conor Downing, Rian Coakley 0-1 each.

Clare: Liam Keane 0-5 (4f); Sean O’Callaghan 0-2 (1 2pt); Caelum Killeen, Rian Cotter, Thomas Dillon, Robbie Kelly, Ryan Brady 0-1 each.

Cork: Rory Twohig (Kilmeen); Colm O’Riordan (Blarney), Gabriel Oronsaye (Liscarroll/Churchtown Gaels), Conor Garvey (St Finbarr’s); Darragh O’Sullivan (Erin’s Own), Conor Downing (Adrigole), Eanna Lynch (Ballincollig); Kieran O’Shea (Urhan), Conrad Murphy (Ibane Gaels); Eoghan Ahern (Carrigaline), Ben Hegarty (Ballinora), Joe Miskella (Ballincollig); Tom Whooley (Clonakilty), Jacob Barry (Aghinagh), Donal Herlihy (Shamrocks).

Subs: Donncha O’Mahony (Newcestown) for B Hegarty (ht), Alex O’Herlihy (St Finbarr’s) for J Barry (42), Rian Coakley (Éire Óg) for D Herlihy, Peadar Kelly (Naomh Abán) for C Murphy (both 46), Morgan Corkery (Nemo Rangers) for T Whooley (50).

Clare: Conor Griffin; Gavin Browne, Siney Neenan, Tristan O’Loughlin; Eoin Soffe, Caelum Killeen, Stephen O’Neill; Shane Cahill, Jack Lavin; Rian Cotter, Zac O’Shea, Thomas Dillon; Robbie Kelly, Liam Keane, Sean O’Callaghan.

Subs: Paddy Neylon for C Killeen (28), John Greene for J Lavin, Tadhg Bane for Z O’Shea (both ht), Daniel Healy for E Soffe (42), Ryan Brady for T Dillon (49).

Referee: Eoghan Ó Muircheartaigh (Kerry).