Footballers no match for stronger Cork side

Cork 1-23  Clare 0-11

PREDICTABLE yes but still crushingly dispiriting in equal measure. The mammoth gap between Clare and the higher echelons of Gaelic football was coldly exemplified in Pairc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday.
The players who lined out are not exclusively culpable in this latest Clare football debacle.
Granted, most of them were outclassed by better footballers but Cork do have access to a much higher level of preparation. Two examples highlight this. The physique of the Cork players underline the quality and longevity of the gym and fitness work they have undergone over several seasons.
Clare were physically blown out of it, losing the ball in contact dozens of times and totally unable to match Cork’s legitimate aggression and athleticism.
Cork have almost 50 players on their senior panel, comprising an A, B and C team for training purposes. None are available to the Cork junior team, which last Sunday beat Clare by 14 points. Of course, Cork have almost 300 GAA clubs compared to Clare’s 60 or thereabouts. Yet the deeply ingrained attitudes in Clare GAA don’t encourage pursuit of excellence or high standards. There isn’t a tradition of consistently aspiring to exceptionally high standards in Clare football.
The result of last Sunday’s game was clear 15 minutes before half-time. That was when Donncha O’Connor patted Paddy Kelly’s hand-pass into an empty Clare net. Clare had been competitive until then but Cork now led 1-6 to 0-3 and by 1-9 to 0-4 at half-time.
Clare couldn’t establish anything near parity at midfield, where Niall Browne and Gary Brennan were completely outplayed by Aidan Walsh and Alan O’Connor. In the first half alone, Clare lost 11 of their own 16 kick-outs. Cork secured six of their seven, often deploying short, varied kick-outs from Alan Quirke.
Brennan scored two of Clare’s points in the opening half, the first and fourth. The Clondegad man had half a goal chance when scoring his second point but the shot went over. The outstanding Rory Donnelly, who kicked five from play over the 70 minutes, notched two in the first half, during which Clare kicked four wides to Cork’s seven.
Wing-forward Ciarán Sheehan, who caused Martin McMahon endless trouble, Daniel Goulding, Donncha O’Connor and Aidan Walsh, with a superb score, accounted for Cork’s first-half total.
Clare brought Ger Quinlan on for Niall Browne, while John Hayes and Cathal O’Connor were replaced at half-time by Shane Brennan and Shane McNelis. Hayes appeared to be playing on the wrong side at right half-back, rather than left half. The Clare management must have had their reasons for taking Hayes off but Martin McMahon and full-back Barry Duggan were also struggling, even though both were trying their best. The root cause behind Clare’s defensive tribulations was the midfield’s inability to win decent possession.
Clare resumed with Quinlan and O’Neill at midfield and they won Cork’s first three kick-outs, which were now into a strong wind. Alan Clohessy, Donnelly and David Tubridy profited by kicking three lovely points, reducing the deficit to 1-9 to 0-7. That was as close as Clare got. Cork responded with scores from Donncha O’Connor and Pearse O’Neill. Although Donnelly and Tubridy replied, Cork extended their lead (1-16 to 0-9) 10 minutes from time. The same Clare players scored a point apiece again but that was the extent of Clare’s total as Cork tagged on seven unanswered points in the closing six minutes.
This defeat joins a near infinite list of morale-sapping Clare defeats. All of this was made even worse by Graham Kelly’s incident with John Miskella. Ironically, Kelly had been one of Clare’s better players. If he were to stick to playing high octane, aggressive football, Kelly would be a huge asset to his county but unfortunately the fuse blows too often.
Joe Hayes played well in goals, making a smart first-half save from Ciarán Sheehan and fielding a high ball under pressure in the second half. Kevin Hartnett was as solid as it was possible to be at corner-back. Laurence Healy also gave it everything, while Gordon Kelly kept Paddy Kelly quiet. Rory Donnelly played magnificently in attack, while David Tubridy showed some glimpses of his ability.

Clare: Joe Hayes (Lissycasey); Kevin Hartnett (Meelick), Barry Duggan (Cratloe), Laurence Healy (Ennistymon); John Hayes (Kilrush), Gordon Kelly (St Joseph’s Miltown, captain), Martin McMahon (Kilmurry Ibrickane); Niall Browne (Two Mile House, Kildare), Gary Brennan (Clondegad); Graham Kelly (St Joseph’s, Miltown), David Tubridy (Doonbeg), Cathal O’Connor (Coolmeen); Rory Donnelly (Cooraclare), Darren O’Neill (Éire Óg), Alan Clohessy (Liscannor).
Subs: Ger Quinlan (O’Curry’s) for Niall Browne (28), Shane Brennan (Clondegad) for Cathal O’Connor (half-time), Shane McNelis (Kildysart) for John Hayes (half-time) and Joe Dowling (Ennistymon) for Darren O’Neill (68).
Scorers: Rory Donnelly (0-5), David Tubridy (0-3, 1f), Gary Brennan (0-2) and Alan Clohessy (0-1).
Wides: 9; frees won: 17; 45s: 1
Yellow cards: Niall Browne, Graham Kelly and Gordon Kelly.
Red card: Graham Kelly.
Cork: Alan Quirke; Ray Carey, Michael Shields, Jamie O’Sullivan; Denis O’Sullivan, Noel O’Leary, Graham Canty; Alan O’Connor, Aidan Walsh; Ciarán Sheehan, Patrick Kelly, Pearse O’Neill; Daniel Goulding, Donncha O’Connor, David Goold.
Subs: Paul Kerrigan for David Goold (47), Paudie Kissane for Michael Shields (62), Fiacra Lynch for Patrick Kelly (62), Nicholas Murphy for Aidan Walsh (64) and John Miskella for Denis O’Sullivan (66).
Scorers: Daniel Goulding (0-8, 6f), Donncha O’Connor (1-4, 2f), Ciarán Sheehan (0-4), Pearse O’Neill (0-2), Michael Shields, Alan O’Connor, Paul Kerrigan, David Goold and John Miskella (0-1 each).
Wides: 8; frees won: 20; 45s: 1
Yellow cards: Ciarán Sheehan, Aidan Walsh and John Miskella.
Referee: Eddie Kinsella (Laois).