O’Donovan saves the day for Clare

Clare 0-25 Cork 3-16

It was heartstopping stuff. For the majority of this All-Ireland senior hurling final Clare were the better side yet they ended up having to get the equalising point in injury time.

Few would have written the script for this enthralling contest and fewer still would have predicted that the equalising score would come from corner-back Domhnall O’Donovan. The Clonlara man who was outstanding throughout came up-field as the game just past the scheduled two minutes of injury time. He took a pass from his clubmate Nicky O’Connell and from the 45m line on the Cusack Stand side of the grounds, he floaded the ball between the uprights.

It was the least Clare deserved from a game they dominated for long periods.

Clare held a two-point advantage (0-12 to 0-10) at half time but, in truth, they should have been further ahead. In the final four minutes of the half Cork had outscored the Bannermen 0-4 to 0-1 to close the gap to a very manageable two points.

The Clare defence and, in particular, the half-backs, excelled in that opening half but Cork got through for three second half goals which brought them back into the game.

They could have had more goals but for some outstanding saves from Patrick Kelly and Colin Ryan.

Clare held a four-point advantage at the three-quarter stage and pushed this out to five with 15 minutes to go. Cork’s second goal brought it back to two but Cllare were four clear again with eight minutes remaining and looking good to take the title.

Cork’s third goal, from captain Pa Cronin, levelled the tie before the teams swapped points making a draw the likely outcome. When Pat Horgan hit his tenth point of the final on the stroke of full time, it pointed to heartbreak for Clare but they showed great character and O’Donovan saved the day with an excellent equaliser.

The replay will take place on Saturday September 28 and Croke Park have confirmed that the admission charges will be €50 for stand, €25 for terrace with a limited number of juvenile tickets for the participating counties only at €10 each.

Clare: Patrick Kelly (Inagh-Kilnamona); Domhnaill O’Donovan (Clonlara), David McInerney (Tulla), Cian Dillon (Crusheen); Brendan Bugler (Whitegate), Pat Donnellan (O’Callaghans Mills) captain; Patrick O’Connor (Tubber); Conor Ryan (Cratloe), Colm Galvin (Clonlara); John Conlon (Clonlara), Tony Kelly (Ballyea), Colin Ryan (Newmarket); Paudge Collins (Cratloe), Drach Honan (Clonlara), Conor McGrath (Cratloe).

Subs: Cathal McInerney for Honan; Nicky O’Connell for Galvin; Fergal Lynch for Conlon.

Scorers: Colin Ryan (0-12), Tony Kelly (0-4), Conor McGrath, Paudge Collins, John Conlon (0-2) each; Conor Ryan, Darach Honan, Domhnall O’Donovan (0-1) each.

Cork: Anthony Nash; Stephen McDonnell, Shane O’Neill, Conor O’Sullivan; Brian Murphy, Christopher Joyce, William Egan; Lorcan McLoughlin, Daniel Kearney; Seamus Harnady, Patrick Cronin (captain) Conor Lehane; Luke O’Farrell, Patrick Horgan, Jamie Coughlan.

Subs: Stephen Moylan for Coughlan; CianMcCarthy for McLoughlin; Cathal Naughton for McCarthy (inj); Tom Kenny for Egan;; Stephen White for Kearney.

Scorers: Patrick Horgan (0-10); Conor Lehane (1-1); Anthony Nash, Patrick Cronin (1-0) each; Daniel Kearney, Seamus Harnady (0-2) each; Brian Murphy (0-1).

Referee: Brian Gavin, Offaly.