Rebels comfortably defeat Clare

Cork 5-13   Clare 2-9

THREE goals in the first 10 minutes meant that an upset could be ruled out at an early stage last Saturday evening in Castletownroche.
Facing a side chasing their seventh consecutive Munster title, outsiders Clare needed a good start but Cork blew them away. To their credit, the Banner women stuck at the task until the final whistle but there was never going to be a way back.
The tone was set when Cork centre-forward Ciara O’Sullivan won a penalty after just 37 seconds. Emma O’Driscoll managed to stop Valerie Mulcahy’s effort but the Cork full-forward sent the rebound to the net.
It took Clare a while to settle but points from Eimear Considine and Niamh O’Dea brought the score to 0-2 to 1-1 after six minutes.
But those scores just preceded another burst from Cork. Ciara O’Sullivan pointed after a great run through the middle of the Clare defence, Mary O’Connor added another point and an outstanding move, which started in the half-back line, saw Valerie Mulcahy record her second goal after eight minutes.
In the 10th minute, Niamh O’Dea pointed a free for Clare but less than 30 seconds later the ball was in the net at the other end and again Mulcahy had a major role, laying it off to Nollaig Cleary, who had an easy task to fist to the net.
Cork remained in charge and a point by Mary O’Connor in the 20th minute left it at 0-4 to 3-7.
Clare’s Áine Kelly looked threatening in the right corner for much of the first half and in the 25th minute she struck Clare’s first goal, following good work from Niamh O’Dea and Rachel Lenihan. Almost straight from the kick-out, O’Dea added a point, cutting the gap to eight.
But Cork would finish the half on a high with two goals from Mulcahy in the closing minutes, the second of which was the highlight of the half.
After a close-in free was awarded to Cork, slightly to the right of the posts, it seemed that most of the Clare defence switched off for a moment. Seeing her chance, Mulcahy took a quick free from the ground, with almost no run-up, which went straight into the top left-hand corner of the net. It was a great piece of quick-thinking and skill and it left the score at 5-8 to 1-6 at the break.
Clare started the second half quite well, putting some pressure on the Cork rearguard and Niamh O’Dea had the first score from a free in the fourth minute.
A foul on O’Dea four minutes later gave Clare a penalty, which Louise Henchy sent to the top left-hand corner of the net. The goal came moments after Ciara O’Sullivan was sinbinned, following an off-the-ball incident.
Sub Colette Corry had Cork’s first point of the half in the 41st minute, while moments later Eimear Considine took off on a piercing run through the Cork backs but her shot drew a fine save from Elaine Harte.
Mulcahy, from a free, and Laura McMahon added points for Cork, while Fiona Lafferty and Niamh Keane were on the mark for Clare, leaving the score at 2-9 to 5-11 with two minutes left. Cork closed out the game with points from Annie Walsh and Nollaig Cleary.
In fairness to Clare, they were always likely to struggle against this illustrious Cork side but they kept fighting and there were good individual performances, particularly from Áine Kelly, Niamh O’Dea and Eimear Considine.
The stand-out performer of the night was Cork’s Valerie Mulcahy, who had an incredible four goals scored by half-time. They were also well served by Bríd Stack, Nollaig Cleary and Mary O’Connor.

Cork: Elaine Harte; Aisling Barrett, Linda Barrett, Rena Buckley; Geraldine O’Flynn, Bríd Stack, Deirdre O’Reilly; Juliet Murphy, Norita Kelly; Nollaig Cleary, Ciara O’Sullivan, Mairéad Kelly; Mary O’Connor, Valerie Mulcahy, Rhona Buckley.
Subs: Annie Walsh for Norita Kelly (half-time); Laura McMahon for Mairéad Kelly (42 mins); Caoimhe Creedon for Mary O’Connor (50 mins); Carmel McCarthy for Bríd Stack (54 mins) and Anne Marie Walsh for Rhona Buckley (54 mins).
Scorers: Valerie Mulcahy 4-4 (0-2f); Nollaig Cleary 1-2; Mary O’Connor 0-2; Annie Walsh 0-2; Ciara O’Sullivan 0-1; Juliet Murphy 0-1(f) and Laura McMahon 0-1.
Wides: 11; Frees: 30; 45s: 1
Penalties: 1; Yellow cards: Ciara O’Sullivan

Clare: Emma O’Driscoll; Sinéad Eustace, Lorraine Kelly, Laurie Ryan; Michelle Delaney, Sinead Kelly, Eimear O’Connor; Fiona Lafferty, Louise Henchy; Marie Considine, Niamh Keane, Rachel Lenihan; Áine Kelly, Niamh O’Dea, Eimear Considine.
Subs: Sarah Hoey for Lorraine Kelly (39 mins); Grace Lynch for Rachel Lenihan (46 mins); Carmel Considine for Laurie Ryan (55 mins); Ailish Considine for Áine Kelly (58 mins) and Colette Corry for Fiona Lafferty (60 mins).
Scorers: Niamh O’Dea 0-5 (3f); Áine Kelly 1-1; Louise Henchy 1-0 (penalty); Eimear Considine, Fiona Lafferty and Niamh Keane all 0-1.
Wides: 10; Frees: 27; 45s: 1
Penalties: 1