Five key moments from the All-Ireland final, writes Malachy Clerkin. Robert Downey and Tony Kelly score two of the best ever final goals, Johnny Murphy makes a huge call and Kelly finishes it off.
[ Cork v Clare: Five key moments in the All-Ireland hurling finalOpens in new window ]
Brian Lohan on RTÉ: “It had everything that is right in the game. It was a shootout and we’re delighted to have come out on top in the game. We were delighted to go in level at half-time and then the game took on a life of its own after that.
“We’ve always had brilliant players. We had a break after the Munster final and we had massive energy when we came back in. We jumped each fence when it came ahead of us and we did great.”
That’s all from me, follow Irish Times Sport for the match report and more to come.
Tony Kelly lifts the Liam MacCarthy: “Hurling is like religion and Brian Lohan is like God!” to rapturous applause from the Clare fans.
“I can’t speak highly enough of him, and all the players would say the same. He’s a legend from his playing day and added another string to his bow as manager.”
One of many key scores from Tony Kelly today, unbelievable:
ET 93 mins: Collins pumps it forward and O’Flynn catches it but he misses! Final whistle goes and Clare have won it!
Clare 3-29 Cork 1-34
Very controversial as the replay showed his jersey was clearly pulled.
ET 92 mins: Horgan puts it over the bar, two points now. Horgan then instead of dropping it in, takes another and scores. One point.
Clare 3-29 Cork 1-34
ET 90 mins: Another point, by Meehan and Clare pile home the advantage. Cork need a goal. Two minutes stoppage time.
Clare 3-29 Cork 1-32
ET 89 mins: What a score by Tony Kelly! Flicks it up twice and makes the space for the score! Could that be the winner? Then Aidan McCarthy scores a point! That’s 1-7 for him today and a two point lead for Clare.
Clare 3-28 Cork 1-32
ET 87 mins: Robbie O’Flynn goes for glory, goal attempt and brilliant save by Quilligan! Could save them.
Clare 3-26 Cork 1-32
ET 85 mins: Some fatigue this half understandably, a few misses and mistakes for both teams. Who can win it or will it be a replay on August 3rd?
Clare 3-26 Cork 1-32
ET 83 mins: Early point for Cork straight after the start of the second half of extra time. Aidan McCarthy levels the scores yet again from a free.
Clare 3-26 Cork 1-32
ET 80+1 mins: Clare score to equalise through Kelly before Horgan gets another chance from a free to put Cork ahead but he misses and the scores are level again at the end of the first half of extra time.
Clare 3-25 Cork 1-31
ET 79 mins: Great point by Ciarán Joyce who wriggles away from all the tackles and strikes to give Cork the lead.
Clare 3-24 Cork 1-31
ET 77 mins: Big goal chances missed by Clare! Tony Kelly first of all, saved by Collins, then passes it to McCarthy who pulls but brilliant block by Cork. Kelly scores then after a sideline pass.
Clare 3-24 Cork 1-30
ET 75 mins: Aidan McCarthy scores a free before it’s responded by Coleman belting one from long distance near the sideline, mighty shot. Then Kingston gets his second point of extra time to give Cork the lead.
Clare 3-23 Cork 1-30
ET 72 mins: Early points in extra time for Ian Galvin and Shane Kingston, both off the bench.
Clare 3-22 Cork 1-28
Watch the highlights here:
75 mins: Point by Tony Kelly! He twists and turns from a loose ball and shoots off his left. Brilliant score. Then Cork go straight ahead and have a great chance but Jack O’Connor fluffs his lines to miss.
Clare 3-21 Cork 1-26
A scourge of cynical fouls by Clare and Cork pump it up ahead and then it comes to cost them as a tug of the jersey leave Horgan with a cance to level the match and he scores! Level!
Full-time: Clare 3-21 Cork 1-27
Extra-time coming.
The moment of the game:
73 mins: Eoin Downey kicks the ball and then pumps it forward. Out for a sideline for Cork. But Clare emerge with the ball. They give it away and then an awful tackle by Rodgers. Horgan from distance scores! Sides are level!
Clare 3-20 Cork 1-26
71 mins: Point by Mark Coleman brings it back within one. Five minutes stoppage time!
Clare 3-20 Cork 1-25
69 mins: Cynical play by Clare as it looks like they stop a goalscoring opportunity after a long ball falls through on goal. It’s a free, but no black card despite one of the most cynical fouls you’d see in any sport, you would wonder what the point of that rule is. Over the bar by Horgan.
Clare 3-20 Cork 1-24
65 mins: Clare’s half backs are flying and getting a lot of space. Smart play by Taylor and Ryan on the overlap scores. Referee Johnny Murphy gets a bad knock and has to get medical treatment, not something you see too often!
Clare 3-20 Cork 1-23
63 mins: David Fitzgerald gets a fourth point or so it seemed, ball called wide under Hawk Eye. Clare winning a lot of the breaking balls last 10 minutes.
Clare 3-19 Cork 1-23
61 mins: Rodgers makes it 1-3 after a flick on from a long ball. Then Taylor off the bench makes it three points ahead for Clare. Fitzgibbon catches again in an impressive way and scores for Cork.
Clare 3-19 Cork 1-23
59 mins: Seamus Harnedy levels the scores with a languid shot over the bar. A controversial moment as Cork wanted a free but not given and then Clare go up and score through Fitzgerald to take the lead.
Clare 3-17 Cork 1-22
57 mins: Patrick Horgan gets them back within two and then Eoin Downey lobs one over from distance, back to one point!
Clare 3-16 Cork 1-21
55 mins: Moment of magic from the inspirational Kelly, will it be the difference? Then Rodgers hits a sideline cut over the ball, superb.
Clare 3-16 Cork 1-19
51 mins: GOAL FOR CLARE! Magic goal by Tony Kelly. Flicks it over one defender and another and past the goalkeeper! Maybe the best goal of the lot! Cork respond with a point but two behind now.
Clare 3-15 Cork 1-19
50 mins: Reidy scores a point to put Clare back ahead. Referee spots a free for Cork and Horgan puts over to level the scores again.
Clare 2-15 Cork 1-18
48 mins: Tim O’Mahony breaks the drought with a good dig off the left from around halfway. Then Harnedy goes for goal as his shot was blocked but somehow not a 65. Connolly is raging at him for not passing to him inside.
Clare 2-14 Cork 1-17
45 mins: A slight lull in the game, no score for four minutes, shock horror. A few bad wides, particularly by Fitzgerald.
Clare 2-14 Cork 1-16
40 mins: GOAL FOR CLARE! Brilliant strike by Mark Rodgers, shows his pace, cuts inside and smashes it past Collins.
Earlier Tim O’Mahony got his second point of the game. Connolly then scores after the goal.
Clare 2-13 Cork 1-17
38 mins: Points shared at the start of the second half. Hayes and Duggan. Harnedy then puts Cork back ahead. Duggan then catches a puckout and Fitzgerald scores. That’s blow for blow.
Cork 1-14 Clare 1-14
Fiachra Gallagher met some of the Cork and Clare fans before the final. “It’s Christmas Day for hurlers,” one said.
“A clammy Jones’ Road was a pulse of red and blue-and-yellow activity, punters trying to fit it all in before throw-in – sorting a spare last-minute ticket, finding the nearest bar to quench nerves with cider or making time for a quick reunion.”
Read it here:
35 mins: A wide by Dalton for Cork’s fourth wide of the game. Not gone to plan for Cork last five minutes.
Finally Cork are back on target with a fine catch and shot by Darragh Fitzgibbon. It’s half-time, all square!
Half-time: Cork 1-12 Clare 1-12
Good half, Cork dominated the early stages but Clare were the better team in the latter stages. Two great goals, especially that by Downey after his solo run. All to play for.
Here are the goals again:
32 mins: Good play from Clare as Rodgers drills a point over from distance. Clare winning a few puckouts and Cathal Malone goes on a solo run before laying off to McCarthy to score! Then another won puckout and fantastic interplay and Reidy scores! Clare lead.
Cork 1-11 Clare 1-12
30 mins: Shane O’Donnell goes for goal but it’s well blocked. Clare finally get a point though through McCarthy. Cork respond through a free before Clare go for goal against through Diarmuid Ryan but a great block by Eoin Downey. Out for a 65, it’s scored by McCarthy.
Cork 1-11 Clare 1-9
25 mins: Another score for Clare and now amazingly it’s one point in the difference after Cork had led by seven only 10 minutes ago. Cork bring it back to two points though before a big goal chance for Horgan, just misses. His jersey was pulled back and he scores the free to bring it back to three points.
Cork 1-10 Clare 1-7
22 mins: Harnedy’s shot ends up being ruled out by Hawk Eye as Shane O’Donnell carries Clare again to another score with a great pick up and score.
Cork 1-8 Clare 1-6
18 mins: GOAL FOR CLARE! Aidan McCarthy with an important goal. O’Donnell battles the high ball and around various players and lays it off for McCarthy to smash home. Great spell for O’Donnell as he scores a great point straight after to reduce it to three points.
Cork 1-8 Clare 1-5
15 mins: Point for Clare from Rodgers from a free to bring it back within six, but Cork respond immediately with a point.
Cork 1-8 Clare 0-4
12 mins: Harnedy with a lovely score off the left and the lead is three points again. Barrett scores another for Cork.
GOAL FOR CORK! Downey takes a puckout and just dribbles the whole way up the pitch, flips it up and bang, back of the net. Brilliant goal.
Cork 1-7 Clare 0-3
9 mins: Patrick Horgan scores his first free of the All-Ireland to put Cork two ahead.
Cork 0-5 Clare 0-3
6 mins: First point of the day Mark Rodgers after a pass from Kelly. Another quickfire Diarmuid Ryan with it. He makes it a second as they have an amazing two minute spell. Brian Hayes puts Cork back ahead.
Cork 0-4 Clare 0-3
4 mins: Wide by Peter Duggan. Clare win a puckout by McInerney and went for the big score but misses again. Barrett flicks one over to give Cork a three point lead.
Cork 0-3 Clare 0-0
2 mins: Tim O’Mahony with an early point, then Harnedy follows up with a second within the first minute.
Cork 0-2 Clare 0-0
The teams again:
Cork: Patrick Collins; Niall O’Leary, Eoin Downey, Seán O’Donoghue (capt); Ciarán Joyce, Robert Downey, Mark Coleman; Tim O’Mahony, Darragh Fitzgibbon; Declan Dalton, Shane Barrett, Séamus Harnedy; Patrick Horgan, Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes.
Clare: Eibhear Quilligan; Adam Hogan, Conor Cleary, Conor Leen; Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon, David McInerney; David Fitzgerald, Cathal Malone; Tony Kelly (capt), Mark Rodgers, Peter Duggan; Aidan McCarthy, Shane O’Donnell, David Reidy.
Check out Nicky English on the Cork hurling team: the profiles of the 15 men bidding for All-Ireland glory.
Then Joe Canning on the Clare team.
[ Joe Canning on the Clare hurling team: The 15 men bidding for All-Ireland gloryOpens in new window ]
Malachy Clerkin writes of the reasons why it’s impossible to begrudge either Cork or Clare an All-Ireland final win. From Ger Loughnane to Jimmy Barry-Murphy, from Shane O’Donnell the astronaut to Patrick Horgan the record breaker, nobody outside the counties involved has a bone to pick this weekend
Cork can bring enough of the storm to weather Clare challenge, writes Nicky English. He asks what Cork will show up?
“The games against Offaly and Dublin spooked me a little bit about Cork. I accept the medical cert as an explanation for a lack of energy but the performances fell a long way off the defining levels reached against Limerick, twice, and for half the Tipperary match.
“Can they maintain that state of mind through two weeks of absolute hype and delirium in the county? In that respect, the experience of the 2021 final will be invaluable because the personnel isn’t much different from that beaten to a pulp that day by Limerick.”
[ Nicky English: Cork can bring enough of the storm to weather Clare challengeOpens in new window ]
Cork’s momentum can get them over the line in tight finale, writes Seán Moran in his preview of today’s final. He says Cork need slightly less to go right for them than Clare.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the All-Ireland hurling final between Cork and Clare at Croke Park.. It is a repeat of the 2013 final and should be a great game, the first winner that isn’t Limerick for quite a while after Cork beat the champions in a stunning semi-final. Throw-in for the decider is at 3.30pm. Cork have a massive support for this one and are looking for their first title since 2005.
Both sides have named unchanged starting line-ups for this weekend’s final.
Cork: Patrick Collins; Niall O’Leary, Eoin Downey, Seán O’Donoghue (capt); Ciarán Joyce, Robert Downey, Mark Coleman; Tim O’Mahony, Darragh Fitzgibbon; Declan Dalton, Shane Barrett, Séamus Harnedy; Patrick Horgan, Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes.
Subs: Brion Saunderson, Damien Cahalane, Ger Millerick, Tommy O’Connell, Luke Meade, Ethan Twomey, Conor Lehane, Jack O’Connor, Shane Kingston, Pádraig Power, Robbie O’Flynn.
Clare: Eibhear Quilligan; Adam Hogan, Conor Cleary, Conor Leen; Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon, David McInerney; David Fitzgerald, Cathal Malone; Tony Kelly (capt), Mark Rodgers, Peter Duggan; Aidan McCarthy, Shane O’Donnell, David Reidy.
Subs: Cian Broderick, Rory Hayes, Paul Flanagan, Cian Galvin, Darragh Lohan, Ryan Taylor, Seadna Morey, Aron Shanagher, Ian Galvin, Shane Meehan, Robin Mounsey.
Limerick’s Johnny Murphy is the referee.
