Cork fell to a superb second half fight back from Clare, to lose their first game of the hurling league season. Cork were leading 0-14 to 0-8 in the early stages of the second half, at Páirc Uí Rinn. A Clare revival took shape, however, and they outscored their hosts by twelve points over the next half hour. The final score of 1-16 to 1-22 for the visiting side was even somewhat kind to Cork, who claimed a late consolation goal.

Following the game, Cork selector Kieran Kingston was at a loss to explain what had happened to his side in the second half: “It’s difficult to put a finger on it.

“(I’m) Disappointed for us to be 6 points up and from 6 points up to be 9 points down.”

One potential factor Kingston saw as leading to the second half collapse was a lack of experience in the Cork side. He saw a more experienced Clare side as finding a more clinical edge in the second half, one which his side couldn’t match.

“When they got a smell of victory they really went for it. We seemed to fade and that was disappointing."

Listen to the full interview with Kingston via the player below

Image: Shane O'Donnell of Clare with Brian Murphy of Cork
©INPHO/Donall Farmer