The Rebels have made it two in a row.
Cork delivered a barnstorming second half display to overpower Clare down the home stretch in the Munster senior hurling final in Thurles on Sunday afternoon.
John Meyler’s men started slowly in Semple Stadium, but when the stakes were at their highest the likes of Patrick Horgan, Seamus Harnedy and Mark Coleman stood up and were counted.
The Munster championship has made a habit out of serving up bipolar affairs this year and the decider would fittingly prove no different.
Both teams started well in the Semple Stadium sun but as the first half wore on, the Banner roar raised a few decibels and Clare took a stranglehold on this game.
The Banner boys flew out of the blocks early on with the best target man in hurling John Conlon making Damien Cahalane’s first 35 minutes a full back’s nightmare.
The Clonlara bronco broke loose in that period, hitting the Rebels for five points from play and causing damage every single time he got on the ball.
He was ably assisted by David Reidy, the fiery little Éire Óg Ennis man netting a cracking goal to light the touch paper early on. This was quickly followed by a batted Peter Duggan belter as Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor’s boys raced into a 2-11 to 0-9 lead after 34 minutes.
Clare lead Cork 2-11 to 1-10 at half-time in the MSHC Final. Watch the highlights here on GAANOW! pic.twitter.com/G4KR7kNYTO
— The GAA (@officialgaa) July 1, 2018
Crucially, Luke Meade struck back with a green flag for the Rebels on the stroke of the break and that gave Cork something to cling onto going into the the second.
And they only grew from that moment onward. The fastest hurler in the country Darragh Fitzgibbon came into his own with two long-range beauties with that unique strike of his early on in the second half.
Patrick Horgan began swinging those Rolex wrists as the defending Munster champions kicked for home. Indeed, the Glen Rovers club man was the next thing to unplayable in that second half. His touch lethal, his strike unerringly accurate.
But just as John Conlon had dragged his troops through the first half, Cork captain Seamus Harnedy was the man who stood up to turn this game in the decisive second.
With the scores level on 57 minutes, he ghosted past Pat O’Connor and David McInerney like they weren’t even there from a Bill Cooper pass before rifling a bullet past Donal Tuohy.
Cork captain Seamus Harnedy gets Cork's second goal pic.twitter.com/YPbFpc8VlF
— The GAA (@officialgaa) July 1, 2018
That was the turning point of this game and from there the Rebels kicked on. That man Harnedy drove them on. He caught a skyscraper before scoring an inspirational point straight after his green flag.
He split the post on three occasions in that second half.
Mark Coleman pointed a trademark long-ranger and you just knew the day was Cork’s.
On they march to the All-Ireland semis now. Clare are headed for the quarters.
