Cork v Clare All Ireland SHC Final Sunday 8th September 3.30pm

[theticklemister]

Bk page of irish news and irish star........ Headlines all about money; f**k you ya c***ts. All about winnig an all ireland medal for those players and management. Headlibes oike that sicken me, bunch of captailist badsrards.

Are you not embarrassed to be buying the rag ya dope ya!

Great for the sport. But for some people it is all about the money  that this replay brings.

[Mayo4Sam]

As mentioned Honan was poor, he seems to find it hard to get into games at times and they will need a lot more from him the next day.

Any chance Honan was concussed, he looked fierce shook after the belt to the head

[Applesisapples]

Brian Gavin gifted Cork at least 3 points in the first half and chickened the red card. Having said that the decisions probably balanced over the hour. Clare coughed up 3 goals and thats why they aren't AI champions. A wonderful game of hurling and in fairness Gavin on the timing did what most referees would do and allowed Clare that once last attack. I like Gavin normally as a ref because he lets play develop, maybe not the best day yesterday but even refs can have an off day. As for Davy Fitz, what can be said love his passion for the game and cute as an oul Tyrone fox he puts pressure on the replay ref without actually saying anything.

[CitySlicker11]

Despite the highly exciting finish yesterday both teams will not be happy with their overall performances. This is probably the best way to be heading in to a replay as they will be going all out to put their mistakes right.

I feel Cork have the most room to improve out of both teams. With the tough pressure that Clare forwards put on the Cork backs, I think Cork need to work on getting a free man close to their player in position. The free man then would have more chance of delivering good possession to his forwards.

Just glad we get another game to watch in this excellent hurling season.

[Zulu]

Bk page of irish news and irish star........ Headlines all about money; f**k you ya c***ts. All about winnig an all ireland medal for those players and management. Headlibes oike that sicken me, bunch of captailist badsrards.

Are you not embarrassed to be buying the rag ya dope ya!

Great for the sport. But for some people it is all about the money  that this replay brings.

To be fair the additional money is the angle on the replay as the medals were up for grabs yesterday and will be the next day, the €2.8 million wasn't there yesterday.

As mentioned Honan was poor, he seems to find it hard to get into games at times and they will need a lot more from him the next day.

I think he has been poor enough all year and he's position should be under threat IMO.

[Bingo]

As mentioned Honan was poor, he seems to find it hard to get into games at times and they will need a lot more from him the next day.

Any chance Honan was concussed, he looked fierce shook after the belt to the head

He took a right hit but I was sitting down that end of the lower cusack and watched the two of them despite the action been up the field and seen Honan go down but for the life of me, I never noticed what O'Neill did to him, happened that quick. Was only on the slow-mo replay last night I saw it.

[brokencrossbar1]

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/other-sports/hit-parade-with-more-twists-than-a-chubby-checker-convention.22106312

Hit parade with more twists than a Chubby Checker convention

Hugh Macdonald

Chief Sports Writer.

Monday 9 September 2013

THERE is no need for the woefully uninitiated to steal quietly into Croke Park.

Such is the concentrated focus of the surrounding 82,300 supporters that one could in the manner of Lady Godiva gallop into the Cusack Stand, modesty covered only by a cloak of ignorance, and remain unnoticed for the entire afternoon of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.


It is compulsory for major sporting events to create an atmosphere within a stadium that causes one to remember with fondness those days when one had hair on the head that would stand to attention on roared orders from somewhere deep inside.

Croke Park on a finals day is at the very tip of this sporting phenomenon but, being Ireland, it follows a toast to the eternal reality of an extraordinary atmosphere of a September Sunday with something more profound, that drifts in song and words on the wind but cannot be fully grasped or even articulated.

Hurling speaks to the soul of an Irishman. The greatest day of observance was conducted yesterday as Cork took on Clare in the All-Ireland Senior Championship.

Every final has its own backstory and the 2013 version had one to rank with the best. It was marked by the absence of Kilkenny which, for 12 of the past 15 years, have come up to Dublin for the final almost as a matter of divine right. Galway and Tipperary were favoured to be their most formidable opponents this year.

Yet Cork, revitalised under a legend, and Clare, driven by a demon, survived the season to test their body and spirit in front of the hurling nation that comprises 2400 clubs in the country under the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association), and a further 400 abroad.

Reduced to its simplest terms, this final was a tale of the unexpected. To cut to the end of a compelling drama, it is one that will be repeated in three weeks. Clare 0-25 drew with Cork 3-16. This is the dry arithmetic. It does nothing to describe the excitement of a match that started in fury and gained momentum.

This was the first all backdoor-final since 2004, that is both clubs had been beaten previously this season and survived to the final because of a sort of repechage system. Both clubs, too, had contested a relegation play-off in April. Both clubs now will contest a replay for the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

It is a measure of the turbulence of the day that Clare equalised with the last puck of the day yet will feel aggrieved at the result. Patrick Horgan had put Cork ahead at what seemed the end of a frantic match but Domhnall O'Donovan saved the Banner County with the last swipe.

Clare's performance, though, was committed throughout and carried belief as its standard.

Yet Cork, a county that is said to suffer from a superiority complex, marched on Dublin with a confidence bolstered by a wonderful history of 30 championships and with Jimmy Barry-Murphy at the helm. Barry-Murphy would be hurling's Pele, but only if the great Brazilian was also an invincible coach. Barry-Murphy has won at All-Ireland senior and minor (under-18s) level as both a player and a manager. He also won an All-Ireland final as a Gaelic football player and was an excellent soccer player. He may not be God in Cork but could stand in if the deity had the day off.

Davy Fitzgerald, the Clare coach, is a former goalkeeper with the occasional madness of the breed. Such is the reckless bravery of the custodians in hurling that one suspects the men in white coats who stand by the goalposts to adjudicate points are also there to accompany the goalkeepers to the nearest psychiatric unit after the final whistle. Fitzgerald is not one to take a step backwards and he arrived with a young Clare team, with the county only having a history of three wins in the major championship. Yet Clare, too, are young and innovative, and personified their explosive manager when they ran out of the tunnel in the manner of shrapnel from a landing shell. They caused some damage to Cork in the first half.

Leading 12-10, Clare managed to withstand three goals from Cork in the second period to lead until the final seconds before being overhauled, and then pulling back. A brilliant goal from Conor Lehane and a decisive finish from Pa Cronin were split by the sight of Anthony Nash, the Cork goalkeeper, taking a Sunday stroll of more than 100 metres to dispatch a free hit past his counterpart.

But if Cork scored the goals, Clare made their point in a variety of ways. Their tactic was to smother Cork and then engineer room in midfield to shoot long and true. On 25 occasions the sliotar slipped through the Cork posts. These sometimes outrageous hits were not enough to see off Barry-Murphy and his players.

It was left to Clare to be rueful even though they had escaped from what would have been a dreadful, dispiriting defeat. They could thank O'Donovan for turning up in an unexpected position and then even more unexpectedly swiping the ball between the posts. His manager disclosed afterwards that the defender would have been far from his first choice to take advantage of such a desperate situation.

Fitzgerald, a character so fiery that journalists would have been forgiven for placing their recording devices in front of him with the aid of asbestos gloves, was almost eerily deliberate when reflecting on the second draw in the major final in 57 years. He skirted any invitation to criticise the match referee, who made some close calls in favour of Cork. Instead, he praised his opponents as a fine side and said of his players: "They do not know when to quit."

No-one, player or fan, flagged in a febrile afternoon in Dublin. Hurling drank deep and long a great final yesterday. They will have one more for the road on September 28.

[orangeman]

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/other-sports/hit-parade-with-more-twists-than-a-chubby-checker-convention.22106312

Hit parade with more twists than a Chubby Checker convention

Hugh Macdonald

Chief Sports Writer.

Monday 9 September 2013

THERE is no need for the woefully uninitiated to steal quietly into Croke Park.

Such is the concentrated focus of the surrounding 82,300 supporters that one could in the manner of Lady Godiva gallop into the Cusack Stand, modesty covered only by a cloak of ignorance, and remain unnoticed for the entire afternoon of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.


It is compulsory for major sporting events to create an atmosphere within a stadium that causes one to remember with fondness those days when one had hair on the head that would stand to attention on roared orders from somewhere deep inside.

Croke Park on a finals day is at the very tip of this sporting phenomenon but, being Ireland, it follows a toast to the eternal reality of an extraordinary atmosphere of a September Sunday with something more profound, that drifts in song and words on the wind but cannot be fully grasped or even articulated.

Hurling speaks to the soul of an Irishman. The greatest day of observance was conducted yesterday as Cork took on Clare in the All-Ireland Senior Championship.

Every final has its own backstory and the 2013 version had one to rank with the best. It was marked by the absence of Kilkenny which, for 12 of the past 15 years, have come up to Dublin for the final almost as a matter of divine right. Galway and Tipperary were favoured to be their most formidable opponents this year.

Yet Cork, revitalised under a legend, and Clare, driven by a demon, survived the season to test their body and spirit in front of the hurling nation that comprises 2400 clubs in the country under the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association), and a further 400 abroad.

Reduced to its simplest terms, this final was a tale of the unexpected. To cut to the end of a compelling drama, it is one that will be repeated in three weeks. Clare 0-25 drew with Cork 3-16. This is the dry arithmetic. It does nothing to describe the excitement of a match that started in fury and gained momentum.

This was the first all backdoor-final since 2004, that is both clubs had been beaten previously this season and survived to the final because of a sort of repechage system. Both clubs, too, had contested a relegation play-off in April. Both clubs now will contest a replay for the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

It is a measure of the turbulence of the day that Clare equalised with the last puck of the day yet will feel aggrieved at the result. Patrick Horgan had put Cork ahead at what seemed the end of a frantic match but Domhnall O'Donovan saved the Banner County with the last swipe.

Clare's performance, though, was committed throughout and carried belief as its standard.

Yet Cork, a county that is said to suffer from a superiority complex, marched on Dublin with a confidence bolstered by a wonderful history of 30 championships and with Jimmy Barry-Murphy at the helm. Barry-Murphy would be hurling's Pele, but only if the great Brazilian was also an invincible coach. Barry-Murphy has won at All-Ireland senior and minor (under-18s) level as both a player and a manager. He also won an All-Ireland final as a Gaelic football player and was an excellent soccer player. He may not be God in Cork but could stand in if the deity had the day off.

Davy Fitzgerald, the Clare coach, is a former goalkeeper with the occasional madness of the breed. Such is the reckless bravery of the custodians in hurling that one suspects the men in white coats who stand by the goalposts to adjudicate points are also there to accompany the goalkeepers to the nearest psychiatric unit after the final whistle. Fitzgerald is not one to take a step backwards and he arrived with a young Clare team, with the county only having a history of three wins in the major championship. Yet Clare, too, are young and innovative, and personified their explosive manager when they ran out of the tunnel in the manner of shrapnel from a landing shell. They caused some damage to Cork in the first half.

Leading 12-10, Clare managed to withstand three goals from Cork in the second period to lead until the final seconds before being overhauled, and then pulling back. A brilliant goal from Conor Lehane and a decisive finish from Pa Cronin were split by the sight of Anthony Nash, the Cork goalkeeper, taking a Sunday stroll of more than 100 metres to dispatch a free hit past his counterpart.

But if Cork scored the goals, Clare made their point in a variety of ways. Their tactic was to smother Cork and then engineer room in midfield to shoot long and true. On 25 occasions the sliotar slipped through the Cork posts. These sometimes outrageous hits were not enough to see off Barry-Murphy and his players.

It was left to Clare to be rueful even though they had escaped from what would have been a dreadful, dispiriting defeat. They could thank O'Donovan for turning up in an unexpected position and then even more unexpectedly swiping the ball between the posts. His manager disclosed afterwards that the defender would have been far from his first choice to take advantage of such a desperate situation.

Fitzgerald, a character so fiery that journalists would have been forgiven for placing their recording devices in front of him with the aid of asbestos gloves, was almost eerily deliberate when reflecting on the second draw in the major final in 57 years. He skirted any invitation to criticise the match referee, who made some close calls in favour of Cork. Instead, he praised his opponents as a fine side and said of his players: "They do not know when to quit."

No-one, player or fan, flagged in a febrile afternoon in Dublin. Hurling drank deep and long a great final yesterday. They will have one more for the road on September 28.

Great article.


The writer said he has been to many olympics, Wimbeldon finals, big soccer and rugby games but that yesterday's game was right up there on a par if not ahead of anything he had witnessed in his lifetime of watching sport all over the globe.

High praise.

Hurling - take a bow.

Keano back for more yesterday as well I see.

No Ard Comhairle seat for him.

[camanchero]

on the additional time played by the ref.
obv we all know the timekeeping is at the refs discretion.
it was 29 seconds from the ball went out for a sideline at the end of the game until the cork man actually took the sideline cut.
So the extra 30 seconds or so with whch Clare went up the field to score shouldnt be a big issue.

its about the only thing the ref did right in the game- and certainly the only advantage he seemed to give to clare.
it was a very bad day at the office for the ref yesterday. bordering on disgraceful officiation.

Wonder who will get the replay.

[The Biff]

.....
Keano back for more yesterday as well I see.

No Ard Comhairle seat for him.

Roy might have been afraid he'd be offered a prawn sandwich if he sat in the cushy seats section.

I'll defend my county-man Brian Gavin a bit.  No ref gets all the calls correct because he doesn't have the advantage of slow-mo or reverse-angle replays.  There were also a couple of subs introduced right on full time which would have been after he had submitted his intention to play 2 minutes additional time.

With the non-sending off incident, I've seen little comment about why Honan was also booked.  I think one of the TV replay angles shows him aiming a swipe at O'Neills stomach, but the bottom line is I'll respect the best independent evidence available - two umpires standing 5 yards away from the pair of players.

Clare didn't nearly lose this match because of what Brian Gavin did or didn't do, and the sooner they accept that and work on their own short-comings, the better their chance for the replay.

Great game though and a nice article above from another independent source.  I wonder what the crowd and atmosphere is like at the big Shinty final.  I bet they're jealous.

[Minder]

Throw in at 5pm for replay

[AZOffaly]

As an Offaly man, I have great time for Brian Gavin as a ref, but I must admit yesterday I thought he gave Cork a couple of seriously handy frees. The Clare fullback nearly had his hand broken in a swipe that could have even been a red card by a harsh ref, if it was deemed a deliberate chop down on the hand. To turn around and give Cork the free in was unreal. Then the barging call where he gave the free to Cork as well was brutal.

After that though, I didn't see him do too much wrong. He'd have had to go by Umpires advice for the O'Neill/Horan incident, but unless they told him that both players struck, he was always going to go with a yellow each. Maybe if he saw O'Neill's belt he'd have lined him, but then it also appeared that Horan hit into the midriff of O'Neill, so does Horan walk as well? By the letter of the law, yes. Striking, or attempting to strike, with the hurley.

Sometimes I think Brian is hoist by his own petard as he has a name for being a man's ref, and letting the game flow and is sparing with the reds. Yesterday that might have counted against him in that incident.

The biggest turning point of all I felt was Paudge Collins decision to aim a kick at the sliothar instead of using his hurley. The fact that he air kicked made it worse, and then to see the ball going up the other end and a goal coming off it was sickening for Clare.

Clare by far the better team on the day and I thought Conor Ryan, the Clare #9 was MOTM, particularly when he was operating at centre back, he was immense as were the whole Clare half back line.

[Bord na Mona man]

There is too much complaining about Gavin and I think Clare and neutrals pulling for them are overly focussing on this because of how Clare blew a massive chance of an All Ireland.

First off, there was the perception beforehand that Gavin would 'let the play flow' and let both teams rip the heads off each other as in now tradition in AI finals. His appointment was particularly welcomed by those who were unhappy with the greater enforcement of the rules in this year's championship.
Clare seemed suckered into the trap more than Cork early on and their over exuberant tackling was punished. Also, Clare conceded 13 metres a number of times for dissent. Another sign that their discipline wasn't all there.

The outrage over Pat Horgan getting red in the Munster final for hitting down on the head was probably a factor in the O'Neill yellow card. Also when it's an umpire's word, a referee tends to be even more reluctant. It should have been a red and maybe had Gavin seen it properly, he would have taken this view.

The 2 swing decisions were for the charging Cork player winning a free and McInerney being blown for overholding after receiving what looked like a chop.
However I got the feeling that Gavin realised these were contentious and evened it up a little. He let Clare away with a couple of obvious offences afterwards, including a blatant pick up off the ground. He also warned the Clare keeper Kelly about staying on his line the 2nd time he faced an Anthony Nash placed ball. Which was tantamount acknowledgement that he let him away with a blatant infringement for the first one.

The side with the persecution complex rarely sees this though. A referee is better off to pull up the other side for a couple of small things instead to make it more obvious that a bit of balancing is taking place.

[AZOffaly]

There is too much complaining about Gavin and I think Clare and neutrals pulling for them are overly focussing on this because of how Clare blew a massive chance of an All Ireland.

First off, there was the perception beforehand that Gavin would 'let the play flow' and let both teams rip the heads off each other as in now tradition in AI finals. His appointment was particularly welcomed by those who were unhappy with the greater enforcement of the rules in this year's championship.
Clare seemed suckered into the trap more than Cork early on and their over exuberant tackling was punished. Also, Clare conceded 13 metres a number of times for dissent. Another sign that their discipline wasn't all there.

The outrage over Pat Horgan getting red in the Munster final for hitting down on the head was probably a factor in the O'Neill yellow card. Also when it's an umpire's word, a referee tends to be even more reluctant. It should have been a red and maybe had Gavin seen it properly, he would have taken this view.

The 2 swing decisions were for the charging Cork player winning a free and McInerney being blown for overholding after receiving what looked like a chop.
However I got the feeling that Gavin realised these were contentious and evened it up a little. He let Clare away with a couple of obvious offences afterwards, including a blatant pick up off the ground. He also warned the Clare keeper Kelly about staying on his line the 2nd time he faced an Anthony Nash placed ball. Which was tantamount acknowledgement that he let him away with a blatant infringement for the first one.

The side with the persecution complex rarely sees this though. A referee is better off to pull up the other side for a couple of small things instead to make it more obvious that a bit of balancing is taking place.

I'm not sure Kelly made much of a blatant infringement for the first one, but maybe Miltown can tell us. Firstly, for an 'ordinary 20 metre free' does the goalie have to be on the line? Or can he just be a certain distance away?

Secondly, I believe the ball is in play when the striker lifts it, so the goalie can move at that stage anyway. Nash threw the ball so high and so far that he was nearly in on top of the goalie coming the other way.

[Bord na Mona man]

I'm not sure Kelly made much of a blatant infringement for the first one, but maybe Miltown can tell us. Firstly, for an 'ordinary 20 metre free' does the goalie have to be on the line? Or can he just be a certain distance away?

Secondly, I believe the ball is in play when the striker lifts it, so the goalie can move at that stage anyway. Nash threw the ball so high and so far that he was nearly in on top of the goalie coming the other way.

While in football it is 13 metres, in hurling players have to be 20 metres back from frees. So this rule effectively pins the keeper and others to the goal line regardless.
I can see the need for more clarification about the rising of the ball for frees going on from here though.