Cork and Clare shared the spoils in Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Allianz Division 2 clash after a tight and tense encounter that was level on seven occasions.
It was Clare substitute Daniel Walsh that levelled matters for the final time with the clock in the red though Cork's Mark Cronin had the opportunity to sneak a win for the Rebels with a free from distance, but his effort dropped short.
Cork played into the wind, the rain and the City End in the first-half and were the better side in the opening quarter, but struggled to make it tell significantly enough on the scoreboard.
John O’Rourke and Brain Hurley kicked the hosts into an early lead with fine scores from play, but Keelan Sexton soon had the Banner men level. Blake Murphy nudged Cork back in front, but three wides-in-a-row and a Jamie Malone point levelled matters in the eighteenth minute.
Quick-fire scores from Murphy and Hurley then restored Cork’s advantage before David Tubridy’s opening score and a free from Sexton restored parity.
Murphy raised a white flag but Clare then began take control as the Rebels struggled to advance the ball into scoring positions.
Eoin Cleary tapped over a free, Cian O’Dea pushed them ahead for the first time in the contest with a super score from distance before two well struck Sexton placed balls gave the Banner a 0-9 to 0-6 lead at the break.
The second half opened like a game of chess as both sides patiently tried to find gaps in the respective defences.
Cork’s Seán Powter was the first to do so as his long range free fortuitously bounced over the bar, but this was quickly cancelled out by a free from Cleary. Cork then hit a purple patch, reeling off three in-a-row from Hurley, Fionn Herlihy and Kevin O’Donovan.
Aaron Griffin and Cork substitute Fionn Herlihy’s exchanged scores before what felt like a decisive moment in the game
Podge Collins drew the foul inside the square, and Sexton buried the resultant penalty past Micheál Martin.
Cork showed great resolve thereafter, with Hurley and Cronin reducing the margin to the minimum before Hurley’s goal turned the game on its head when his long range free ended up in the Clare net to put his side two up
Credit to Clare though as they dug in to level the game with scores from Emmett McMahon and Walsh to leave them on three points after two games while Cork are stuck on one, and facing into a long, hard campaign.
Cork: Micheál Martin; Kevin O’Donovan (0-1), Kevin Flahive, Tadhg Corkery; Rory Maguire, Seán Powter (0-1, free), Matthew Taylor; Shane Merrit, Colm O’Callaghan; Daniel Dineen, Blake Murphy (0-3), John O’Rourke (0-1); Mark Buckley, Brian Hurley (1-4, 1-2 fs), David Buckley.
Subs: Mark Cronin (0-1) for M Buckley (42 mins), Paudie Allen for Merrit and Fionn Herlihy (0-2) for Murphy (both 48 mins), Eoghan McSweeney for Flahive (61 mins), Cian Kiely for D Buckley (67 mins).
Clare: Stephen Ryan; Manus Doherty, Cillian Brennan, Cillian Rouine; Cian O’Dea (0-1), Ciarán Russell, Alan Sweeney; Cathal O’Connor, Darren O’Neill; Darragh Bohannon, Eoin Cleary (0-2, fs), Pearse Lillis; Aaron Griffin (0-1), Keelan Sexton (1-5, 1-0 pen, 1 ’45, 3 fs), David Turbidy (0-1).
Subs: Jamie Malone (0-1) for Bohannon (8 mins) Podge Collins for Tubridy (48 mins), Daniel Walsh (0-1) for Sweeney (55 mins), Emmett McMahon (0-1 for O’Connor (64 mins), Ciarán Downes for Lillis (70 mins).
Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois)
