A powerful finish culminating in five of the last six points against Clare ensured that Cork secured Munster under-20 hurling honours for the third time in four years at the TUS Gaelic Grounds in Limerick on Monday evening.
Amidst a compelling seesaw second half wrestle for supremacy, Clare had initially produced a dramatic eight-point turnaround, initiated by a Sean Rynne goal, to soar 1-17 to 1-13 ahead by the turn of the final quarter.
Three points still separated the sides entering the final ten minutes but far from reaching for the panic button, Cork kept chipping away at the deficit to finally turn the tide.
Ben Cunningham led by example by scoring three and teeing up Tadhg O'Connell for the insurance point on the hour mark.
On the flip side, a flagging Banner, despite a character-filled second-half backlash, could only muster two points in the final 18 minutes in what was their first final in eight years.
Level three times early on, a superb solo goal from captain Michael Mullins, who cut in from the right corner to fire to the roof of the Clare net in the 12th minute, finally put daylight between the sides at 1-07 to 0-05.
Cunningham had a cheeky goal attempt from a free repelled while Clare corner-back Ian MacNamara would come to his side's rescue with a goal-line save either side of the interval to keep his side in touch.
Trailing by 1-11 to 0-10 by the break, Clare produced a rousing recovery on the restart with talisman Keith Smyth bookending a 1-04 rally with points whilst also teeing up the overlapping Rynne for a goal in the 35th minute to level the tie.
Further points from Keelan Hartigan, Smyth and substitute Niall O’Farrell catapulted a buoyant Clare into a four-point cushion by the 43rd minute.
However, they were unable to sustain that momentum as a late Rebel surge snatched victory at the death to garner a record 22nd provincial crown. It also teed up an All-Ireland decider against the winners of Wednesday Leinster decider between Wexford and Offaly in a fortnight’s time.
Cork: Brion Saunderson; Shane Kingston, Mark Howell, Darragh O’Sullivan; Tadhg O’Connell (0-03), Ben O’Connor, James Dwyer; Sean Daly, Michael Mullins (1-00); Diarmuid Healy (0-03), David Cremin, William Buckley (0-03, 0-01f); Ross O’Sullivan (0-02), Colin Walsh (0-02), Ben Cunningham (0-08, 0-05fs, 0-01’65).
Subs: Timmy Wilk for Daly (ht), Adam O’Sullivan (0-01) for Cremin (32, inj), Jack Leahy (0-01) for Walsh (36).
Clare: Aaron Shanahan; Oisin Clune, John Conneally, Ian MacNamara; Keelan Hartigan (0-01), Oran Cahill, Daithi Lohan; Sean Rynne (1-01), Jack O’Neill (0-02); Senan Dunford, Gearoid Sheedy, Oisin O’Donnell (0-03); David Kennedy, Keith Smyth (0-11, 0-09fs), Patrick Crotty (0-02).
Subs: Niall O’Farrell (0-01) for Sheedy (ht), Colm Cleary for Kennedy (39), Diarmaid Stritch for Dunford (54, inj), Jarlath Collins for Clune (59), Conor Whelan for O’Donnell (59, inj).
Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary).
