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User:rorynoonanDate:12/04/2013Time:08:09:51Edition:12/04/2013Frifriecho120413Page:56Color:

EE - V1

SPORTEvening Echo Cork Sports World:

U21footballerstarget an All-Ireland

Soccer: MSL, AULand all the localleagues: P42-45

Hurling: Cork minorstake giant stepforward: P51

User:johnroycroftDate:12/04/2013Time:07:05:20Edition:12/04/2013SFfridaysport120413Page:1Color:

Friday, April 12, 2013

CORK SPORTS WORLD 1

SF - V1

Cork areup for atitle bid

INSIDETODAY

FOOTBALL: Mark Collins’ display against Mayoshows he has ability to fulfil two roles thissummer. P6.

ATHLETICS: Sonia O’Sullivan reflects onher extraordinary career and the Mardykeconnection. P12-13.

Munster champsnow have Cavanin their sightsSee P4, 5

Cork's IanMaguire andTom Clancy risefor the ball withSteven O'Brienof Tipperaryduring the Mun-ster U21 FCfinal. Picture: INPHO

RUGBY

Horan calls ita day after astellar careerMUNSTER’S mostcapped forward, MarcusHoran, yesterdayannounced that he willretire from professionalrugby at the end of theseason.The announcement,made first of all to histeam-mates ahead oftraining in CIT, will bringthe curtain down on amarvellous careerstretching back 14seasons with theprovince.During that time, hebecame Munster’s mostcapped forward with 224caps and also won 67senior international caps.Horan earned his firstsenior competitive cap inthe Interprovincialseries in August1999 againstLeinster and thefirst of his 84Heineken Cupcaps camelater thatseasonwhen hecame on

as a replacement forPeter Clohessy inMunster’s 32-10 win overPontypridd at ThomondPark.He has been involved inall the great gamesHeineken Cup games,bar last weekend,including his HeinekenCup debut againstColomiers in theprovince’s historic firstvictory on French soilover Colomiers at Stadeles Sept Derniers in 1999.He showed his talent thatday by playing atloosehead, when hecame on as a sub forPeter Clohessy, beforeswitching to tightheadfor the injured JohnHayes.

● See P46-47.

By SEÁN McCARTHY

Munster’sMarcus Horan

set to retire.

Rebel minorsshow true gritCORK minor hurling boss PatKenneally hailed the spirit ofhis young guns after they fin-ished strongly to defeat Clarein the Munster championshipopener at Páirc Uí Rinn lastnight.

The Rebels coughed up an earlyeight-point lead to the Banner, be-fore a late flurry of points from PaO’Callaghan and Anthony Spillanegave them a 3-15 to 2-14 victory.“I think for Cork hurling at themoment it’s a huge step,” admittedKenneally after what was thecounty’s first win over a team oth-er than Kerry in the provincialarea since 2010.“It wasn’t pretty by any means

and we’d be disappointed with a lotof the performance but it was notabout performance, it was all aboutgetting the result and to get this mon-key off our back. We succeeded in do-ing that in the second-half when ourbacks were against the wall.”Reluctant to single out individuals,

the team boss did acknowledge the ef-fort of Ballyhea’s Pa O’Callaghan.

“I suppose there has been a lot ofpressure on Pa over the years, but heshowed a bit of class when it waswanted there in the end.“He banged over a couple of great

points and it’s about doing it now on aconsistent basis. I told him what wethought at half-time and he reactedvery well in the second-half.’’The Newcestown man admitted how

vital the win was for Cork hurlingoverall.“It was huge. Whether we like it or

not there is a lot of pressure mountingaround us and this is something offour back.“The manner of it, to eke it out there

in the end tells you something about

the heart in the team. There was asmall bit of a question whether theheart had gone out around here whenit came to the physical stuff, but I don’tthink we were found wanting.”Cork now face the winners of the

Clare and Waterford playoff in June.● Meanwhile, the senior selectorshave brought William Egan and ShaneO’Neill back into the line-up to faceClare in Sunday’s relegation play-offin Limerick, 3pm.The duo, who were injured against

Kilkenny, replace Killian Murphy andCian McCarthy, with LorcánMcLoughlin reverting to midfield andPa Cronin switching to wing-forward.

CORK (v Clare): A Nash; S O’Neill, B Murphy, CO’Sullivan; S White, C Joyce, W Egan; LMcLoughlin, D Kearney; C Lehane, P O’Sullivan,P Cronin; S Moylan, L O’Farrell, P Horgan.

● See P48-53 for more.

MINOR HURLINGBy JOHN HORGAN

Cork boss praises players afterfirst significant win since 2010

Cork’s Mark O’Connorgets his shot away aheadof Clare’s Ciarán Downeyduring their Munster MHCquarter-final game at PáircUí Rinn. Picture: Jim Coughlan

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