Cork boss Cleary: We threw tactics out the window in second half

Cork manager John Cleary said his side had "thrown tactics out the window" in the second half as they overwhelmed Clare in a crucial Division 2 clash in Cusack Park.

Trailing by one point at the break, Cleary pronounced himself "disgusted" at the first-half display, admitting there were words at the interval before his charges blitzed the home side in the second '35, Mattie Taylor and Sean Powter (with his second) grabbing goals as they ran out 3-10 to 1-08 winners.

While Cork have now impressed in their last four outings, mustering three big wins as well as a narrow loss at home to Dublin, the Rebels boss was swift to draw attention to what he saw as his side's shortcomings in the first half.

"We won. We weren't a bit happy with what happened in the first half," Cleary told RTÉ Radio 1's Sunday Sport after the game. "We were fairly disgusted now at half-time.

"But in fairness, we said to the lads, it was time to get the lead out. We looked in a bit of bother, facing the wind, a point down.

"We just tore into it in the second half. And whatever (about) tactics, you can throw them out the window. The lads tore into it in the second half and that's what got us over the line in the end."

Asked whether he read the riot act at half-time, Cleary demurred but admitted that a "few words" were said.

"Ah, I wouldn't be that kind of person," he said. "But we said a few words alright. And most of it was calm.

"The message got across to them. It was either get stuck in or go down the road with the tail between our legs."

While promotion is probably out of reach for Cork, largely due to their surprising opening-day reversal to Meath in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cleary is anxious his side continue to improve and iron out their deficiencies ahead of