This article is from page 69 of the 2011-02-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 69 JPG
Clare 5-17 – Kilkenny 1-01 at Hennessy Memorial Park, Miltown Malbay
WHERE there’s football there’s hope – that has to be the mission statement of Kilkenny teams whenever they take to the field for the big ball game, but such is life that being the whipping boys of the National League is their sad lot.
This fact of football life was never about to change in Miltown on Saturday afternoon as Clare got the disappointment of their opening round defeat out of their system with a facile 28-point win.
And, it was every bit as easy as the scoreline suggests, while the halftime cameo served up by the three Kilkenny subs that bothered to have a kick-around between themselves showing up the whole futility of this exercise.
They passed the ball between one another for ten minutes – on the ground, in the air with their heads. All soccer in other words – they might have been training for a Kilkenny Junior Soccer League game on Sunday morning.
By that stage Clare were home to the two league points, having built up an interval lead of 3-6 to 0-1. A goal inside a minute from full-forward Cathal O’Connor had them on their way and from there it was one-way traffic towards the dressing room end.
Kilkenny just rolled over as Clare scored at will for the rest of the half, even though they kicked seven wides. Indeed the opening goal was a portent of things to come when a mistake in the Kilkenny defence gifted the ball to Alan Clohessy, who then fed O’Connor before he blasted to the net.
O’Connor’s second bullet to the net came in the 19th minute to put Clare 2-3 to no score ahead, while the third on the stroke of half-time from Shane Brennan came after good work in the build-up from Gary Brennan and Alan Clohessy.
Graham Lawlor did land a point from a free in the 32nd minute, but it was Kilkenny’s only reprieve as Clare racked up plenty of point-taking practice in the half, with Alan Clohessy helping himself to three and Enda Lyons, Gary Brennan and John Hayes also hitting the mark.
There was much more to come in the second half even if Kilkenny scored a goal three minutes in when Michael Duggan toe-poked to the net past Joe Hayes after latching onto a long free from Graham Lawlor.
Alas, it was as good as it got for the hapless Kilkenny outfit. Hayes had absolutely nothing to contend with for the rest of the hour while down the other end Clare piled on the mis- ery, scoring 2-11 in the second half of what was a forgettable game of football.
Alan Clohessy, who was top-scorer with 1-7, goaled in the 47th minute after taking a pass from Adrian Cahill, while sub David O’Brien staked a claim for a starting berth with three good points from play in the half.
It was a procession, corner-back Michael O’Regan even raided up the field for a point while the rout was completed with Shane Brennan’s second goal in the 63rd minute and other late scores from Cathal O’Connor, Alan Clohessy and David O’Brien.
Mercifully, referee Richard Moloney blew his final whistle only 30 seconds into injury time to put this game out of its misery.
Clare
Joe Hayes (Lissycasey), Niall White (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield), Lawrence Healy (Ennistymon), Martin McMahon (Kilmurry Ibrickane), Kevin Hartnett (Meelick) Shane McNeilus (Kildysart), John Hayes (Kilrush Shamrocks) (0-2), Gary Brennan (Clondegad) (0-1),Timmy Ryan (Kilmihil), Niall Browne (Two Mile House, Kildare), Michael Foran (O’Curry’s), Shane Brennan (Clondegad) (2-0), Enda Lyons (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield) (0-1f), Cathal O’Connor (Coolmeen) (2-2),Alan Clohessy (Liscannor) (1-7, 6f).
Subs
Michael O’Regan (Éire Óg) (0-1) for White, David O’Brien (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield) (0-3) for Foran [Half-Time],Aidrian Cahill (Celbridge, Kildare) for Browne [Half-Time], David O’Connor (St Brigid’s, Dublin) for Lyons [57 Mins], Conor Ryan (Cratloe) for Clohessy [64 Mins]
Kilkenny
JJ O’Sullivan, David Grennan, Richard O’Hara, John Sheehan, James Mackey, Michael Malone, John Cullinane, Emmet Vereker, Ciaran Foran, Thomas Kehoe, David Garvey, Paddy Raftice, David Prendergast, GrahamLawlor (0-1f), Sean Mooney. Subs Michael Duggan (1-0) for Malone [Half-Time), James Culleton for Lawlor [45 Mins], Michael Sanders for Prendergast [59 Mins], Stephen Connolly for Garvey [62 Mins],
Man of the Match
Cathal O’Connor (Coolmeen)
Referee
Richard Moloney (Limerick)