This article is from page 66 of the 2011-03-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 66 JPG
Clondegad 1-10 – Kilrush Shamrocks 0-9 at Michael Tubridy Memorial Park, Kilrush
A LITTLE piece of football history was visited upon Kilrush’s ‘Cricket Field’ on Sunday afternoon when intermediate operaters Clondegad scalped another senior championship side in impressive fashion.
History because in getting the better of the Shams by four points thanks to Shane Brennan’s thumping goal a couple of minutes before the end, Clondegad recorded what their local football historian Seamus O’Reilly reckoned to be their first Cusack Cup win over the most storied senior championship team in Clare football.
And it was a deserved success too as Dermot Coughlan’s charges laid the foundations for their success in the first half when playing against the wind before kicking on to victory on the turnover when aided by the elements.
County Under 21 team captain Paudge McMahon was the man, bagging six points over the hour as Clondegad came from 0-7 to 0-4 adrift at the interval to notch their second brace of points in their 2011 campaign.
Kenneth Kelly had opened the scoring for Clondegad inside the first minute with latching on to a pass from Shane Brennan, but with Peadar McMahon showing well for the Shams at full-forward they were back on terms by the fifth minute.
Three McMahon points inside the first 15 minutes to a replay from his namesake, Paudge McMahon, left the Shams 0-3 to 0-2 clear.
Ruairí O’Connor landed a great point in the 16th minute for the home side before an opportunist effort from Colm Gavin after 21 minutes ensured only point separated the sides once more. The Shams finally pressed home their first half wind advantage with points from Stephen Sweeney, Pat Joe McGrath and a Ruairi O’Connor free to a lone response by Paudge McMahon left three points between the sides at the interval.
The fact that the Shams were restricted to two second half points, both of which came in the final five minutes via Paddy Clancy and Donal O’Sullivan tells its own story.
Clondegad dominated, with the Paudge McMahon show in the early stages of the half turning the tie decisively in their favour.
Three McMahon points, two of which were from play, inside the opening 12 minutes had the sides level, while Clondegad hit the front on 49 minutes when a quick free by McMahon teed up Gary Brennan for his opening point.
McMahon’s third pointed free gave them a two-point lead entering the last ten minutes, while the Shams’ challenge was finally killed off in the 59th minute when Eoin O’Donnellan’s rasping goal effort that was saved by Tony Burke was volleyed to the net by Shane Brennan to seal Clondegad’s day.
Clondegad
Declan O’Loughlin, Flan Enright, Pat Coffey, Conor Gavin, Francie Neylon, Kieran Browne, James Murphy, Eoin Griffin, Gary Brennan (0-3), Paudge McMahon, ColmGavin, Shane Brennan, Kenneth Kelly (0-1), Eoin Donnellan, Francis O’Reilly
Kilrush Shamrocks
Tony Burke, Niall Gilbride, Niall Clancy, Cathal Lyons, Donal Madigan, MatthewMoloney, Darragh Bolton, JimYoung, Paddy Clancy, Pat Joe McGrath, Paul Heaslip (0-1), CalumBond, Ruairi O’Connor, Peadar McMahon, Stephen Sweeney
Subs
Donal O’Sullivan for Bond, Seamus Bolton for Heaslip.