This article is from page 68 of the 2011-03-22 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 68 JPG
Cratloe 1-13 – Éire Óg 1-6 at Newmarket-on-Fergus
THE CURRENT U21 champions Eire Og won’t be retaining their crown in 2011 as they were beaten by a very strong Cratloe side who proved to much for the townies on St. Patrick’s day as they went out on a score line of 1-13 to 1-6.
Éire Óg held their own in a first half that were neck and neck to the interval with only a point separating the sides at half time. However, Cratloe should have built a much stronger lead if it wasn’t for some wayward shooting and great defending by Eire Og full-back Ciaran Russell.
The second half then saw the townies begin to get the better of Cratloe as they came at them from all angles. A goal then from Eire Og’s David O’Halloran looked as if it would ignite the belief that his side needed to go on and win but in fact it was just the opposite.
Eire Og failed to register a score again until the closing minutes and Cratloe went on to hit 1-8 without reply as Conor McGrath began to find his form. Some loose marking in the middle of the park gave Cratloe plenty of opportunities to feed the dangerous forwards who began to pick off scores.
Both teams were reduced to 14 men when a bust up between Eire Og’s Thomas Downes and Cratloe’s Pa Carey saw them receive second yellows as there looked to be little chance of an Eire Og comeback. Then an off the ball incident resulted in another red for Eire Og as Niall McMahon got his marching orders and it looked to be all over.
Fiachra Connellan then got the last point of the day but it was too little too late for his side as they were beaten by a dominant Cratloe team that is dripping with inter-county talent. They now face the winners of Newmarket-on-Fergus and Kilmaley.
Cratloe
Dean DeLoughrey, Joe Conroy, Sean
Hynan, Enda Boyce, Conor Ryan, LiamMarkham (0-2); Jack McCourt,Wes DeLoughrey, Podge Collins (0-3); Pa Carey, Cathal McInerney (0-2); David Collins, Joe O’Connor, Conor McGrath (15);Thomas Ryan (0-1).
Subs
David McInerney for Boyce, Boyce for David Collins, Robert Foskin for Boyce.
Éire Óg
: Kevin Brennan, Kevin Hally, Ciaran Russell, Niall Malone, Jack Walsh, Kevin Moynihan, Cathal Whelan,Thomas Downes, Conor Stack, Fiachra Connellan (0-1); Niall McMahon, Graham Glynn (0-1); Shane O’Donnell, David O’Halloran (1-4, 2f); Niall O’Connor.
Subs
Aaron Fitzgerald for Stack, Caoimhin Fitzgerald for O’Connor.