This article is from page 66 of the 2011-06-07 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 66 JPG
Doonbeg 1-13 – Lissycasey 3-05 at Cooraclare
WHAT might have been for a Lissycasey team being teed up as whipping boys beforehand in what was supposed to be a gentle opener for Doonbeg in the defence of their county title.
Thing is, just like that county title was hard won after nine years of toil, this game was hard won too – they only got there because Lissycasey got caught like startled rabbits in the headlights when they should have been able to kick on to victory.
Lissycasey led 2-3 to 0-7 at halftime after goals by Danny Clohessy and Niall Kelly had rocked the Magpies – with the gale to come in the second half, the shock of the championship in the first game of the championship looked at hand.
Alas from Lissycasey’s viewpoint, they effectively imploded in the face another tour de force from David Tubridy, who hit 1-9 over the hour – 1-5 of it coming in the second half when his team needed his scores and leadership the most.
A sluggish Doonbeg struggled to get into their stride in the first half when a more pumped up Lissycasey side more than held their own when playing into the wind thanks to points by Matthew O’Shea and Derek McMahon by the tenth minute in replay to two early Tubridy points.
Shane O’Brien and McMahon then exchanged points before Paul Dillon and Brian Egan put Doonbeg 0-5 to 0-3 clear by the 24th minute. Then the game was turned on its head in the closing five minutes of the half thanks to two Lissycasey goals.
A forceful run up along the left wing by Martin Moran created the opening for Danny Clohessy in the 26th minute, with the midfielder gleefully blasting the ball beyond Nigel Dillon in goal.
Four minutes later it was Niall Kelly’s turn after he beat Padraig Gallagher to a long ball, turned and blasted to the net from eight yards to put Lissycasey four points up going into first half injury time.
It could have been panic stations for Doonbeg, but two pointed frees form David Tubridy during the four minutes played by Barry Kelly steadied the champions – they were portents of things to come.
Tubridy continued where he left off before half time with a brace inside the first ten minutes of the restart to level matters, while those around him gradually cranked up their performances.
Lissycasey did edge back in front in the 43rd minute thanks to an Oisin Talty point but there was no stopping Doonbeg when they hit 1-4 without reply in a 14 minute spell to kill the game.
Tubridy sowed the way with two more points by the 50th minute; Conor Whelan raided up the field to fist a point in the 53rd; Conor Downes teed up Tubridy for the match-winnng goal in the 56th, while Frank O’Dea rounded off their blitz with his first point in the 58th.
Lissycasey did rally with a Martin O’Connor point in the 59th minute and Niall Kelly’s second goal three minutes later, but it was too late.
They needed scores much earlier in the half, like the 46th minute when the sides were level and Paul Nagle raced through on goal with only Nigel Dillon to beat, blasted a dropkick that Dillon saved.
That’s where it all started to go wrong for Lissycasey.