This article is from page 71 of the 2011-06-21 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 71 JPG
St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield 1-10 – Clondegad 0-5 at Gurteen
ST JOSEPHS’ championship opener against their namesakes from Miltown may have been a bitter disappointment but they’ve circled the wagons impressively within eight days – picking up a point against Kilrush Shamrocks and the two here to mark their historic first ever year in Cusack Cup competition by reaching the semi-final.
This was every bit as easy as the scoreline suggests as intermediate side Clondegad were out-classed from the earliest stages when St Joseph’s hit them for three points inside as many minutes and from there cruised to a comprehensive ninepoint win.
It was a bitter pill to swallow for Clondegad – their fifth successive defeat in a league season that has gone into freefall after victories in the opening rounds over Liscannor and Kilrush Shamrocks, all of which means relegation back to Garry Cup competition for 2012 after two seasons in the top flight.
They were never really in this game once a pumped up St Joseph’s laid down an early marker points by David O’Brien, Colm Mullen and Enda Lyons. Cathal O’Sullivan thundered through from midfield in the fifth minute and was unlucky not to goal when his shot crashed off the crossbar, but David O’Brien picked up the pieces to point.
Clondegad’s only score of the half came via a Paudge McMahon free six minutes in as St Joseph’s pressed home their superiority with two pointed frees from Colm Mullen by the 15th minute while a barren spell of action then ended in the 30th minute when full-back Kevin Dilleen stormed up the field to land a great point to give his side a 0-7 to 0-1 interval lead.
Points from Eoin Griffin and a subdued Gary Brennan inside the first six minutes of the second half briefly raised the prospect of a Clondegad rally as they had the wind advantage, but by the 40th minute this game was over.
Enda Lyons, the most industrious player on view, hit two good points from play, while Johnny O’Brien blasted to the net to put St Joseph’s 1-9 to 0-3 clear.
The closing 20 were uneventful to say the very least as this game ground to its inevitable conclusion – Paudge McMahon grabbed a few consolation scores for the losers, while another Enda Lyons point just before the end completed his evening’s work and teed up a semi-final joust with county champions Doonbeg in two weeks time.
St Joseph’s Doora- Barefield
Declan O’Keeffe, Gavin O’Sullivan, Kevin Dilleen (0-1), Sean Flynn, Mark Rafferty, Damian Kennedy, Paul Dullaghan, Cathal O’Sullivan, Mark Halliinan, Aidan O’Connor, ColmMullen (0-3f), David O’Brien (0-2), Enda Lyons (0-4), Johnny O’Brien (1-0), Martin Duggan.
Subs
Mark Hanrahan for Duggan, Pa Mannion for O’Sullivan,Anthony Halpin for O’Connor.
Clondegad
Declan O’Loughlin, Brian Murphy, Paddy O’Connell, Conor Gavin, James Murphy, Kieran Browne, Francie Neylon, Eoin Griffin (0-1), Paddy Breen, Kenneth Kelly, Francis O’Reilly, Kevin Donnelly, Pat Coffey, Gary Brennan (0-1), Paudge McMahon (0-3, 2f).
Man of the Match
Enda Lyons (St Joseph’s D- B) Referee Michael Rock (Ennistymon)