This article is from page 71 of the 2011-06-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 71 JPG
Shannon Gaels 1-13 – Clondegad 0-15 at Labasheeda
SHANNON Gaels showed that there’s life after a championship defeat, bouncing back from their reverse against Cratloe the previous weekend to gather two precious league points in their fight against relegation.
It was all down to their inside line in which John Paul O’Neill and Michael Coughlan contributed 110 between them as the Gaels just edged this entertaining encounter that ebbed and flowed as much as the nearby Shannon Estuary.
It was O’Neill’s goal seven minutes into the second half that kick-started the Gaels’ strong second half showing, coming at time when Clondegad had kicked on from their 0-7 to 0-6 interval lead with points from Paudge McMahon (2) and Gary Brennan to lead by four points.
However, O’Neill’s strike, coupled with his brace by points by the 39th minute as he gave his marker Paddy O’Connell a torrid time of it, teed up a fight to the death in which the Gaels’ greater experience held sway.
It was close all the way through – points by Michael Coughlan (2), John Paul O’Neill and Shane Tubridy to replies by Gary Brennan (2) and Paudge McMahon left the Gaels 0-4 to 0-3 ahead by the 15th minute.
Clondeged forged 0-7 to 0-5 clear by the 22nd minute thanks to three more McMahon points and another from Brennan, with O’Neill and Coughlan keeping them within their sights with points before the break to leave the minimum between the sides.
With John Paul O’Neill moved to full-forward in the second half it turned into a battle between the two last lines of the attack – Brennan and McMahon leading the Clondegad charge early on before the complexion of the game changed radically after O’Neill’s goal.
Clondegad did bounce back with a four-point blast via Brennan, Kenneth Kelly and Paudge McMahon by the 48th minute to lead by 0-14 to 1-8, but the closing ten minutes were dominated by the Gaels when their final resurgence was flagged by a Francis Cleary point when he thundered up the field from corner-back.
It was followed by points from John Paul O’Neill, Michael Coughlan to level matters by the 54th minutes before Sean Reynolds hit the lead score in the 57th minute. From there the Gaels were not to be denied as another John Paul O’Neill point edged them two ahead before Paudge McMahon eighth of the day left the minimum between the sides at the end at the end.
Clondegad
Declan O’Loughlin, Brian Murphy, Paddy O’Connell, Conor Gavin, Flan King, Kieran Browne, Francie Neylon, James Murphy, Paddy Breen, Kenneth Kelly (0-1), Francis O’Reilly, Kieran Donnelly, Flan Enright, Gary Brennan (0-6, 2f), Paudge McMahon (0-8, 2f).
Shannon Gaels
Keith Ryan, Frank Cleary (0-1), Tomas Madigan, Fergal Kenny,Tomas Cleary, John Neylon, John Bermingham, Michael O’Donoghue, Sean Reynolds (0-1), Noel Kennedy, John Paul O’Neill, Fergal O’Neill, ShaneTubridy (0-1), Nigel Hehir, Michael Coughlan.
Subs
Brian O’Shea for Tubridy, Cathal O’Neill for Fergal O’Neill, Ruairi Norrby for Hehir.
Man of the Match
John Paul O’Neill (Shannon Gaels) Referee Michael Rock (Ennistymon)