This article is from page 67 of the 2011-08-16 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 67 JPG
Clooney/Quin 3-15 – Ballyea 1-14 At Clarecastle
BALLYEA came with an expected charge but it was Clooney/Quin who showed their maturity to weather the storm and eventually power to victory on Tuesday.
Ballyea, with an enviable collection of the last two year’s county minors including Tony Kelly, Gearoid O’Connell, Jack Browne, Niall Deasy, Cathal Doohan and Paul Flanagan allied to the experience of Tony Griffin, began at a blistering pace.
However, despite leading for the majority of the half, their eleven wides were to prove costly when fatigue set in as the game developed.
Instead, Clooney/Quin, led by their county minor Peter Duggan who ended the evening with 1-9, finished the game with a 2-6 to 0-1 last quarter flourish that finally got them off the mark in the championship.
The winners were at sixes and sevens early on however as Ballyea opened up a 0-5 to 0-2 advantage with Tony Kelly to the fore with two of those scores.
They also had a glorious goal opportunity which Gearoid O’Connell sent just wide of the post but their profligacy in front of the posts allowed Clooney/Quin to settle with four successive frees giving them a brief 0-6 to 0-5 advantage by the 17th minute.
After putting so much into the game. Ballyea were not about to let their advantage slip and while the wides kept coming and Francie Neylon struck the post with an optimistic effort, they did hit back, helped by Tony Kelly’s 26th minute goal from a 20 metre free to restore their advantage at 1-8 to 0-7.
Crucially however, Clooney/Quin were given a major boost before the break with a stunning Mike Daffy strike in injury-time to cut the deficit to only two at the break at 1-9 to 1-7.
But, undeterred, Ballyea were also on the front foot on the resumption with points by Kelly (2) and Cathal Doohan extending their lead to four by the 39th minute.
However, once Peter Duggan scored a 45th minute rebound goal after Daffy’s shot was initally saved, Clooney/Quin turned the tide and gradaully eased away to record the win that keeps their championship hopes very much alive.
A third goal in the 54th minute decided the game with veteran Cathal Egan putting the finishing touches to a move that also involved Fergal Lynch and Daffy and while Tony Kelly had another 20 metre free saved at the other end soon after, Ballyea were unable to halt Peter Duggan’s matchwinning display that saw him excel from both placed balls and play.
It means that Clooney/Quin are still in the hunt for honours while Ballyea’s young side will have to build on their experience in their final two matches.
Clooney/ Quin
Damien O’Halloran (7), Joe O’Loughlin (7), Conor Harrison (8), Shane McNamara (6), Mike McNamara (7), Donncha Murphy (6), Enda Harrison (7), Padraig Ward (6) (0-3f), Martin Duggan (8) (0-2), Peter Duggan (9) (1-9 5f), Fergal Lynch (7), Sean Conheady (6), Mike Daffy (7) (1-0),Adrian Fleming (7), Cathal Egan (7) (1-1)
Subs
Cillian Duggan (7) for Ward (HT), John Earls (7) for Conheady (HT)
Ballyea
Shane O’Neill (7), Paul Flanagan (7), Brian Carrig (7), Jack Browne (6), James Murphy (6), Paddy O’Connell (6), Cathal Doohan (7) (0-1), Gearoid O’Connell (7) (0-1), Francie O’Reilly (7), Tony Griffin (7) (0-2), Niall Keane (7) (0-2), Niall Deasy (6) (0-1),Tony Kelly (8) (1-6 1-2f), Kevin Sheehan (6), Francie Neylon (6) (0-1)
Subs
Brian Murphy for Deasy (55 mins),Alan Carrig for P. O’Connell (57 mins)
Man of the Match
Peter Duggan (Clooney/ Quin) Referee TomStackpool (Ennistymon)