Category: Sport

LESS SCORES than the All-Ireland semi-final in Croke Park earlier in the day but no comparison in terms of entertainment as these heavyweights went toe to toe in this penultimate stage clash. As the score suggests there was nothing between the sides and in truth, Lissycasey only have themselves to blame for not taking advantage of their second half momentum but they failed to take their numerous chances, with Cratloe goalkeeper Jamie Joyce probably icing his hands after the game, such was the amount of shots that fell short.

Cratloe were certainly below the standard they showed in winning a first ever title at this grade two years ago but at the same time, were dogged enough to soak up the pressure, never panic and eventually pull through. Captain Joyce, full-back Sean Hynan and centre-back Liam Markham were the stars of the show in their miserly defending while the forward division which boasted such names as Conor McGrath, Podge Collins and Cathal McInerney did enough to get by without ever carving open Lissycasey.

Indeed, there were shades of Croke Park as the interval score stood at 04 to 0-2 to Cratloe but the east Clare side couldn’t be accused of the negativity of Donegal. No, this was endto-end football without the flurry of scores as two evenly matched sides cancelled each other out for the most part.

It took 12 minutes for the first score of the game through Lissycasey’s Niall Kelly, a lead that was short lived as Cratloe equalised in the next pas sage of play when Conor Ryan fed Wesley Deloughery to accurately dissect the posts. It was to be the first of four successive points for Cratloe over the next fifteen minutes, two from Conor McGrath, with the first stemming from the move of the match from their own kick-out that went through Sean Hynan, Wesley Deloughery and Cathal McInerney before McGrath finished the move. Lissycasey did pull one back before the interval when Enda Finnucane converted a free in injury-time but for much of the half, their tactic of a two man full-forward line only played into Cratloe, and in particular, Sean Hynan’s hands.

A Cathal McInerney free inside 30 seconds of the restart suggested that Cratloe would drive on from there but the opposite proved to be the case as they would not score for another 17 minutes. Instead, Lissycasey finally found their range with three unanswered points through Sean Hayes, Finnucane and Niall Kelly to gain parity for the first time in 36 minutes.

Momentum appeared to be on their side but an experienced Cratloe side dug deep and two Cathal McInerney points put some breathing space between the sides once more at 0-7 to 0-5 with only five minutes remaining.

Lissycasey had the chances but repeatedly chose to shoot from distance into the welcoming arms of Joyce rather than work the ball inside while a Matthew O’Shea shot at goal also went straight at the stopper.

Dermot Nagle did ensure a nervous finish with a superb point on the right from 40 metres in the 58th minute but that was to be as close as they would get as Cratloe expertly held possession to run down the clock and go one step further to reclaiming their Under 21 crown.

Éire Óg 0-21 – Ennistymon 1-15 at Corofin

ÉIRE ÓG maintained their perfect start to the championship and qualified for the semi-finals along the way but they certainly didn’t make it easy for themselves after a powerful late Ennistymon recovery almost stole the points. The Townies were cruising up until the final quarter, having led by 0-12 to 0-07 at the interval, with the freetakers on both sides (Danny Russell for Éire Óg and Cathal Malone for Ennistmon) punishing on almost every occasion.

However, when leading by 0-16 to 0-08 and with last year’s county minor Malone beginning to dominate, Éíre Óg pulled back an extra defender to curb his influence and it allowed Ennistymon’s defence, particularly Paudie Kelleher, more space to sup- ply their forward unit.

With that, the gap continued to decrease and the momentum was all Ennistymon’s as the Malone brothers combined for Tadhg to score an injury time goal and reduce the deficit to just two. And with Éire Óg on the ropes, Ennistymon might have even snatched a winner when Cathal Malone was pulled down as he beared down on goal but his result- ing 20 metre free was stopped by goalkeeper Kevin Brennan and Éire Óg breathed a huge sigh of relief to hear the eventual final whistle.

Éire Óg
Kevin Brennan, Cathal Whelan, Noel Whelan, Ciaran Hanna,Tadgh McNamara, Fergus Flynn, Kevin Moynihan, Mark Fitzerald, Marc O’Donnell,

Ronan Keane,AdrianWalsh, Danny Russell, David O’Halloran, Barry Nugent,Thomas Downes

Subs
Dean Ryan for Walsh

Ennistymon
Cathal McDonagh, Michael Anthony Devitt, Kevin Scales, Danny Harvey,Aidan Slattery, Paudie Kelleher, LiamO’Driscoll, Brian McDonagh, Sean O’Driscoll, Padraig Brennan, Cathal Malone, Caoimhin Fahy,Tommy Hogan,Tadhg Malone, Michael McDonagh

Referee
Fergie McDonagh (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)

MEANINGLESS in terms of the race for advancement but with relegation looming over both sides, it was still important for both to claim the points. In the end, it was Sixmilebridge who continued their recent good form to see off the Junior A champions.

What the nine point margin doesn’t reflect however is that Crusheen had 14 wides over the hour while Sixmilebridge goalkeeper Sean Chaplin made a number of saves towards the death to keep his side above water.

Crusheen were particularly wasteful in the opening quarter of the game and therefore could only watch as the ‘Bridge built up a 1-6 to 0-3 half-time advantage courtesy of a Mark Culbert goal.

Crusheen levelled the goal count in the second half through Gearoid O’Doherty but with Sixmilebridge’s half-forward line of Stiofan Fitzpatrick, Ronan Hayes and Sean Stack dominating in the air, the Bridge saw out the victory with points from Fitzpatrick, Tommy Liddy, Paul Corbett and Alan Mulready.

As it turned out, with Ruan beating Clarecastle the folllowing evening, both Sixmilebridge and Crusheen consolidate their intermediate status for 2012 but they weren’t to know that at the time.

Sixmilebridge
Sean Chaplin, David O’Meara, Kevin Lynch, Eoin Quinn, Jonathan Downes, Sam O’Sullivan, Cathal Walsh, Christy Griffin,Alan Mulready, Stiofán Fitzpatrick, Ronan Hayes, Sean Stack,Thomas Liddy, Mark Culbert, Paul Corbett.

Sub
Errol Tuohy for Griffin

Crusheen
David McMahon, Donal Dillon, Conor O’Loughlin,Tony McMahon, Jason Greene (0-1), Conor Hayes, Briain Dillon,ThomasVaughan, Darragh O’Doherty, Gearoid O’Doherty (1-2), Patrick O’Grady, Niall Fitzgibbon (0-1),AlanTouhy (0-3), Diarmuid O’Doherty, Rory Halpin

Referee
AndrewMonahan (Tubber)

Corofin 2-14 – Feakle 1-15 at Newmarket

COROFIN produced a strong second half comeback to edge past Feakle in this crucial group encounter in Newmarket.

Having led by a solitary point at half time, Feakle hit 1-1 after the break to power five points clear.

However Corofin doggedly stuck to their task, reeling in their opponents before seizing the lead going down the home straight.

The result means Corofin and Éire Óg will advance to the knockout stages while Feakle, having lost to the townies the last day out, exit the championship.

The east Clare side were buoyed by strong performance from Padraig Hogan and Henry Hayes while Gerard Hanrahan was among their key scoring contributors. However it wasn’t enough to deny Corofin who recorded their fourth win.

Feakle
Eibhear Quilligan, Peter Collins, Colm Naughton, Patrick Daly, Padraig Hogan, Sean O’Grady, Gerard Hanrahan,Alan Hogan, Raymond Bane, Kenneth Collins, Colin Nelson, Francis O’Grady, Gary Guilfoyle, Shane McGrath

Clonlara 2-25 – Smith O’Brien’s 0-14 at Cusack Park, Ennis

TO say that this game was over inside ten seconds might seem harsh, but such was the case as the life literally drained away from this missmatch from the second that John Conlon rattled the net in the opening move of the game.

Smith O’Briens didn’t touch the ball until Jonathon Hayes retrieved it from the net – there were ten seconds gone, after he hit straight from the throw in, with Cormac O’Donovan picking out Cathal O’Connell to put Conlon in on goal.

He wasn’t going to miss from seven yards – he didn’t and with that what turned out to be an embarrassing rout unfolded as a Smith O’Briens side that now looks out of its depth at senior level bombed to a 17-point defeat.

This was like a cruise on the Shannon for Clonlara as they booked their place in the quarter-final for the fourth successive year in a 60 minutes that amounted to a less than rigorous training spin.

There was nearly more intensity in the warm up than the actual game, such was the chasm in class between the sides as Clonlara wreaked utter destruction on Smith O’Briens defence in the first half when building up a 1-17 to 0-7 lead.

Everyone of Clonlara’s forwards scored from play, with Conlon’s goal quickly followed by points from Colm Galvin (2) and Tomás O’Donovan as they raced into 1-3 to no score lead after eight minutes.

From there it wasn’t about winning for Smith O’Briens; it wasn’t even about being competitive; it was all about keeping the scoreline down. They got off the mark with a Mark O’Halloran point in the 12th minute and while Liam Walsh, Kevin Walsh and John Cusack (2) and Micheál Ryan to contribute to the scoreboard, but could do nothing to prevent Clonlara doing as they pleased.

They lead 1-9 to 0-3 after 20 minutes as they racked up scores through Nicky O’Connell (2), Donal Madden (2), Cathal O’Connell and Tomás O’Donovan. And when Tommy Lynch got on the board in the 25th minute, all six forwards had scored as they eased further and further ahead.

In the end their 13-point half-time lead was extended by only four in the second half, but this was more to do with Clonlara’s decision to go through the motions rather than go for the jugular than anything else.

Smith O’Briens did marginally improve and two early points from Micheál Ryan and others from John Cusack and Mark O’Halloran briefly raised some cheer as they reduced the gap to ten points after 38 minutes, but order was soon restored when points by John Conlon (2), Nicky O’Connell and a Tomás O’Donovan goal in the 45th minute left them 2-21 to 0-11 clear entering the last 15 minutes.

The sooner it ended the better from Smith O’Briens’ point of view, but at least they kept plugging away to the end with points from Liam Walsh, Seanie Conway and Mark McInerney.

That’s the only positive Smith O’Briens could take from this game as a now customary relegation battle looms on the horizon, while for a rejuvenated Clonlara its onwards and upwards to the last eight where they’ll fancy their chances against any opposition.

It’s the different worlds that Smith O’Briens and Clonlara inhabit – they have for a few years now.

Broadford 1-14 – St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield 0-9 at Cusack Park, Ennis

THE sun may been shining in Cusack Park for this winner-take-all tie, but to say it didn’t shine on the hurling is putting it mildly – very mildly at times, as this bore threatened to become a real snore until battling Broadford put a forgettable first half behind them to edge towards their first quarter-final appearance in two years.

For Broadford it was an amazing about turn, because in cruising home to a seven-point victory they blitzed a very poor Parish into embarrassing submission by outscoring them by 113 to 0-3 in the closing 40 minutes of the game.

It was a procession in the end as Broadford put the nightmare of nine first half wides firmly to one side as St Joseph’s folded in a game they seemed to have under control when they led by 0-6 to 0-1 after 20 minutes.

It wasn’t quite all St Joseph’s in that period of scoreboard dominance, it’s just that Broadford looked capable of firing the sliotar anywhere but over the bar as they surrendered the initiative to their more accurate opponents.

In this regard Ivor Whyte stood head and shoulders above everyone – his four first half points being the catalyst for St Joseph’s early hegemony. Emmet Whelan and Kevin Dilleen were on the mark inside the first seven minutes, with Padraig Taylor opening Broadford’s account, before Whyte grabbed a hold of proceedings with three-in-a-row as Joseph’s forged 0-6 to 0-1 clear.

The first came via a free, but the next three came from play and from distance as the county intermediate panellist announced his credentials ahead of next Saturday’s All-Ireland final.

By this stage, Broadford’s profligacy threatened to reach epidemic proportions, with wide after wide being compounded in the 27th minute when Padraig Hickey elected to go for goal from a 21-yard free rather than tapping over what would have been a much-needed point.

However, Broadford’s did gain a real foothold in the game before the breaks with inspirational scores from Aonghus O’Brien and Padraig Taylor – inspiration that stayed with them as they faced into tackling their 0-6 to 0-3 interval deficit.

They did that and more, outscoring Joseph’s by 0-5 to 0-1 inside the first nine minutes to edge 0-8 to 07 ahead. And each score was better than the next as Padraig Taylor, Mark Moloney, Padraig Hickey and James Gunning (2) turned this game on its head.

Ivor Whyte – who grabbed Josephs’ opening point of the half with a fourth minute free – did level matters with his fourth from play by the 40th minute, but it was injury time before they raised another flag as Broadford grew more confident with every passing minute when hitting 14 without reply.

Points from play by Padraig Taylor and Craig Chaplin moved them 010 to 0-8 clear by the three quarter stage. Given the deteriorating standard of St Josephs’ play, two Padraig Hickey frees by the 52nd minute almost put Broadford out of sight.

They were definitely that five minutes later when Hickey teed up Alan McMahon for a goal that had some of the Joseph’s faithful heading for the exit signs.

It was no wonder, because this was a meltdown from a once mighty hurling force that’s a decade from its last championship win, but light years away from it terms of quality and much more.

Their championship is over, provided Broadford can now go on and rack up two more championship points against Killanena in the final round.

St Joseph’s Doora- Barefield
Paul Madden (7), Cathal O’Sullivan (7), Marty O’Regan (6), Sean Flynn (6), Damian Kennedy (7), Ken Kennedy (7), Darragh O’Driscoll (7) Kevin Dilleen (7) (0-2), Mark Hallinan (6), Ivor Whyte (7) (0-6, 3f), Niall de Loughery (6),Alan O’Neill (7), Emmet Whelan (6) (0-1), Michael McNamara (6), Jarlath Colleran (6).

Subs
Noel Brodie (6) for de Loughery [HalfTime], Enda Lyons (6) for Hallinan [43 Mins], Shane O’Connor (6) for [43 Mins].

Broadford
Cian O’Brien (7), John Corcoran (7),Aidan O’Brien (7), Stephen Gunning (7), James Gunning (7) (0-2), Cathal Chaplin (7), Kieran O’Connell (7),Alan Kilcoyne (7), Craig Chaplin (8) (0-2), Mark Moloney (7) (0-1), PadraigTaylor (8) (0-4), DeclanTeefy (7),Aonghus O’Brien (7) (0-1), Niall Moloney (7) (0-1), Padraig Hickey (7) (0-3, 2f).

Subs
DonieWhelan (6) for Teefy [51 Mins],Alan McMahon (7) (1-0) for Kilcoyne.

Man of the Match
Padraig Taylor (Broadford) Referee Seanie McMahon (Newmarket-on-Fergus)

Cratloe 0-8 – Inagh/Kilnamona 0-7 at Cusack Park, Ennis

THOSE who argue that hurleys should be for burning and not for playing ball with certainly had much ammunition for their argument at Clare headquarters on Sunday evening after this truly forgettable hour.

Not that Cratloe minded – they may have looked tired, very tired at times but they still had enough to stumble over the winning line thanks to Conor McGrath’s 62nd minute point, just over two minutes after he missed a 65.

Cometh the end of the hour he was in the right place at the right time and wasn’t found wanting when Sean Collins and Martin ‘Ogie’ Murphy created the opening for the matchwinning point from 25 yards.

It was probably the highlight of the hour as it inched Cratloe into the quarter-final for the third successive year, leaving Inagh/Kilnamona to shoot it out with Tubber in the last game to see who joins the 2009 champions at the business end of the championship.

This was the game that neither side seemed to want to win – first it was Cratloe who failed utterly to use the wind to their advantage in the first half, only to be thrown a lifeline in the second by an Iangh/Kilnamona side that was just as culpabale when it came to translating possession into scores.

It was pedestrian stuff from the off, with Cratloe’s profligacy being the main feature of the first half as they racked up eight wides while playing towards the scoreboard end.

They did lead by 0-5 to 0-4 thanks to Conor McGrath, who hit four points over the half hour, while his county senior colleage Sean Collins chipped in with the other as they eked out their advantage.

Inagh/Kilnamona had four wides of their own, but they were much more economical with the scoring chances, setting the tone early when Conor Tierney showed pace and accuracy to open the scoring inside two minutes.

In a half there was little between the sides, albeit that Cratloe’s dominance in the possession stakes seemed to give them the scope to kick clear by half-time and give them the cushion they looked like needing for the second half.

They did lead by 0-4 to 0-2 after 20 minutes, with McGrath accounting for all of their scores, while Inagh/ Kilnamona kept the scoreboard ticking – however slowly – thanks to Ger Arthur and Niall Arthur frees that brought them within a point by the 25th minute.

That’s how it stayed at the break as Sean Collins and Niall Arthur traded points in the final three minutes of the half as a very mediocre 30 minutes came to an end – a lead that scarcely seemed enough for a Cratloe side that failed to show the energy and application that marked their ascent in the senior ranks over the last couple of years.

What followed in the second half was equally as bad as the scoring rate deteriorated further with the statistic of six points over the half hour telling the story. Inagh/Kilnamona looked to have the force with them when a Niall Arthur 65 and a point from play by Conor Tierney that sandwiched a Conor McGrath free levelling matters by the 38th minute, but wides from Ger Arthur and Niall Arthur (2) cost them dear. Haulie Vaughan and Cathal Lafferty also hit wides, but the sides were still deadlocked at 0-7 apiece entering injury time after Niall Arthur and Conor McGrath had swapped points.

Enter McGrath once more with his sixth point, while Niall Arthur missed a 65-yard free to level matters in the third minute of injury time.

Scariff 2-12 – Tubber 2-11 at Gurteen

IT WAS drama all the way as a remarkable Scariff comeback blew the group wide open again on Sunday. Ten points down after only 20 minutes, Scariff it seemed required a mini miracle to get anything out of the game and ease their relegation concerns. However they made vital switches that actually turned the tables on previously unbeaten Tubber and opened the door for an upset in the group standings.

With the quarter-final line in sight, Tubber will be kicking themselves that they let this game slip from their grasp. Victory would have greatly aided their passage to the last eight but now, they will need a result in their winner-takes-all last round clash with Inagh/Kilnamona.

They were simply cruising early on after Eamon Taaffe and Darragh O’Connor’s goals pushed them 2-5 to 0-1 clear by the 21st minute. Scariff reshuffled the pack in the hope of sparking a revival and it had the desired effect as Alphie Rodgers and Ross Horan switched wings while the influence of Cathal Nash’s move to centre-back and his brother Diarmaid at midfield were also crucial.

Rodgers picked off two points, Cathal Nash also scored while Ross Horan converted a free to soften the blow by the break at 2-6 to 0-5. Now inspired and gaining momentum, Scariff continued their recovery after the break with Ross Horan bagging 2-3 by the turn of the final quarter to gain parity. Further points from Kenny McNamara and Barry Murphy put the east Clare side ahead for the first time only for Clive Earley and Shane O’Connor to peg them back once more. However, a brace of points from Ross Horan proved decisive and while Patrick O’Connor reduced the gap to the minimum in injury-time, Tubber failed to take their late opportunities as an overjoyed Scariff hung on for the points.

Scariff
Shane Mulvihill (7), Barry McNamara (7), Darragh Kelly (7), JimMinogue (7), Cathal Nash (8) (0-1),

Padraig Brody (7), Patrick Minogue (7), Matthew Horan (6), Diarmaid Nash (8), Ross Horan (9) (27 3f), Kenny McNamara (7) (0-1),Alphie Rodgers (7) (0-2), Mark Mulvihill (7), Michael Moroney (7), Barry Murphy (7) (0-1)

Subs
Shane Corry for M. Horan, Brian Corry for M. Mulvihill

Tubber
RonanTaaffe (7), Paul Fogarty (6), Justin McMahon (7), Eoin Ruane (8), Fergal O’Grady (7), Conor Earley (7), Patrick O’Connor (7) (0-2f), Clive Earley (8) (0-2), Mark Earley (7) (0-2 1f), David O’Donoghue (7), Shane O’Connor (7) (0-1), Gerard O’Connor (7) (0-1), Darragh O’Connor (7) (1-1), Barry O’Connor (7) (0-1), EamonTaaffe (7) (1-1)

Subs
Nigel O’Donoghue for D. O’Donoghue, Conor Clancy for Fogarty, Blaine Earley for B O’Connor

Man of the Match
Ross Horan (Scariff ) Referee Fergie McDonagh (St Joseph’s Doora.Barefield)

DESPITE A large number of setbacks that have befallen Pat Hoban’s Kilkenny Intermediate side this year, it is difficult to muster up much sympathy considering their near perfect record at all grades in the last ten years. Already picking from intermediate and junior clubs, Hoban and his management team had to pick a completely new squad for this year’s competition thanks to their All-Ireland intermediate success last year but that is only the beginning of the supremo’s woes this season.

“It’s been a tough sort of campaign for us this year. One match is hardly ideal preparation going into an AllIreland final and as well as that, we have lost five of the team that played in that Leinster final against Wexford including senior panelists Eoin Murphy, Kieran Joyce and Richie Doyle who are training with the seniors on Saturday. But we have had a few challenge matches which is the only way we can prepare as it has been intermittent with club championship games as well.

“Without playing the poor mouth, number one we have had to pick a completely new panel and we are already picking from junior and intermediate clubs so we are truthfully stretching it but we will still have 15 lads in black and amber out there next Saturday.

“I know some counties like Tipperary and Galway this year got their senior club players involved, putting certain parameters on themselves of who they could and couldn’t pick but we’re working off the old system I suppose of junior and intermediate clubs. To be fair, we have had our fair share of minors in the last few years that have c o m e from junior and intermediate clubs which is unusual and w e h a v e seen a g o o d b u n c h of lads m a k – ing the step up to the senior grade and hopefully they will all stay in the county set-up.”

Having won the last four successive Leinster intermediate titles and played in four All-Ireland finals as well, winning two of those, Hoban is an experienced coach that recognises that his side are in for a battle against Clare on Saturday.

“We’ve done a bit of homework. Clare have had three good wins and at the start of the year, I would have thought that Tipperary were going to walk this championship but they were beaten by Cork who in turn were beaten by Clare and since they have gone on to beat Limerick and

Galway. So my thoughts on Clare

are they are a good solid team

with a couple of experienced

guys in it and I don’t think

that Clare will be beaten

too easily anyway.

“Genuinely the loss

of the three senior lads is a big, big blow to us because they gave us great options. I know it’s going to be a right battle of a game. Clare, from what I’ve heard seem to have a good solid full-back line and a couple of nippy corner-forwards and that so like any of these matches it’s going to be very hard to call.

“It’s an unusually grade in that you have no real knowledge of the opposition. At senior level, you know each player you are coming up against but at intermediate level, you are ten or fifteen minutes into a game before you know who you are marking. So there’s a bit of a learning curve for us all there.”

A learning curve that Hoban has mastered many times before and whatever team that togs out against Clare on Sunday, will be treated with the utmost respect. After all, there is no such thing as a bad Kilkenny team.

Sixmilebridge 1-14 – O’Callaghan’s Mills 0-08 at Cusack Park, Ennis

THE Bridge are building – bigtime, a fact of hurling life they hammered home once more after this local derby encounter with O’Callaghan’s Mills that opened Sunday afternoon’s fare at Clare GAA headquarters. What harm that it was their second championship match in five days – such an inconvenience proved no obstacle as they brushed aside the challenge of their near neighbours to make sure of their passage to the last eight. And, in the process it was their fourth win in a row, following on victories earlier in the campaign against Clarecastle, Wolfe Tones and Tulla. They secured the points here thanks to a sustained burst in the second half when within the space of eight minutes from the start of the final quarter they hit the Mills with 1-3 without reply to move 1-11 to 0-6 clear. It was winning of the game, with Tony Carmody’s brilliant 47th minute goal being the pivotal score as the ‘Bridge finally sprinted clear of a dogged Mills side that was left to rue their profligacy at the start of the second half when they hit four wides in succession when the sides were locked at 0-4 apiece. The first half was an even affair as the initiative ebbed both ways – firstly the ‘Bridge were on the front foot with points via a Niall Gilligan free and efforts from play by Tony Carmody and Danny Morey putting them 0-3 to no score ahead after eight minutes. However, thanks to Adrian Flaherty’s accuracy from placed balls when he landed frees in the 13th and 21st minutes the Mills played their way back into things, while James McMahon then levelled matters with their first from play in the 27th minute. Niall Gilligan and Alan Duggan then traded points before the break to leave matters delicately poised for the second half. Páidí Fitzpatrick put in an outstanding hour for the ‘Bridge in the first half, but on the turnover it was the Mills who looked the likelier side, only for those four wides in the first four minutes to haunt their progress. This was especially true when the ‘Bridge flexed their scoring muscles once more with three-in-a-row after Tony Carmody and Alan Duggan had swapped points by the 37th minute. An effort from play by Fennessy, followed by two Gilligan points had the ‘Bridge 0-8 to 0-5 clear before Adrian Flaherty pegged them back with another free in the 44th minutes. But, in the end it was as close as the Mills would get – they only managed two more points in the remaining 15 minutes thanks to a consolsation scores from Fergus Donovan and Gary Neville as they could lit- tle to do to stem the ‘Bridge tide that tacked on 1-6 in the same period. Jamie Shanahan’s first of the hour at the three-quarter stage put three between the sides, while Carmody’s goal was followed up by points from John Fennessy, and Seadna Morey by the 53rd minutes to leave the championship favourites 1-11 to 0-6 clear and coasting. And they had the final say too when points by Gilligan and Pa Sheehan left them nine clear and winners as they liked – yet again, with the scare they received on day one against Clarecastle now firmly behind them as they inch closer to a first county title in nine years. They’re the team to beat on the evidence of everything the group stages has thrown up thus far.

Sixmilebridge
Derek Fahy (7),Tadhg Keogh (7),Aidan Quilligan (8), Paul Fitzpatrick (7), Barry O’Connor (7), Paidí Fitzpatrick (8), Robert Conlon (6), Shane Golden (7), John Fennessy (7) (0-2), Seadna Morey (7) (0-1),Tony Carmody (8) (1-2), Declan Morey (6), Jamie Shanahan (7) (0-1), Niall Gilligan (8) Capt (0-5, 2f), Danny Morey (7) (0-1).

Subs
Pa Sheehan (7) (0-2) for Conlon, David O’Connor (6) for Declan Morey.

O’Callaghan’s Mills
John Cooney (7), Sean O’Gorman (7), Conor Cooney (8), Gerry Cooney (7), Ger Frost (7), Patrick Donnellan (8), Bryan Donnellan (7), Jonathon Lyons (7), James McMahon (7) (0-1), Gary Neville (7) (0-1f), Declan Donovan (6), Adrian Donovan (6),Adrian Flaherty (7) (0-3f), Niall Donovan (6),Alan Duggan (8) (0-2).

Subs
Fergus Donovan (7) for Declan Donovan, Eoghan Pewter (6) Niall Donovan, Kevin O’Callaghan (6) for Lyons

Man of the Match
Paidi Fitzpatrick (Sixmilebridge) Referee KevinWalsh (WolfeTones)