Category: Sport

St Senan’s Kilkee 3-6 – St Breckan’s 0-12 at Hennessy Memorial Park, Miltown Malbay

WHEN Barry Kelly blew the final whistle in his home patch of Miltown Malbay last Sunday evening, many of the St Breckans players fell to their knees with a sudden weight of disappointment and regret.

As the week will progress this will definitely be viewed as missed opportunity by both players and management alike and who knows how costly this case of a one that got away could be in this year’s senior football championship for the North Clare men. To have merely been behind two points at the interval after playing against a gale of a breeze in the first half and then to have actually regained the lead midway through the second half and to still come out on the wrong side of this 3-6 to 0-12 result will really have hurt the Lisdoon faithful.

On the other hand St Senans Kilkee were far from feeling the blues as their drive, hunger and most important of all, their experience drove them over the winning line to really open up group two after this second round of matches.

This victory arrived in many ways not only because of Breckan’s gradual decrease in control of proceedings but crucially Kilkee’s clinical nature in front of goal. The Blues found the net on three occasions while Breckans never saw that magical moment of the green flag waving in the blustery conditions of Miltown.

The first of the hat-trick of killer blows was in fact the opening score of this encounter. Despite Breckans adopting a defensive formation from the thrown in with Denis O’Driscoll acting almost as a sweeper, their tactics were to no avail when Gearoid Lynch crept in behind the far too hesitant and unresponsive Lisdoon full-back line.

Michael O’Shea’s expertly judged over the top pass landed safely in the hands of the on rushing wing forward who remained calm and confident to blast the football low into the bottom left corner of the net. Last year’s intermediate champions now needed to awaken from their early match snooze and to realise a senior encounter was going to have to be contested and fought for.

The eventual response came from the boot of accurate free taker Pat Nagle five minutes later. His first sailed between the posts from the ground while his next attempt from his hands from practically the same spot in front of the goals reduced the deficit to one.

A Conor Cormican kick levelled the game after quarter of an hour after good work from midfielder John McDonagh who would find a score of his own later on in the match.

The comeback however was short lived when killer blow number two materialised in the form of a Kilkee penalty. Again the lively Lynch was involved as another perfectly planned run this time only prevented and stopped by a Michael Reddan foul. O’Shea did the honours and left it at 2-1 to 0-3 to push Breckans back to square one.

Another response was needed and duly it came minutes before the break. O’Shea and the powerful Christopher Williamson had added scores to the Kilkee tally but the half would finish with a flurry of scores from the eventual losers. Cormican and Nagle found their range again while the excellent Stephen Tierney burst forward from defence to pitch in with two other fine points from play to leave it at 2-3 to 0-7 at half time.

The second half erupted into action with a trio of placed kicks from key marksman Nagle. His reliability in front of goal nudged Breckans into the lead for the first time. The momentum appeared to have followed the outfit who had now the wind at their backs. Strike three though would prove this advantage to be full of hot air as the treble of three pointers was completed with Kilkee’s first score of the second half also being a goal as in the first.

A scramble and goal mouth scrum somehow so the ball land in David Russell’s hands before he popped off a hand pass to Lynch who again found himself in the right place at the right time.

The football was hammered high into the net as was the final nail in the Breckans coffin. Of course the towel was never going to be thrown in with Nagle and Tierney the bravest of the losing warriors finding the last two punts of the game but unfortunately it was too little too late as Kilkee found the win they so desperately desired.

St Senan’s Kilkee
Kevin Harte (7), Darren Clarke (7), Darragh Kelly (7) Darren Owens (6),Thomas Galvin (7), David Russell (7),Alan Russell (7), Micheal Keane (7), Christopher Williamson (7) (0-2), Gearoid Lynch (8) (2-0), Kevin Larkin (7) (0-1), Brian Clancy (7), Barry Harte (7), Michael O’Shea (8) (1-2, 1-0pen), Diarmuid Keane (6)

Subs
Senan Larkin (6) (0-1) for D. Keane, Keith Downes (6) for M. Keane, Robert Fitzpatrick (6) for Galvin

St Breckan’s
Craig Flanagan (7), Daniel Carey (6), Conor Howley (7), Michael Redden (6), Raphael Considine (7), Greg O’Leary (7), StephenTierney (8) (0-3), John McDonough (7) (0-1), Michael Keating (6), Donal Howley (7), Sean Cormican (7), Dennis O’Driscoll (7), Conor Cormican (7) (0-1), Pat Nagle (8) (0-7f), Eric Murrihy (6)

Subs
Mark O’Donnell (6) for Murrihy

Man of the Match
Gearóid Lynch (St Senan’s Kilkee) Referee Barry Kelly (St Joseph’s Miltown)

Corofin 2-3 – Ballyvaughan 0-5 at Gleann Ciosog

THIS north Clare encounter was much more than a derby game. It was essentially a battle for survival, both in the race for the semi-finals and of course the unthinkable fate of relegation. In such heightened circumstances, it was about getting over the line regardless of the performance and it was just as well because the game will hardly be remembered as a classic, if even remembered at all.

Corofin did come out on top in the end though thanks to two first half goals from Damien Ryan and Darren Malone that set the tone in this low scoring contest. By half-time, they led by 2-1 to 0-3 and with only two points apiece in the second period, the game rather petered out than crackled like a neighbourly rivalry should. Ballyvaughan simply craved a goal that would get them back into the game but in truth it never looked like coming as Corofin held on to maintain their championship hopes.

They now play O’Curry’s in what is essentially a championship quarterfinal. For Ballyvaughan, the battle for survival continues to a relegation play-off regardless of their fate against Clondegad.

Corofin
Kieran Carkill, Ollie O’Loughlin, Brendan Keane, Brian McGahan, Damien Malone (0-1), Eamon Malone, Diarmuid Daly, John Keane, Luke O’Loughlin, Stephen Heagney, Darragh Shannon, Fergal Neylon, Darren Malone (1-2), Damien Ryan (1-1), JasonTierney

Subs
Manus Malone for McGahan, Paddy Golden for Neylon, Killian Neylon for Heagney

Ballyvaughan
Damien McNamara, Mark O’Loughlin, Sean McNamara, John Linnane, Mark Walsh, Kieran Casey (0-1), PhelimCoyne, John McCormack, James Hynes, Cillian Malone, CianWalsh (0-1), Lorcan Mahon,Adrian Niland (0-2f), Donnacha Mahon, Kevin Carrucan

Subs
Tomás Francis for D. Mahon, Raymond Casey for Carrucan

Man of the Match
Darren Malone (Corofin) Referee TomStackpool (Ennistymon)

Clondegad 3-10 – O’Curry’s 1-7 at Shanahan McNamara Park, Doonbeg

CLONDEGAD are championship favourites, but uneasy rested this onerous mantle for much of the hour in the long village on Sunday afternoon before they finally came good in the final ten minutes against an O’Curry’s side that failed to last the course.

And, for that final push that yielded a second brace of points for the defeated finalists from ‘04, ‘06 and again last year, it was the talismanic powers of their two trump cards Gary Brennan and Paudge McMahan that sealed victory.

From being 1-7 to 1-5 in arrears with just over ten minutes left, Clondegad finally came alive thanks to the influence of their ‘Terrible Twins’.

Brennan was selected at full-forward, but moved out to centre-forward and then midfield in the final quarter, while McMahon was a constant threat in the corner that O’Curry’s couldn’t counter.

It was Brennan’s goal in the 53rd minute that belatedly put Clondegad in the driving seat, while McMahon then applied the killer touch when rounding off the move of the match with another goal that put paid to any prospect of a late, late show from a brave O’Curry’s side.

Certainly the nine point margin between the sides in no way reflected the hour of football, because for much of it O’Curry’s looked the more likely side

Clondegad adapted quicker to the tricky crossfield breeze and points by Gary Brennan and Paudge McMahon had them a couple of points clear by the sixth minute, but gradually as the half wore on the men from the edge of the peninsula warmed to the occasion.

Damian Carmody fisted their opener in the ninth minute, while six minutes later after Paudge McMahon had restored Clondegad’s advantage with a pointed free, Carmody struck again for a goal.

It was freakish in nature as his shot deceived both full-back Paddy O’Connell and keeper Declan O’Loughlin when spinning to the net. It put them 1-1 to 0-3 ahead and they didn’t look back for the rest of the half.

McMahon did level matters with another free in the 16th minute but three-in-a-row from play via Michael Carmody, Ger Lynch and Michael Foran gave O’Curry’s a thoroughly deserved 1-4 to 0-4 interval lead.

O’Curry’s stretched that advantage to four when countyman Foran grabbed another point two minutes after the resumption as the tempo of the game started to pick up appreciably.

However, just when it looked like slipping away from Dermot Coughlan’s charges they struck for a first goal in the 33rd minute. Francie O’Reilly and Paudge McMahon com- bined to put the onrushing Francie Neylon through, with the wing-back driving to the net to bring it back to a one-point game.

Five minutes later Clondegad were level when Pat Coffey volleyed over after Gary Brennan’s fisted effort came back off the upright, but by the 47th minute O’Curry’s had found another wind and points from frees by Ger Quinlan and Eoin Troy had them two clear once more.

It’s not like O’Curry’s to die, but that’s what happened in the closing 11 minutes when they were outscored by 2-5 to no score.

It was a rousing finish kickstarted by a point from centre-back Kieran Browne in the 49th minute. Two minutes later Paudge McMahon levelled matters before Gary Brennan’s goal, after an assist from brother Shane, finally put them on the road to two more championship points.

It was now all Clondegad, with a second Kieran Browne point putting them 2-9 to 1-7 clear with just over five minutes remaining, while the final goal was worthy of winning any contest, starting as it did in the fullback line when Paddy O’Connell gathered possession and moving the full-length of the field before McMahon drove home his second threepointer.

O’Curry’s were a beaten docket, with further salt rubbed into their wounds when Eoin Griffin added a point at the death.

Clondegad
Declan O’Loughlin, Flan Enright, Paddy O’Connell, Cormac Ryan, Brian Murphy, Kieran Browne (0-2), Francie Neylon (1-0), Cormac Murphy, Shane Brennan, Eoin Griffin (0-1), Brian Carrigg, Kenneth Kelly, Paudge McMahon (2-4, 2f) Gary Brennan (1-2, 1f), Francis O’Reilly.

Subs
Pat Coffey (0-1) for Carrig, James Murphy for Kelly, Eoin Donnellan for James Murphy,

O’Curry’s
PJ Greene, Ger Lynch (0-1), Ollie Quinlan, Paul Roche, BrianTroy, Michael O’Shea,TomDownes, Ger Quinlan (0-1f), DerekTroy, Damian Carmody (1-1), Sean Haugh, Michael Foran (0-2), Michael Carmody (0-1), EoinTroy (0-1f), Francis Kelly. Subs DeclanWalsh for Foran, JimDownes for Michael Carmody,

Man of the Match
Paudge McMahon (Clondegad) Referee Michael Talty (Kilmurry Ibrickane)

Cooraclare 2-11 – Éire Óg 0-9 at St Michael ’s Park, Kilmihil

COORACLARE came roaring back into the championship on Saturday night with a comprehensive and thoroughly deserved victory over Eire Óg.

Much like the epic trilogy played by these two teams in last year’s quarter finals, this group two meeting was do or die. Both teams had lost their opening matches but from very early on it was evident that the consequences of defeat had stimulated a far more urgent and passionate performance in Cooraclare than they had done in Eire Óg.

Barely 50 seconds had elapsed when Gearóid Looney punched to the back of net for a Cooraclare goal. A point swiftly followed. Inspired by outstanding performances from captain Mark Tubridy, Rory Donnelly and wing back Declan McMahon; the men in light blue lead never relinquished their lead.

An eight point winning margin in no way flatters Cooraclare. They could have won by more. Two decent goal chances went a begging while Donnelly saw a second half penalty saved. A place in the knock out stages remains a strong possibility or Aidan Moloney’s side.

The same cannot be said for Eire Óg, who, after a second successive championship loss, are almost out of the race for Jack Daly.

There were moments when the Townies threatened to reel in their more energetic opponents. But overall they couldn’t get to grips with the pace of Rory Donnelly or the irrepressible Tubridy, who, though named at centre forward, seemed to be everywhere. Cooraclare were faster to the breaks and there was a far greater assuredness and confidence about their play. Eire Óg’s forwards, with the exception of Eoin Glynn and Sean Crotty, struggled to retain possession and create scoring opportunities.

Cooraclare had no such troubles. Tubridy seized on a long clearance, forced his way past two Eire Óg defenders and crossed for Gearóid Looney to goal after 50 seconds. John Looney, who also put in a commendable shift, pointed a minute later before Eire Óg goalie Eoin Slattery produced a fine stop to deny Tubridy. Tubridy’s persistence was then rewarded with a point before the Townies finally got on the scoreboard through Sean O’Meara’s 15th minute free. Shane Daniels slotted over a free before Michael McMahon converted for Cooraclare to leave the west Clare side leading 1-3 0-2.

Daniels and Glynn rounded off well worked moves with points before another McMahon free and a powerfully struck score from blood sub David Russell left the half time score 1-4 0-5.

With a slight wind at their backs, Cooraclare got of to flying start after the break with points from Tubridy and Donnelly. Then in a crucial fiveminute period, Daniels and O’Meara missed two scoreable frees as Cooraclare extended their lead to six points through scores from Tubridy and John Looney. Sean O’Meara bagged a point in the 44th minute but the hammer blow was on its way.

Tubridy did exceptionally well to catch a ball destined to go wide before squeezing a shot to the net in the 46th minute. Cooraclare led 2-8 0-6 and the outcome was beyond doubt. John Looney and John Considine kicked two more points as efforts from Daniels and Saran Butler kept the townies’ faint chances alive. John Looney kicked the final point as Coorclare get their campaign back on track.

Cooraclare
Declan Keane (7), Fergal Lillis (7), Conor Marinan (7),Thomas Downes (7), David Marinan (7),Thomas Donnellan (7), Declan McMahon (8),AndrewO’Neill (7), Joe Considine (0-1) (7), Gearóid Looney (1-0) (7), MarkTubridy (1-3) (9), Sean McGuire (7), Rory Donnelly (0-1) (8), John Looney (0-4)(1f) (8), Michael McMahon (0-2)(2f) (7)

Subs
Michael Kelly (7) for McGuire, Kieran Hassett (7) for MMcMahon, Sean McGuire for Considine

Eire Óg
Eoin Slattery (7), Dean Ryan (7), Donie Lyne (6), Conor Healy (6), David Ryan (7),Alan Malone (6), Nicky Hogan (6), Darren O’Neill (6), Shane Daniels (7) (0-4)(2f), Saran Butler (6) (0-1), David Monaghan (6), Brian McMahon (6), Sean O’Meara (6) (0-2)(1f), Sean Crotty (7), Eoin Glynn (7) (0-1)

Subs
David Russell (6) (0-1) for Healy, Brian Frawley for O’Neill, Darren O’Meara for Lyne

Man of the Match
Mark Tubridy (Cooraclare) Referee Barry Kelly (Miltown)

Wolfe Tones 1-8 – Kilmihil 0-7 at Lissycasey

BEFORE a ball was struck in this year’s club football year the men from Shannon were being tipped as one of the most likely to struggle – it had all to do with a hemorrhage of playing resources due to emigration.

How wrong we all were, because in the adversity of losing a clutch of quality players to the Americas and the antipodes, they’ve really shown that where there’s football there’s hope, with Lissycasey being the venue for consolidation and progress.

First there was the win there against the Shams, now this that gave them the distinction, along with Kilmurry Ibrickane, of being in the quarter-final stages with a game to spare.

And they deserved it, on the strength of their showing in both halves – the first when a blistering start that yielded a goal inside a minute against the gale gave them a cushion for the rest of the half; the second when they restricted Kilmihil to a pointed free one minute in and they turned around and hit five points without reply to record a comfortable victory.

Kilmihil were game and tried to the end, there cause never being so lost in the second half that a goal wouldn’t have brought them back into things with a bang, but in the end their fate was effectively sealed with nine minutes remaining when Mark O’Connell received his marching orders for swinging a leg at Chris Dunning, leaving John Hannon with no alternative but to give him a second yellow and then red.

It was game over, but in truth Wolfe Tones probably felt that as early as the ninth minute of the game when they had opened up a 1-1 to no score lead. Against the breeze it was huge start – the goal coming when a good move against the breeze was finished to the net by full-forward Darren Ryan.

Kilmihil were rocked and it wasn’t until the 12th minute that they got going with a David Ryan point, by which time Daniel Gallery had made his first mark on the game for the Tones with good point from play.

Kilmihil’s revival was continued by free by Declan Downes after 18 minutes and a well-worked point from play a minute later when Timmy Ryan and Enda O’Halloran teed up David Ryan for his second.

However, it was the Tones’ strong running game against the breeze that really paid dividends thanks to inspirational points from both Patsy Keyes and Chris Dunning in the 22nd and 24th minutes respectively.

They led by 1-3 to 0-4 at that stage and while Kilmihil hit back to level matters at half-time thanks to a Mark O’Connell solo effort from play and another Declan Downes frees, the force was still most definitely with the Shannon men, thanks to the wind that was to come.

And, that’s just how it panned out, because save Declan Downes’ lead point for Kilmihil 50 seconds after the re-start, it was all Wolfe Tones as they gradually ground the west Clare men into submission.

And, it was two players from that golden minor generation of a few years back that showed the way – Chris ‘Chippy’ Dunning levelled matters by the 37th minute before the prodigal son that is Stephen Mona ghan really stepped up.

He’s had more comebacks than Planxty or Moving Hearts, but the class touches are still there as he proved with points in the 41st and 47th minutes to ease the Tones 1-6 to 0-7 clear.

By this stage Kilmihil were struggling to break out of their own half – a struggle that became steeper when Daniel Gallery rifled over a 45 with ten minutes left and then became mission impossible when O’Connell say red.

All that was left was for the Tones to see it out and look ahead to the quarter-final draw – they did that with a Darren Ryan finishing the game as the started it, this time landing a point to make the cushion in the 59th minute to make the cushion more comfortable again.

O’Callaghan’s Mills 3-14 – Wolfe Tones 0-15 at Cusack Park, Ennis

THESE are trying times for the hurlers of Wolfe Tones.

Going into this game they were without a win from ten senior games this year – it became 11 by the end of this 60 minutes play 9ed out before a very meagre attendance at headquarters on Tuesday night as O’Callaghan’s Mills cruised to victory and their first brace of points in this year’s championship campaign.

That it was so easy for the Mills didn’t seem probable at half-time, as the Tones had been more than competitive in that first 30 minutes. However, an inspired performance from Jonathon Lyons in the second half when he scored 1-4 was the catalyst for a Mills victory that has catapulted Peter Carmody’s charges back into contention in Group 3.

It was Lyons’ goal six minutes into the second half that had the Mills on their way – it came Niall Donovan was thwarted by a thundering shoulder from Patsy Keyes only for the ball to break to Lyons who slammed an unstoppable shot past Ronan Hehir in the Wolfe Tones goal.

The Tones did bounce back with points from Garret McPhillips and Aaron Cunningham to leave the sides level by 39th minute, but 30 seconds later their resolve was finally broken when Niall Donovan bagged the Mills’ third goal of the hour to put them 3-5 to 0-11 clear.

For the Tones it was too big a gap to bridge, even though they had shown admirable fighting qualities in the first half to stay in contention after Adrian Flaherty banged home the first goal of the contest after 18 minutes.

The sides were deadlocked at 0-4 apiece prior to the strike from the former Éire Óg man, with Flaherty (2), Adrian Donovan and Gary Neville on the mark for the Mills, while Garret McPhillips (2) and Declan O’Rourke (2) found the range for the Tones.

That goal looked to be a gamechanger, coming as it did after a slick move up the right flank before Flaherty found himself in space in on the 14-yard line and gave Ronan Hehir no chance with a high drive that cannoned back out the field off the back stanchion of the post.

When Gary Neville tacked on a free in the 20 minute the Mills were 1-5 to 0-4 clear, only to be reeled in by the break thanks to Tones points via a Garret McPhillips free and efforts from play by Dáithí O’Connell and Gary Leahy (2).

A Stephen McInerney point two minutes after the restart edged the Tones clear, but in the end it was the Mills ability to get goals that set them apart. After Niall Donovan’s put them three clear, Jonathon Lyons’ purple patch continued with two points by the 41st to put the Mills five clear.

The Tones did make it a three-point game by the three-quarter stage, but by the 50th minute the Mills had eased ahead again thanks to points from Lyons, Neville and Flaherty as the game petered out to its inevitable conclusion.

Mills can still see their way into a quarter-final; for the Tones it’s all about staying afloat at senior.

O’Callaghan’s Mills
John Cooney (7), Ger Frost (7), Conor Cooney (8), Jonathon Lyons (9) (1-4), Patrick Donnellan (7), Bryan Donnellan (7), Gary Neville (7) (0-3, 2f one 65), Sean O’Gorman (7),Adrian Donovan (7) (0-2), Declan Donovan (7), James McMahon (7), Eoin Pewter (7), Niall Donovan (7) (1-0),Adrian Flaherty (7) (1-4, 3f).

Subs
Alan Duggan (7) (0-1) for Pewter, Kevin O’Callaghan (7) for Neville

Wolfe Tones
Ronan Hehir (6), Joe McGauley (7), Patsy Keyes (8), Brendan Hughes (7), Barry Loughnane (7), Bobby McPhillips (7) (0-1, one 65), Stephen McInerney (7) (0-1), Kevin McCafferty (6), Dáithí O’Connell (7), Declan O’Rourke (7) (0-2), Gary Leahy (7) (0-3, 1f), John Guilfoyle (7),Aaron Cunningham(7) (0-2), Garret McPhillips (7) (0-5, 2f).

Subs
Richie Lillis (6) for McInerney.

Man of the Match
Jonathon Lyons (O’Callaghan’s Mills) Referee Ger Lyons (Ruan)

Kilmurry Ibrickane 1-14 – Kilrush Shamrocks 0-7 at Shanahan McNamara Memorial Park, Doonbeg

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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)

Cratloe 1-9 St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 0-5 At Shannon

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Clonlara 2-19 – Killanena 1-06 O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge

THE LAST time these sides met at championship level, the thrilling 2007 intermediate decider, will live long in the memory and essentially could have gone either way.

Their paths since then have differed however, with the intermediate champions going on to claim a senior double the following year, another final appearance in 2009 before being edged out in last year’s semi-final after a replay.

Killanena on the other hand, finally got over the intermediate line last year but unfortunately due to emigration, have been unable to do themselves justice at the top tier. However, to their credit, despite missing Mark and Ronan Flaherty, Noel Sheedy, Gerry McNamara and John Noonan, they certainly made it more difficult for Clonlara than what was generally expected before the throw-in, even if the dam broke as the second period developed.

Much like their previous tie against Broadford, Clonlara struggled to put away their opponents early on which against more seasoned opponents might have cost them dearly. Granted, they were without county seniors Domhnall O’Donovan and Darach Honan, whose loss would devastate most sides but their lacklustre first half allied to 16 wides gives them a lot to work on ahead of this weekend’s tie against Smith O’Brien’s.

On the plus side, they never looked like losing the tie and in the end, all but goalkeeper Ger O’Connell and the full-back trio got on the scoreboard. Nicky O’Connell and Cormac O’Donovan dominated proceedings while Shane O’Brien completed a memorable three days of debuts with a solid display.

What seemed like a procession at the time began with Clonlara converting five points in eight minutes to open up an early lead but Killanena dug in and through the accurate freetaking of David McNamara, they pulled it back to a two point game by the break at 0-7 to 0-5 following a succession of poor wides from the leaders.

Killanena’s resolve appeared to be broken on the restart when Cormac O’Donovan (2) and Pat O’Hare hit three unanswered points in as many minutes while Donal Madden had a shot smothered in front of goal. However, when the hardworking Fintan McNamara picked out substitute Eoin McMahon to cancel out that early work, Killanena were handed a lifeline.

It was a lifeline that they didn’t cling to however and would only score one more point for the remainder. Instead, that goal apeared to anger the beast and Clonlara lashed back with a further 2-9 in the final 22 minutes.

Essentially, Cormac O’Donovan’s 43rd minute goal was the killer blow in a move that had both greatness and fortitiude at its roots. Pat O’Hare and Nicky O’Connell started the move that gave O’Donovan a lot of work to do around the centre.

However, the county senior controlled the ball expertly and drove at the defence before attempting to pick out Donal Madden with a pass off the hurley that evaded both the full-forward and goalkeeper David Noone before nestling in the corner of the net.

No one could do anything about the second goal only five minutes later however as a Nicky O’Connell lineball picked out fellow county senior John Conlon who cut inside to strike a shot that was saved by Noone, only for Cathal O’Connell to bat the rebound to the net.

It was damage limitation stuff after that as a rampant Clonlara hammered home their victory but still saw a Paul Nihill penalty go the wrong side of the crossbar while Noone was equal to Colm Galvin’s late shot.

Killanena were also reduced to 14 men when substitute Stephen McMahon received a straight red late on but by that stage, Clonlara had the points well wrapped up.

Clonlara
Ger O’Connell (7), Shane O’Brien (7), John Moloney (7), Senan Nihill (7), Nicky O’Connell (8) (0-1f), Paul Nihill (7) (0-1 Pen), Pat O’Hare (7) (0-1), Cormac O’Donovan (8) (1-3), Neilie Ryan (7) (0-3), ColmGalvin (7) (0-2),Tomás O’Donovan (7) (0-1),Tommy Lynch (7) (0-1), John Conlon (7) (0-5 4f), Donal Madden (6) (0-1), Cathal O’Connell (7) (1-0)

Subs
James Hastings (6) for Madden (45 mins), Paul Collins for Nihill (50 mins)

Killanena
David Noone (7), Pat Noone (7), Joe Clancy (7), Barry Noone (7), Shane Moroney (5), John O’Mara (7),Alan McNamara (7), Mikey Noone (6), Enda Collins (7), Martin Glynn (6), Fintan McNamara (7), Declan Noonan (6), Colin McNamara (6), David McNamara (7) (0-6f), Padraig Brady (5)

Subs
Eoin McMahon (6) (1-0) for Brady (25 mins), Stephen McMahon (6) for Noonan (43 mins), John O’Brien (6) for Glynn (47 mins)

Man of the Match
Cormac O’Donovan (Clonlara) Referee KevinWalsh (WolfeTones)