Category: Sport

Miltown-Castlemaine 2-05 – Clondegad 0-10 at Páirc de Búrca, Miltown

WAY back in 1950 the Clare seniors went to Tralee and had Kerry beaten in the Munster championship only to be robbed by a last second point that earned the Kingdom a draw.

Clondegad knew that same sinking feeling on Sunday as they were robbed by a Miltown-Castlemaine side that could scarcely believe their luck as they stumbled over the line into the Munster final to keep alive Kerry’s hopes of landing a sixth straight provincial title in the grade.

It was a theft of grand larceny proportions, all thanks four goalmouth incidents, all of which went the Kerry champions’ way and helped them reach the final frontier despite being totally outplayed in the second half of this low-scoring, yet entertaining semi-final.

For Clondegad it was a missed first half penalty and then a disallowed goal three minutes into the second half; for Miltown-Castlemaine a freakish first goal and then a last gasp effort in the 56th minute that came totally against the run of play.

Yes, dame fortune was shining on Miltown-Castlemaine, while scowling on poor Clondegad as they were left to reflect on what should have been after producing their best performance of the year.

That performance came from the get go, with the iron-man of the Clondegad cause, full-back Paddy O’Connell winning the first ball that came his way to set the tone for his side – one that served notice that they weren’t going to be canon fodder opposition like Clare teams before them.

O’Connell’s play was the spark and inside 30 seconds Clondegad could have goaled, only for Tony Kelly’s rasping drive from 25 yards to be pushed over the bar of Miltown-Castlemaine keeper Joe Daly.

Clondegad played with the advantage of the breeze it the first half – starting well to lead by 0-3 to 0-1 after six minutes when Gary Bren- nan struck from both play and a free to add to Kelly’s opener.

However, the first in a serious of unfortunate events in front of goal started to haunt them as early as the ninth minute when Cathal Moriarty’s hopeful ball towards goal somehow ended up in the back of Clondegad’s net.

A minute later Gavin Wrenn tapped over his second free to give MiltownCastlemaine a 1-2 to 0-3 lead that their play scarcely deserved. Clondegad did restore parity by half-time, but should have done more.

By the 15 minute mark frees by Gary Brennan and Paudge McMa- hon sandwiched a like effort from Gavin Wrenn, before Clondegad’s confidence slowly began to rise once more when Francie Neylon burst up the left wing to land the point of the day in the 45th minute.

Then opportunity knocked in the 29th minute when Shane Brennan faced up to a penalty after Paudge McMahon was bundled to the ground, only for Daly to save at the expense of a 45 that McMahon pointed to leave the sides deadlocked at the break: Clondegad 0-7 MiltownCastlemaine 1-4.

Clondegad’s chance seemed lost as they faced into the breeze, only for the underdogs to produce a stirring second half performance that should have been enough to score Clare’s first ever win over Kerry opposition in the Munster intermediate series.

They looked to be on their way when Gary Brennan’s 33rd minute free was fisted to the net by Shane Brennan, only for the goal to be disallowed. Still, Clondegad never lost heart and pointed frees by Paudge McMahon and Gary Brennan ensured that they led by 0-9 to 1-5 entering the last ten minutes.

More than that, they were dominating against a Miltown-Castlemaine that had failed utterly to produce their county final winning form. However, from nowhere they conjured up a match-winning goal in the 56th minute.

Kieran Browne looked to have been fouled when coming out of defence, but when no free was given, Cathal Moriarty picked up the pieces, danced his way through a porous wall of defenders and toe-poked to the net to give his side an unlikely 25 to 0-9 lead.

Not what Clondegad deserved, but despite Gary Brennan pointing a free in the 58th minute and laying siege on the Miltown-Castlemaine goal for a further four minutes, it what they got.

Their Munster championship race was run in cruel fashion.

Ennis Town Rock 3 – Hermitage A 0 at Lees Road, Ennis

ENNIS Town Rock advanced smoothly to the third round of Munster Junior Cup on Sunday with a convincing victory over local rivals Hermitage.

A goal-less first half gave way to a clinical display of finishing from Ennis Town Rock who will now meet Burren United in the next round.

A brace of goals from centre forward Niall McNevin ultimately proved decisive for the home side who took the lead on the hour mark through Marty McLoughlin’s close range effort.

Hermitage applied some late pressure but could find no way past goalkeeper Stephen Loftus. There was little to separate the sides in a typi- cally frantic opening to this all Ennis affair. But with Adrian Walsh and Eoin Glynn doing well in midfield and Richie Neylon supplying a string of accurate crosses, Town gradually gained the upper hand.

The best of the chances fell to McLoughlin who was denied by some dogged Tage defending. The same player was denied midway through the half when Tage centre back John Maher executed a perfectly timed tackle on the Town striker.

At the other end Paul Dullaghan was unlucky not to find the net when he rose to meet Sean McGhee’s free kick shortly before half time.

Town stepped up the pressure after the break and were rewarded with a goal in the 60th minute. McNevin directed a header into the path of Ney- lon who drilled a low centre across the six-yard box. Having edged just ahead of his marker McLoughlin turned the ball in at the near post. It was then the turn of McLoughlin’s strike partner Niall McNevin to steal the show.

The striker doubled his side’s advantage in spectacular fashion with a powerfully struck free kick before smashing a left footed effort against the cross bar.

McNevin then made it game, set and match for Town when he finished from close range to make it 3-0.

The introduction of Liam Meaney gave Tage some added thrust on the flanks but the visitors were having no luck finding a way past Loftus. The Town goalkeeper produced fine saves to deny Richard O’Grady while Paul Dullaghan was again unlucky not to grab a consolation effort at the death.

Ennis Town Rock
Stephen Loftus, Ethan Considine, JasonWhite, Shane Daniels, Ronan Judge, Richie Neylon,Adrian Walsh, Eoin Glynn, Daryl Eade, Niall McNevin, Marty McLoughlin

Subs
Emmanuel Obadey for McLoughlin, Gary Walsh for Glynn, Francis Daniels for A Walsh

Hermitage A
Joe Burke, Greg Howard, Eoghan Ryan, John Maher, Neil Mills, Robert Dunn, Gerry Dullaghan, Sean McGhee, Eoin Kane, Paul Dullaghan, Richie Fitzgerald

Subs
LiamMeaney, Richard O’Grady, Caomhan ÓBraonain

Referee
Julian Stanford

SOMETIMES economy of words are what the sports psychologist orders. A case of what’s not said, because there’s no need – no need to tell the players what they know already.

There was some of mindset hovering around the Crusheen dressing room on Sunday as the Clare champions faced up to the supreme test of the second half of the Munster semifinal.

They’d been here before, albeit that last year’s championship clash against Kilmallock was a quarter-final. In the dressing room and ready to rumble and kick on for victory – their first ever in Munster championship fare, but they failed.

Surely this is what was said and hammered home? Again and again?

Not so says manager Michael Browne, whose man management and coaching skills has been the catalyst for Crusheen to rise from the ashes of county final defeat in 2007 to back-to-back titles and now the Promised Land of a Munster final.

“It wasn’t what was said,” he says after his side’s tour de force by the banks. “It was just the feeling in the dressing room. Last year we came out after half-time in a comfortable position and looking as if we were in a nice place against Kilmallock. They absolutely destroyed us in the first few minutes, so under no circumstances was that going to happen to us this year. That’s the focus that you saw when they came back out on the pitch.

“We had never won a title in the history of the club until last year – it was a massive thing for us and maybe it was asking a bit too much to expect them to go out and perform in Munster after that.

“This year there was a real determination there that we were going to go at least one step further, the problem being of course that we were in a semi-final in our first game, which made it that little bit harder. We didn’t even think about that, we just thought about the game last year, how we messed up in it last year and how we weren’t going to let it happen again this year. Thanks be to God we didn’t,” adds Browne.

All thanks to those 13 second half points, but also the six in the first half that provided the foundations that Browne points to as the real winning of this semi-final.

“We put in a great performance in the first half. I was very pleased that we were only two points down at half-time,” he says. “I knew that the breeze was strong because we had done a good bit of a warm-up on it. We were conscious of that. I thought that in the first half our backs weren’t as outstanding as they normally are, but I knew that they rise to it in the second half and that’s how it turned out.

“We do have a really good defence and a really good team, everyone of them can play and everyone of them can play really well and I’m really delighted with the performance. Our forwards have been much maligned in Clare, yet they came down here today and took some fantastic scores in the second half.

“We’re in the Munster final now. When you reach a final, everyone has a 50/50 chance. We’ll be going for it.”

Time to celebrate and then Na Piarsaigh. Then go for it.

Inagh 2-07 – Four Roads 2-05 at Clarecastle

INAGH snatched a famous victory over devastated Four Roads in a spell-binding finish to the All-Ireland junior camogie club championship semi-final in pristine conditions at Clarecastle on Saturday afternoon.

The Clare side were four points down entering the 59th minute, but hit their opponents with a remarkable two-goal burst to snatch a place in the final. Four Roads had a 2-5 to 0-7 advantage when Inagh were awarded a 65. Fiona Lafferty had the distance to convert, having already done so twice in building up a personal tally of five points.

Inagh needed more than a point though, and so Lafferty landed the sliotar in around the square. An almighty scramble ensued before Sinead O’Loughlin doubled on the ball in the air to find the net and invigorate the Banner women.

They won possession immediately from the puckout, and Lafferty found Sharon Rynne unmarked around 30m from the posts. The half-forward bore down on goal before sending the net shaking to put her side in front by two points.

Four Roads must have been shellshocked but to their credit, they threw everything into finding a goal of their own in the two and a half minutes of additional time played. They found the Inagh defence in no mood to yield however, and in the end, it was the Clare side who prevailed.

This result was all the more amazing for the fact that the Roscommon champions had a nine-point advantage after just 20 minutes, and with the scoreline reading 2-3 to 0-0 in their favour, seemed certain to advance to an All-Ireland final.

They began with three points from play before goals from Gertie Dowd and Sinead O’Brien put them in a commanding position.

Like the Inagh brace that denied them victory, these two goals arrived inside a minute, with O’Brien’s major coming straight from the puckout after Dowd’s score.

Dowd and Orla Gately gave Four Roads a midfield dominance throughout, while half-back Donna Kelly also ensured that there was plenty of ball going the forwards’ way.

Crucially though, the Inagh mentors made a switch after Four Roads’ second goal that was to have a telling impact, with centre-forward Fiona Lafferty swopping roles with centreback Christina Glynn to help shore up the defence.

Glynn also had an impact at the other end, and got her side off the mark with a point. Lafferty followed up with two points (one from a 65) and it was 2-3 to 0-3 at the interval.

The margin was soon down to four but a point from Lizzie GlennonTully stemmed the tide. Even though Inagh got one back, it hardly looked enough with time running out, but the goal heroics of O’Loughlin and Rynne saved the day.

DERMOT Coughlan has bowed out as manager of Clondegad, but as he goes the Kilmurry Ibrickane stalwart who was a member of Clare’s Munster final winning squad of 1992 has said that the county intermediate champions he guided over the past four years can be a real force at senior level in the coming years.

Speaking to The Clare People on Monday, after Clondegad’s agonising one-point defeat to Miltown-Castlemaine in the Munster intermediate semi-final, Coughlan has paid tribute to his charges after their heroic display against the Kerry champions.

“We’ve had four years and had a great time,” said Coughlan in stepping down. “We’ve had two promotions and got up to the Cusack Cup final, we’ve played in two county finals and won the intermediate championship and played in Munster.

“I’d like to pay tribute to the mentors I had with me. Kevin Tighe, Helen Murphy and Dermot Gavin – they have been brilliant over the last four years. The team needs a fresh voice now, someone else to take it on and build on it because there is great potential there,” he added.

As he spoke, Coughlan reflected on what might have been after his side saw their chance of taking the first step towards emulating Kilmihil, Cratloe and St Breckan’s, who have reached Munster finals in the last three years scuppered for a controversial late goal.

“We were unlucky. We played all the football and we can’t ask any more of the team. They were tremendous. Going into the game we knew we had to go up two or three notches – our county final performance wasn’t going to be good enough, but we had tremendous belief in our- selves,” he said.

“We started with 13 lads who were under 23 years of age and the pace they played the game at was unreal. They took the game to Miltown-Castlemaine. There was no blanket defence, no dropping back a man. We just tore into them and they gave it everything.

“The goals killed us. The first goal was from a kick he put across the square – it was going over the bar or going wide, but held up in the breeze at the last second and dipped under crossbar. If he tried it again a hundred times he wouldn’t do it. It was a freak goal.

“We moved on from that, but there was a nine-point turnover with the goal they got, the penalty we missed and then the goal we had disallowed. Things go for you are you don’t.

“The goal we got was debatable. Some say Shane Brennan was in the square, others say he was out. Gary Brennan kicked a sideline right into the square, Shane ran in and fisted it to the net. It’s easy for me to say it was a good goal, but when you’re 60 or 70 yards away, you can’t call it, but from our side it looked good.

“Kieran Browne soloed out with a ball. He was literally bundled to the ground and the ref was blowing for things like that all day. When he was bundled to the ground the ball spilled and the ball was kicked into the corner forward, who had that bit of space. The backs came around him again but his shot just trickled into the corner of the net. It was purely against the run of play. They’re the things that win tight matches,” added Coughlan.

THE stuff of dreams for followers of the small ball in Inagh. The men folk threatened to make the big breakthrough in 2011, being edged out by Sixmilebridge in county quarter-final and then going down to Newmarketon-Fergus in the Clare Cup decider.

But it’s the women folk who have gone all the way – winning county and Munster honours before their smash and grab raid at the death of this All-Ireland semi-final. It looked bleak when they were four points down near the end, but they never lost heart, according to club secretary and panellist Noreen Shannon.

“We never thought it was gone,” she revealed afterwards. “There was always that belief in the team and we got the goals to win it. When the first one went in we got it down to a point and we would have taken a point after that to bring the game to extra time, but when the second goal went in it was straight from heaven. Fiona Lafferty drove in both balls for the goals. After the first goal she won the puck-out and just lobbed it into the square and there was a bit a scummage in the square and Sharon Rynne finished it. It’s a once in a lifetime thing to be in an All-Ireland final,” she added.

And, Shannon revealed that this journey which will be completed on Sunday week has its genesis in a couple of defeats, to Corofin last year and then to Truagh this term. “Winning the county final was our aim at the start of the year,” she revealed, “but we lost the league final to Truagh and that was really the start for us. After that we said we were going to try and mimic what Corofin had done last year – but go one step further and actually win the All-Ireland. We have that chance now because we’re in the final.

“Corofin were the driving force for us, definitely. They beat us in the first round of the championship by around 20 points last year – then once we won a few matches this year we had in the back of our minds that we might go where they went last year. Here we are.

“It’s either Myshal of Carlow or Tara’s of London in the final. We don’t mind who we play. They seem to be the surprise in the pot this year. Cushendall were expected to come through but Tara knocked them out in the last game. They must be strong, but we’re really looking forward to it.”

CARRIGTWOHILL were applauded off the field after it was all over – it was always going to be so, given that the small east Cork club had dipped its toes in Munster championship action for the very first time.

You see, it had been a long time coming for a parish that prides and glories in the fact that it was home to hurleys over 800 years ago when at the time of Norman Invasion the men folk of Carrigtwohill ‘carried a stick bent at one end’.

So, win, lose, or draw, this was something of a celebration for them – hence the rousing applause they received from their faithful followers at, despite it being well and truly pummeled by a rampant Crusheen side.

A Crusheen side with a Munster title on their mind – and why not, admitted Carrigtwohill manager when praising the performance of the Clare champions and in particular their set of backs, whose reputation had preceded them to Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

“We knew we were going to face the toughest defence all year,” he admitted afterwards. “We certainly did. No matter what we put in there it was just coming out as quickly as it was going in.

“We had a couple of goal chances and they just wouldn’t go in. Fair play to Crusheen. They played a real tight, defensive game and fought really hard from start to finish and we just couldn’t break them down.

“We had wave after wave of attack in the first half but just weren’t able to finish it off. In fairness that was down to Crusheen’s pressure and their belief in themselves. It wasn’t down to our forwards. It was down to their strength back there. I thought we could have scored a goal or two in the first half but we didn’t when we needed to build up a bit of a lead when playing with the wind,” he added.

Given the strength of the wind, a 08 to 0-6 lead was hardly enough?

“It was still there for us at half-time. I said to the boys at half-time – the first ten minutes of the second half is going to be the winning of the game. But to be honest Crusheen came out with the same plan and they had they had a great first ten minutes. They scored three or four points on the trot and we just didn’t reply and were chasing the game after that.

“All championship games come in phases of 15 and 20 minutes. We had our phase just before half-time and we had pushed on well, but didn’t get the goal that we really needed.

“Then in the first ten minutes of the second half Crusheen really pushed on – that was their phase and the three or four points they got put our lads under severe pressure and there was no way back. They are a very good side and I think they have a great chance of winning the Munster title.”

CLARE Camogie Supporters Club is organising a fundraising Night at the Dogs in Limerick Greyhound Track.

This takes place on Saturday November 26th with first race at 7:30pm.

Tickets for the night are € 20. This covers entry to the track, race card on the night, entry to Buster draw where first prize is € 500 and there are also five lucky dips of € 100 to be won.

This € 20 also covers annual membership to the supporters club. This is a vital event for the supporters club that has been a huge asset to the development of camogie over the last number of years.

They cover the welfare of players and player development covering costs of physiotherapy for the teams and extra gym or development needs that county teams may have.

Support for this is greatly appreciated with tickets available in all clubs, who are allowed to keep a portion of ticket sales over the sale of 15 tickets as the supporters club try to support not only county development but also the clubs in the county, or from county officers or supporter club officers Stephen Powell 0851288573, Geraldine McLoughlin 0863753116, Rachel Whelan 0872174598.

THE AGM of Ennis St. John’s Community Games was held last week at the Ennis Museum before a quite a good crowd including some newcomers. Before the meeting commenced the Chairman proposed a minutes silence in memory of those who had Community Games connections and unfortunately had passed away during the previous year.

The meeting opened with an address from the President Mr John 0’Sullivan, who incidently with his wife Cecilia, founded Ennis Community Games. He welcomed everyone present and said that this was a very special year for Ennis Community Games who were celebrating 40 years, and he hoped it would still be in existence for another forty.

The Chairman, Joe Lynch, said in the course of his report that he was delighted to have been involved at the end of another very successful year and congratulated everyone for their continued help, support and commitment. Secretary Geraldine Sharkey presented a very comprehensive report stating that it was a most successful year.

We had achieved many successes at local provincial and national levels and this year had received 15 All Star awards. During her report she suggested that there could be people in the area who might like to help out at various events but didn’t have time to become committee members and that it was an avenue thaat we should explore.

Treasurer Mary Moloney presented a pretty healthy financial report but added that due to the financial state of the economy that it was much harder to raise funds and that we should be keeping a close eye on expenditure.

At the end of the meeting presentations were made to John and Cecila O’Sullivan in recognition of 40 years involvement with Community Games and to Geraldine Sharkey honouring her successful achievement in conquering Mount Kilimanjaro.

Election of officers resulted as follows:- President, John 0’Sullivan, VPresidents, Cecilia 0’Sullivan, Tony Sharkey and Brendan Doyle, Chairman, Joe Lynch, V. Chairman, Roger Fox; Secretary, Geraldine Sharkey; Asst. Secretary, Ann Arthur O’Brien; Treasurer, Mary Moloney; Asst. Treasurer, Flan Brennan, PRO. Tony Sharkey, Committee Members, Marie Roche, Rebecca Brown, Tara Cooney, Hilda O’Connor, Frances Buzcek, Willie Donnellan, Michael O’Brien, Pat Roche, Sean Kenneally and Tony Mounsey.

St Sena ns RFC 23 Ga lba lly RFC 11 ST SENAN’S made their intentions clear from the kick-off when Ian Fitzgerald gathered the ball and ran at the opposition before moving the ball across the line for Declan Collins to kick a ball over the approaching Clanwilliam players, for Barry Murphy to chase down.

Clanwilliam conceded a penalty from this attack Senans chose not to kick for the posts, as a strong cross wind would have made it very difficult; they kicked for touch to take their chances in a line-out.

Senans won line-out forcing Clanwilliam to concede another penalty and once again Senans chose the line-out option, this time Clanwilliam managed to clear their lines and push Senans back to half way.

Senans regained control and forced Clanwilliam to concede a number of defensive scrums; a strong Senans pack had the upper hand in the scrums and pushed the visitors back over their own try line for Daragh McCoy to get the final touch on the ball for Senans first try under the posts.

Declan Collins made no mistake with the conversion and opened up a 7-0 lead for the home side.

This lead was soon reduced as Clanwilliam pushed into Senans, half winning and scoring from a long range penalty, to reduce deficit to 73. Gaining confidence from this passage of play Clanwilliam put Senans under pressure again and forced them to concede another penalty which they converted moving to within one point of the home side at 7-6.

Following this latest score both sides played some very aggressive rugby in the middle of the field but could not produce any clear cut opportunities. Senans broke this deadlock and pushed forward deep into Clanwilliam territory winning penalties on 26 and 30 minutes, Declan Collins kicked both of these to extend Senans lead to 13-6.

Senans continued to pressurise the visitors and finished the half with another penalty conversion to go into half time 16-6 leaders.

The second half started with both packs battling for territorial advantage to provide a platform for their backs to launch a threat on each others try line.

Clanwilliam came closest after 12 minutes when they were encamped on Senans try line for an extended period but the Senans defence held tough denying them a score clearing their lines to relieve the pressure.

The second half deadlock was broken on 26 minutes when once again a strong Senans pack drove the Clanwilliam scrum back over their try line for Ian Fitzgerald to score Senans 2nd try which Declan Collins converted to give the home side a 23-6 advantage.

Both sides battled away in mid-field but found it difficult to create any clear cut scoring opportunities until the 35th minute when Clanwilliam found space out wide to run in their first try, the conversion kick missed the target and left the visitors trailing 23-11.

This was to be the last score of the game and Senans ran our deserving winners of this tough game.

Next week Senans take on Richmond RFC at 2.30pm on Sunday, November 20 in Richmond Park

St Senans Team
Pa Ryan, Fergal Lawlor,Tony O’Brien,Aaron Skerritt, Aidan O’Callaghan, Jamie Keogh, Ian Fitzgerald, Mike O’Connell, Darragh McCoy, Noel Hoban, Barry Murphy, Neil McDonagh, Dylan Sonneman, Fernando Gallant, Declan Collins.

Replacements
DavidWebb, Eamonn Martin, Eamonn O’Donoghue, Michael Cusack, Jake Egan.