*Seadna Morey in control for Sixmilebridge. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
Sixmilebridge regrouped following their surprise first round loss to Feakle by overcoming Clooney/Quin in the second round of the Clare Cup while Clonlara and Feakle both maintained their unbeaten run to two games.
Feakle make it two from two
Clare Cup Division 1A Round 2
Feakle 1-18
Crusheen 1-14
Venue: Crusheen
Shane McGrath and Stevie Conway combined for all but three points of their side’s tally as Feakle kept up their perfect start to 2021 on away soil on Saturday evening.
Conway’s threat allied to McGrath’s finishing power proved difficult for Crusheen to deal with throughout and it would prove the ultimate difference as the home side didn’t pose the same level of threat.
After an even start, Feakle would make the decisive break just before half-time when Conway was fouled for a penalty expertly dispatched to the right corner at 1-7 to 0-8. Within four minutes of the new half, Jamie Fitzgibbon had equalled that score and it ensured that the sides were locked together for a seventh time by the turn of the final quarter at 1-11 to 1-11.
Just as in the first half however, it was Feakle that found an extra gear coming down the final straight, with McGrath (4) and Conway (2) excelling to carve out a three point advantage by the hour mark.
Breffni Horner had a equalising goal chance denied by goalkeeper Stephen Moloney before substitute Francis O’Grady fired an insurance point to preserve Feakle’s position at the top of the Clare Cup table
Feakle: Stephen Moloney; Donal O’Grady, Con Smyth, James Noonan; Eric Conway, Eoin Tuohy, Austin McMahon; Killian Bane, Oisin Clune; Enda Noonan, Shane McGrath, Eoin O’Connor; Stevie Conway, Fiachra Donnellan, Raymond Bane
Subs: Cathal Collins for Smyth (inj), Francis O’Grady for O’Connor
Crusheen: Donal Tuohy; Ian O’Brien, Eanna McMahon, Gavin O’Brien; Luke Hayes, Cian Dillon, Cathal Dillon; Fergus Kennedy, Diarmuid Mullins; Cillein Mullins, Conor O’Donnell, Luke Ketelaar; Jamie Fitzgibbon, Murrough McMahon, Breffni Horner
Subs: Conor Hayes for G. O’Brien John Brigdale for Cathal Dillon, Alan Tuohy for I. O’Brien (inj)
Clonara tighten grip at helm of Clare Cup
Clonlara 1-16
Kilmaley 0-15
Venue: Clonlara
A youthful Clonlara tightened their grip at the helm of the Clare Cup after keeping Kilmaley at arm’s length at home on Sunday afternoon.
After both sides had claimed opening victories, it was Clonlara who deservedly prevailed once more after leading from start to finish and limiting Kilmaley’s attacking division to only three points from play.
The pivotal juncture of the game arrived after only ten minutes when a Sean Ronan shot was saved by Garrett Kennedy at on end, only for Dylan McMahon to find the net from 65 metres from the resulting clearance, a six point swing that Kilmaley would never recover from.
A subsequent brace of points from the ever-impressive Cian Moriarty cemented a 1-6 to 0-3 lead for Clonlara by the first water break, the same margin that would still separate the sides at half-time and the turn of the final quarter, thanks in the main to Cathal O’Connell’s frees.
A late injury for the busy O’Connell allied to a switch of Daire Keane to centre-forward did spark a late Kilmaley revival through Mikey O’Malley (2) and the aforementioned Keane at 1-15 to 0-15.
However, despite a Keane 20 metre free that flashed wide, it was fitting that Moriarty would be the one to provide a crucial late point to seal a second successive win for the home side.
Clonlara: Cillian O’Brien; Garrett Kennedy, Paul McNamara, James Hastings; Dylan McMahon, Paraic O’Loughlin, Jathan McMahon; Cian Moriarty, Michael Clancy; Cathal O’Connell, Cormac O’Donovan, David Fitzgerald; Aidan Moriarty, Conor Bourke, Micheál Stritch
Subs: Colm O’Meara for O’Donovan, Pa Conlon for Kennedy, Sean Begley for Stritch, Sean Moriarty for O’Connell (inj), Daniel Moloney for Bourke
Kilmaley: Bryan O’Loughlin; Bradley Higgins, Colin McGuane, Tommy Barry; Aidan Griffey, Aidan McGuane, Sean Kennedy; Mikey O’Malley, Brian Cahill; Tom O’Rourke, Cian Moloney, Eanna McMahon; Kenneth Kennedy, Sean Ronan, Daire Keane
Subs: Conor Finnucane for McMahon, Gearoid O’Grady for K. Kennedy, Sean Crowley for Cahill
Bridge get back on track
Sixmilebridge 1-23
Clooney-Quin 0-18
Venue: O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge
Normal service resumed on Sunday evening when when three-in-a-row chasing Sixmilebridge inflicted a first defeat on Clooney-Quin in O’Garney Park.
In truth, Sixmilebridge set the pace throughout but only effectively started to pull away once Jason Loughnane brilliantly controlled and finished a Paul Corry delivery in the 37th minute.
Seadna Morey, Jamie Shanahan and Alex Morey were to the fore as the Bridge carved out a 0-13 to 0-09 interval lead. And while Clooney-Quin freetaker Darragh Keogh and Mikey Corry provided the greatest resistance, Loughnane’s goal gave the hosts an extra impetus for the remainder at 1-15 to 0-12.
First cousins Alex (4) and Seadna Morey expertly closed out the contest in the final quarter despite late goal chances for Eoin Guilfoyle and his replacement Alan Culligan before this low-key derby ground to its inevitable finish.
Sixmilebridge: Colm Fitzgerald; Brian Carey, Noel Purcell, Christy Carey; Pa Mulready, Caimin Morey, Seadna Morey; Jason Loughnane, Evan McInerney; Conor Deasy, Jamie Shanahan, Jordan Downes; Brian Corry, Alan Mulready, Alex Morey
Subs: Leon Kelly for P. Mulready (inj), Paul Corry for Deasy (inj), Luke Keogh for A. Mulready
Clooney-Quin: Keith Hogan; John Conneally, Shane McNamara, Ruaidhri McNamara; Mike McNamara, Conor Harrison, Jimmy Corry; Martin Duggan, Oisin Egan; Darragh Keogh, Mikey Corry, Eoghan O’Brien; Ronan O’Donnell, Fergal Lynch, Eoin Guilfoyle
Subs: Eanna Barry for Egan, Gary Hogan for O’Donnell, Luke Harrison for M. Corry (56), Enda Harrison for J. Corry (inj), Alan Culligan for Guilfoyle
Impact from the bench sees Broadford past Ballyea
Broadford 2-16
Ballyea 1-13
Venue: Ballyea
Broadford also got the mark in this year’s Clare Cup after receiving a major impact off the bench in a late smash and grab victory over home side Ballyea.
Newcomers Oisin Kavanagh and Shane Tuite both raided for goals while in total Broadford’s replacement accounted for 2-2.
It was Ballyea who started with a goal through Sean Meaney to give the hosts a 1-1 to 0-3 first quarter advantage. Injuries to chief marksman Niall Deasy and Daniel Kelly were huge blows to Ballyea’s forward unit as the sides went in level at the break at 1-6 to 0-9.
Deasy’s loss was magnified when Broadford’s freetaker Eoin O’Brien nudged his side once clear by the turn of the final quarter.
The heartening performances of Cian Cremins and Mark Moloney for the visitors and spinal players Peter Casey, Brandon O’Connell and Stan Lineen for Ballyea were noteworthy. However, it was the fresh legs of teenager Oisin Kavanagh (1-1) that finally swung the pendulum decisively in Broadford’s direction before Shane Tuite cemented victory with virtually the final puck of the game.
Broadford: Cian O’Brien, Jack Dillon, Eoin Donnellan, Mike Hogan; Darren McNamara, Darren Chaplin, Cian Mulqueen; Davy Boland, Cathal Chaplin; Paurig Taylor, Diarmuid O’Brien, Craig Chaplin; Cian Cremins, Eoin O’Brien, Mark Moloney
Subs: Jack O’Brien, Conor Phelan, Shane Tuite, Oisin Kavanagh, Paul Moloney
Ballyea: Oisin Hennessy; Brian Murphy, Peter Casey, Brian Casey; James Murphy, Brandon O’Connell, Mark Crowe; Stan Lineen, Matthew Reidy; Niall Deasy, Mossy Gavin, Daniel Kelly; Sean Meaney, Eoghan Donnellan, Evan Wall
Subs: Joe Neylon for Deasy (Inj), Eoghan Gavin for Kelly (inj), David Meaney for Donnellan, Barry Coote for Hennessy
McGrath fires the winner for Cratloe
Cratloe 1-21
Inagh-Kilnamona 2-17
Venue: Pairc Micheál Uí hEithir, Cratloe
Conor McGrath fired an injury-time point worthy of winning any game as Cratloe shaded a thrilling seesaw contest with Inagh-Kilnamona in Cratloe on Sunday afternoon.
Having soared eight points clear by the break, Cratloe were almost subjected to a second successive home reverse when Inagh-Kilnamona managed to inch in front nearing the hour mark thanks to goals from David Mescall and substitute Eoghan Foudy.
However, if one could rely on any forward in the county to get them out of a hole, it would be Conor McGrath who cooly converted the last two points to save his side’s blushes.
After a slow start for both sides, a strong second quarter saw Cratloe outscore their opponents by 1-7 to 0-4 including 1-2 for Rian Considine on their way to a handsome 1-11 to 0-06 half-time lead.
The only way was up for Inagh-Kilnamona who also lost their opening tie and they duly managed to slash the arrears to just three by the final water break at 1-16 to 1-13 following Mescall’s scrambled goal.
Teenager Eoghan Foudy looked to be the visitor’s hero with a timely second goal nearing the finish. But the apprentice had to bow to the master after McGrath’s late brace rescued the spoils for the hosts.
Cratloe: Gearoid Ryan; Shane O’Leary, Liam Markham, David Collins; Kevin Danaher, Damien Browne, Aaron Costigan; Daithi Collins, Enda Boyce; Shane Gleeson, Rian Considine, Mark O’Brien; Conor McGrath, Mikey Hawes, Jack McInerney
Subs: Jack Donnelly for O’Brien, Pakie O’Gorman for Danaher, Sean Chaplin for O’Leary, Jamie Costigan for David Collins
Inagh-Kilnamona: Pa Kelly; Eoin Fitzgerald, Keith White, Colin Shannon; Brian Foudy, Kevin Hehir, Seamus Foudy; Darren Cullinan, Keith Barry; Shane Vaughan, Paul O’Looney, David Mescall; Josh Guyler, Niall Mullins, Conor Tierney
Subs: Eoghan Foudy for Vaughan (inj), Marc Barry for Mescall
Division 1B Round-Up:
Goal machine O’Callaghan’s Mills, Newmarket-on-Fergus and intermediate side St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield all protected their winning starts to Division 1B of the Clare Cup over the weekend. Again youth was to the fore as Colm Cleary goals at either end of an entertaining wrestle for supremacy with Clarecastle inspired a 5-14 to 0-22 victory for last year’s county finalists.
The Blues expectedly lowered intermediate opponents for the second consecutive match, this time a rare derby with Sixmilebridge’s second team that again saw experienced pair Mikey McInerney and Colin Ryan to the fore in a 0-19 to 0-09 win.
The Parish also comfortably earned the local bragging rights albeit against a depleted Éire Óg side as a powerful second half display earned a 2-22 to 2-09 triumph.
Fellow intermediate side Smith O’Brien’s managed to get their first win in commanding circumstances too when taking the scalp of Wolfe Tones in a 0-23 to 0-13 win while the final Round 2 tie in the division takes place this evening between Whitegate and Tulla.
