*Shane Harrison gets away from Sam Meaney. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
Cusack Park once more proved a crucial separator as an electric Clooney/Quin had far too much firepower for an underwhelming Wolfe Tones on Saturday evening.
Clooney-Quin 1-22
Wolfe Tones 2-11
Venue: Cusack Park, Ennis
24 hours earlier, Group 3 rivals Newmarket-on-Fergus blew opponents Cratloe away and it was a similar one-sided tale in the second tie of the group as once Peter Duggan unleashed a bullet to the net in the ninth minute, Clooney-Quin would never look back over their shoulders thereafter.
Duggan, in the absence of experienced inter-county duo Ryan Taylor and Shane McNamara, played a pivotal leadership role from the outset but overall it was an impressive Clooney-Quin collective that would have pleased manager Tommy Corbett most.
After all, with ten different scorers from pay over the hour combining for 1-16, it was in complete contrast to a disappointing Tones who could only manage 2-4 from five scorers.
John Cahill and Evan Maxted held Wolfe Tones inside threats scoreless, John Conneally kept a tight rein on Aron Shanagher while up front all six forward got on the scoresheet from play along with Cillian Duggan and Mikey Corry from the bench.
The only pockmark was what appeared a serious ankle injury for Callum Hassett who had set a scorching pace with two points from play from his full-forward berth.
John Conneally and Dannan Fox also have to retire prematurely with leg injuries but Clooney/Quin’s strength-in-depth seems strong especially considering that six players received their senior debuts.
On the flip side, Wolfe Tones strength on paper wasn’t replicated on the field as they flattered to deceive when presented with their first challenge. Daithi Lohan did his best to inspire with a two point first half haul but while Liam Murphy and Rory Hayes provided the most resistance, there was very little cutting edge up front despite the previous proven potency of the aforementioned trio of Aaron Cunningham, Aron Shanagher and Billy Connors.
With the wind at their backs, Wolfe Tones did start brightly with three unanswered points through Daithi Lohan, a Cian O’Rourke free and a superb Darragh Lohan lineball from the Clooney-Quin dug-out opening up a 0-3 to 0-1 advantage by the seventh minute.
That was as good as it got for the Shannon side however as Duggan’s bullet goal was sandwiched by points from Jack O’Neill, Shane Harrison and a long range Duggan free to flip the script at 1-4 to 0-3.
Belying the conditions even further, Clooney-Quin’s young side began the second quarter with another scoring blitz with a hat-trick of Duggan frees bolstered by points from O’Neill, John Conneally and Dannan Fox to soar 1-11 to 0-5 clear by the 24th minute.
To their credit, Wolfe Tones did bounce back off the ropes before half-time but a brace of Cian O’Rourke frees weren’t accentuated by a much-needed goal in injury-time as O’Rourke’s shot was hit straight at goalkeeper Cathal Hannon to ensure a 1-12 to 0-8 interval cushion.
With time to regroup, Wolfe Tones needed to come out firing but despite a reshuffle of their pack, the desired backlash never materialised as Clooney/Quin simply picked up from where they left off.
Six of the first eight points, three from the elusive Duggan, put an unassailable eleven point margin between the sides by the two-thirds mark at 1-18 to 0-10.
Wolfe Tones didn’t lower their heads but Evan O’Gorman had a shot blocked by the leg of John Conneally while a Cian O’Rourke 20 metre free was stopped on the line by Mike McNamara as the game drifted into the final quarter.
Wolfe Tones emptied the bench in search of inspiration and it worked initially as replacement Kevin McCafferty had a hand in his side’s breakthrough goal in the 46th minute when playing the ball through Evan O’Gorman to Dean Devanney to finish with aplomb at 1-18 to 1-10.
Indeed, they might have grabbed a second goal in the next passage of play when Aron Shanagher pulled on an opportunist chance but this time goalkeeper Hannon pulled off an excellent reflex save and clearance to alleviate the danger.
And that was it in terms of any recovery as a relieved Clooney-Quin simply got back on the frontfoot with four of the next five points as the lively Shane Harrison, substitutes Cillian Duggan and Mikey Corry and fittingly Peter Duggan put the game to bed.
It wasn’t the end of the scoring as Kevin McCafferty managed to grab a consolation goal but it will be only potentially useful for scoring difference as the Tones now face a winners-takes-all showdown with Cratloe in a fortnight’s time to try and keep their championship hopes alive.
Clooney/Quin’s Canon Hamilton ambitions are alive and kicking but the tests will get increasingly harder as fellow first round winners Newmarket-on-Fergus are up next to see who can seize control of this perilous pool.
Scorers for Clooney-Quin: Peter Duggan (1-9, 6f); Shane Harrison (0-3); Jack O’Neill, Callum Hassett (0-2 each); John Conneally, Dannan Fox, Eoghan O’Brien, Jimmy Corry, Cillian Duggan, Mikey Corry (0-1 each)
Scorers for Wolfe Tones: Cian O’Rourke (0-6f); Dean Devanney, Kevin McCafferty (1-0 each); Daithi Lohan (0-2); Darragh Lohan (s/l), John Guilfoyle, Aron Shanagher (0-1 each)
Clooney-Quin
1: Cathal Hannon
4: Evan Maxted
2: Conor Grogan
7: John Cahill
5: Darragh Keogh
6: John Conneally
17: Mike McNamara
8: Jimmy Corry
9: Donagh O’Sullivan
12: Jack O’Neill
11: Peter Duggan
10: Eoghan O’Brien
13: Dannan Fox
14: Callum Hassett
15: Shane Harrison
Subs
19: Cillian Duggan for Hassett (HT, inj)
18: Luke Harrison for Conneally (49, inj)
20: Sam Scanlan for O’Sullivan (52)
22: Mikey Corry for O’Brien (54)
23: Dylan Cunningham for Fox (63, inj)
Wolfe Tones
1: Conor Carrig
2: Sam Meaney
3: Rory Hayes
4: Liam Murphy
7: Sean Costelloe
6: Daithi Lohan
5: Darragh Lohan
8: Dean Devanney
9: Stephen Donnellan
10: Cian O’Rourke
11: Aron Shanagher
12: John Guilfoyle
13: Aaron Cunningham
14: Evan O’Gorman
15: Billy Connors
Subs
17: Shane Nihill for Donnellan (43)
19: Kevin McCafferty for Costello (44)
18: Colin Riordan for Connors (54)
Referee: Fergal O’Brien (Broadford)
