*Killian O’Connor (right) was in flying form for Corofin/Ruan. Photograph: Chris Copley
THE RACE for the under 21 A hurling championship got underway on Saturday when three games were played.
Scariff/Ogonnelloe, Clooney/Quin and St. Josephs accounted for Crusheen/Tubber, Newmarket and Sixmilebridge in the opening day’s games which produced some good hurling despite the difficult weather conditions which prevailed. Corofin/Ruan defeated Clarecastle with the meeting of Clonlara and Inagh/Kilnamona to take place on Friday.
The winners of those games have secured quarter final places while the first round losers will have a second chance in two weeks time to keep their hopes of success alive.
Strong showing from Corofin/Ruan
Corofin/Ruan 4-22
Clarecastle 2-11
Venue: Ruan
Competition favourites Corofin/Ruan got their campaign off to a winning start when they overcame Clarecastle at Ruan on Sunday.
The Magpies got off to a great start, helped by a goal from Josh Brack and they opened a four point led, 1-4 to 0-3.
The combination side hit back strongly and when the half time whistle sounded they had established a twelve point lead (3-13 to 1-7) and they were well on the way to the quarter finals.
Killian O’Connor goaled twice in the space of five minutes while Jack McDonagh was their third goalscorer in that opening half.
The second half was just five minutes old when Diarmuid Cahill had the winner’s fourth goal and this score killed off the Clarecastle challenge.
Just before the final whistle Darragh Healy had Clarecastle’s second goal shortly after he had seen his effort from a penalty go over the bar.
Corofin/Ruan; Keelan Mounsey; Jason Power Ashley Brohan, Gearoid Hanrahan; Tom O’Halloran, Killian McGroary, Eoin Fitzgerald; Robyn Mounsey, Ryan Power; Killian O’Connor, Diarmuid Cahill, Kevin Keane; Patrick O’Halloran, Shane Punch, Jack McDonagh;
Clarecastle; Cian Broderick; Philip Wiechcinski, David Tuohy, Aaron Hayes; Darragh Healy, Sean Browne, Barry Morrissey; Evan O’Connell, Conor Halpin; Conor Neylon, Oisin Casey, Rory O’Connell; Oisin Neylon, James Doherty, Josh Brack;
Subs; Dylan Browne for E. O’Connell; Donagh Keogh for O. Casey; Aidan Ryan for O. Neylon; Paddy Maxwell for Morrissey; Niall Brigdale for C. Neylon.
Referee; Johnnie Healy (Smith O’Briens)
Second half goals give Scariff/Ogonnelloe the upperhand
Scariff-Ogonnelloe 2-14
Crusheen-Tubber 0-12
Venue: Tubber
A strong ten minutes spell midway through the second half which yielded 1-3 without reply sent Scariff/Ogonnelloe on the road to victory over Crusheen/Tubber at Tubber on Saturday.
The goal came from a Mark Rodgers penalty, awarded following a foul on Patrick Ryan and the winners finished strongly with a Patrick Crotty goal in the closing minutes.
The first half was evenly fought and it ended with the winners holding a two point advantage, 0-9 to 0-7.
The early stages of the second half continued to be evenly contested before the East Clare combination grabbed the initiative and the penalty goal from Rodgers sent them on their way to the last eight.
Scariff/Ogonnelloe; Sean Treacy; Eoin Keehan, Tadhg Kavanagh, Seamus Mc Caul; Scott Cairns, Gearoid Sheedy, Shane Kavanagh; Conor Downes Adam Cunnane; Patrick Ryan, Patrick Crotty, Keelan Hartigan; Paul Mc Gee, Mark Rodgers, Donnacda McNulty.
Subs; Liam Crotty for McNulty; Sean Collins for Downes (inj).
Crusheen/Tubber; Tommy Fahy; Ronan Kearney, Murrough McMahon, Joey Droney; Cathal Droney, Tadhg Deane, Pappy Taaffe; Senan Dunford, Diarmuid Mullins; Luke Ketalaar, Oisin O’Donnell, Sean McNamara; Eoin McMahon, John O’Sullivan, Dylan Lyons.
Subs; Liam Clancy for D. Lyons; Finn O’Sullivan for J O’Sullivan
Referee: Niall Malone (Éire Óg)
Strong second half showing from Clooney/Quin
Clooney-Quin 3-18
Newmarket-on-Fergus 1-9
Venue: Fr Murphy Memorial Park, Newmarket-on-Fergus
Fresh from their under 17 A championship success, Clooney/Quin put down a marker that they will be strong contenders for under 21 A honours when easily accounting for Newmarket at the latter’s venue on Saturday.
At the end of an evenly fought first half they led by two points, 1-7 to 1-5, the goals having come from Colm Cassidy for the winners and Peter Power.
Clooney/Quin had the better of the second half exchanges and added further goals from Jack O’Neill and substitute Dannan Fox on a day when all of their forwards got on the scoresheet with Callum Hassstt hitting 0-5 from play. Centre back John Conneally also excelled for the winners.
Clooney/Quin; Cormac O’Halloran; Martin Frain, Evan Maxted, Enda O’Halloran; Eoin Guilfoyle, John Conneally, John Cahill; Dara Keogh, Donagh O’Sullivan; Callum Hassett, Jack O’Neill. Colm Cassidy; Dylan Cunningham, Eoghan O’Brien Sam Scanlan;
Subs; Dannan Fox for Cassidy; Ronan Harrington for E. O’Halloran; Willie Corbett for C Hassett;
Newmarket-on-Fergus; Adam Enright; Ger O’Connor, Jack Enright, Jamie Power; Darragh Jones, Mark Delaney, Kieran McMahon; Eanna Crimmins, Cian Foley; Eoin Guilfoyle Seadhna Liddy, Josh Ryan; Owen McCoy, Peter Power Aaron Moroney;
Subs; Sol Frost for Delaney; David Hall for J. Ryan; Paudie Guilfoyle for McMahon; Ronan O’Rourke for J. Power; Dylan Crowe for Crimmins;
Referee: Joe Mullins (Clonlara)
Bright start gives St. Josephs the upperhand
St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 0-12
Sixmilebridge 0-10
Venue: O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge
A week after being crowned intermediate champions and with a number of that victorious team on duty, St. Josephs accounted for Sixmilebridge in this under 21 A first round game played at O’Garney Park on Saturday evening.
From the off the Doora/Barefield side put down a marker as they fired over the opening four points of the game to take a lead they never relinquished.
They were three points ahead at half time when the score was 0-7 to 0-4 and despite the best efforts of the home side the visitors held the lead throughout on an evening when Adam Mungovan, Fionn Kelleher, Dara Nagle Eoin Talty and Matthew Power were to the fore.
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield: Brendan Cleland; Darragh Whelan, Fionn Kelleher; Ciaran O’Driscoll; Adam Mungovan, Darragh McMahon, Darragh O’Callaghan; Dara Nagle, Cian Lahiffe; Senan Crosbie, Eoghan Talty, Padraic Geraghty; Matthew Power, Eoin Burke, Bruce Piggott.
Subs; Tommy Quinlivan for O’Callaghan; Cian Moloney for Geraghty
Sixmilebridge: Cian Fawl; Michael Carey, Adam Breen, Evan O’Callaghan; Dylan Downes, Leon Kelly, Seamus O’Connell; Colm Flynn, Luke Keogh; Luke O’Halloran, Jack Corry, Evan Murphy; Darragh Casey, Adam Murray, David Kennedy.
Subs: Morgan O’Connell for S. O’Connell; Fionn Hayes for L.Keogh; Cian Gleeson for A.Murray
Referee: Rory McGann (Newmarket-on-Fergus)
In the race for the under 21 B title, Tulla made a winning start when recording a one point win over Ballyea in a lively tie played on an well appointed Ballyea pitch. The final score was 1-16 to 1-15.
In the same competition a fancied Feakle/Killanena side was pressed all the way by their neighbours Bodyke at the latter’s venue. Four points separated the sides at the final whistle with Feakle-Killanena ahead on a scoreline of 3-11 to 2-10.
O’Callaghans Mills got their challenge for the under 21 C 1 competition off to a winning start when they recorded a 4-11 to 2-12 win over Banner at the latter’s venue
