*Padraig Donovan puts Sam Power under pressure. Photograph: Mike Brennan
ENNISTYMON, Banner, St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield and St Breckan’s were all victorious in the U21A football championship on Bank Holiday Monday.
The race for the Berwick Law Practice U21 A football championship moved a step closer to the knock out stage on Monday afternoon when title holders Ennistymon kept up their strong challenge to retain the title.
Banner also recorded their second win from as many outings while, another of the fancied teams, St Breckans made a winning start to their campaign. Their first round game midweek was abandoned following a combination of lights failure and dense fog at Tubber.
Title holders in control
Ennistymon 3-13
Wolfe Tones 0-8
Venue: Lahinch
Title holders Ennistymon recorded their second win in this season’s Berwick LP under 21 A football championship when they accounted for Wolfe Tones at Lahinch on Monday afternoon.
The home side laid the foundation for this win in the opening half at the end of which they were nine points clear, 2-9 to 0-6, both goals having come from Éanna Rouine.
The first of Rouine’s goals came in the ninth minute when he intercepted a poor kickout by Wolfe Tones goalkeeper Fionn McInerney and duly lobbed the ball over his head into an empty net.
The Shannon club’s defence will also be disappointed with the concession of the second goal, Rouine’s point attempt at the midpoint of the half dropping into the net.
He has now scored three goals in two games for the reigning champions.
Paudie Considine scored the North Clare club’s third goal finishing to the net after good work by Josh Guyler. Considine kicked some excellent points and finished with 1-7 to his credit, the same total as Rouine who contributed 2-4.
Ennistymon; Conor Gallagher; Dara Rouine, James Cullinan, Sean Conneally; Liam Cotter, Ciaran McMahon, Josh Guyler; Joshua Vaughan, Eoin Rouine; Shane Woods, Sean Rynne (0-1), Darren McNamara; Eanna Rouine (2-4), Paudie Consdine (1-7), Brian McNamara;
Subs: Diarmuid Fahy (0-1) for Woods; Mark Kelleher for Rynne;
Wolfe Tones: Fionn McInerney; Tan Greene, Eoghan Casey, Ronan Walsh; Aaron Kelly (0-1), Liam Murphy (0-2), Brian Murphy; Daithi Lohan, Jack Ryan; Tadhg Fitzgerald, Craig Riordan (0-5), Oisin O’Rourke; Cody Waller, Ben O’Neill, Dara O’Neill
Subs: Niall Fitzgerald for Waller (inj); Dara O’Callaghan for D. O’Neill; Lee Cregan for O. O’Rourke; Ben O’Connell for B. O’Neill; Kevin Kelly for R Walsh
Referee: Barry Kelly (St Joseph’s Miltown)
Second half goals prove decisive
Banner 2-9
Corofin 0-10
Venue: Banner GAA Grounds, Ennis
Banner made it two wins from two outings when they accounted for Corofin at the Banner’s grounds this Monday afternoon.
Two second half goals were key to this victory on a day when Corofin led by the minimum margin at half time, 0-6 to 0-5.
Banner struck for the opening two points of the second half to go in front but it remained nip and tuck for much of the half with the goals proving to be the difference.
Thomas Meeneghan and Sean McMahon were the goalscorers for the winners who showed the greater composure in the second half which led to the vital scores.
Banner; Aaron Kelly; Ronan Marron, Niall Walsh, Finn White; Mufana Flynn, Justin McGrath, Dylan Mooney; Eoin Walsh, Thomas Meeneghan; Conor Dennehy, Sean McMahon, Diarmuid Toner; Matthew McGrath, Shane Meehan, Oisin McMahon
Subs; William Bellow for Mooney; Conor O’Toole for Marron; Fuwhad Akinwale for Dennehy; Kaden Herlihy for O. Mc Mahon; Jamie Garrihy for Fuwhad Akinwale (inj);
Corofin: Luke Neylon; Colin Fitzgerald, Marc O’Loughlin, Jack McDonagh; Evan Doolin, Michael Cahill, Cian Doolin; Shane Punch, Cillian McGroary; Caoimhin O’Donovan, Diarmuid Cahill, Shane O’Brien; Eoin O’Brien, Killian O’Connor, Josh O’Brien.
Subs: Cathal Ryan for McDonagh; Cathal Flanagan for E. O’Brien; Chrstian Cummins for C. Fitzgerald.
Referee: Robert Harte (St Senan’s Kilkee)
Four second half goals steer St. Josephs to victory
St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 4-9
Éire Óg 0-6
Venue: Gurteen
Four second half goals steered St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield to a comfortable win over their neighbours and rivals Éire Óg.
At the end of a low scoring first half the home side were 0-5 to 0-2 in front. They lost midfielder James Curran to injury after ten minutes and this led to the introduction of Ian Williams.
They struck for their first goal early in the new half when Tom Curran fisted the ball to the net before Nicki Hardiman and Joe Rafferty (2) rattled the net to steer their side to a comfortable win, their first of the campaign as they had lost the opening tie to Kilrush/Killimer and that loss may yet cost them progress to the knock out stage.
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield: Liam Flynn; Killian McIlroy, Eoin Boyle, Ciaran O’Driscoll; Padraig O’Donovan, Dara O’Callaghan, Conal Dorgan; James Curran, Óige Fanning; Nicki Hardiman, Dara Nagle, Joe Rafferty; Eoghan Talty, Michael Nash, Tom Curran;
Subs: Ian Williams for J. Curran (inj); Charlie Hannan for McIllroy; Odhran O’Connell for Talty; Cian Moloney for Donovan
Éire Óg; Peadar O’Keeffe; Hugh Connolly, Eoin Guilfoyle, Sam Power; Killian Moroney, Jarlath Collins, Conor Kilcawley; Oran Cahill, Harry Kavanagh; Luke Pyne, Darragh Stack, Sean Perrill; Michael Heneghan; Cian Howard, Andrew McElwee
Subs: James O’Dwyer for C. Howard; Evan White for Hugh Connolly;
Referee: Jim Hickey (Cratloe)
Strong finish helps St. Breckan’s to a winning start
St. Breckans 0-11
Lissycasey 1-7
Venue: Lissycasey
St. Breckans made a winning start to their under 21 A football championship campaign when they accounted for Lissycasey at the latter’s venue on Monday afternoon.
This was a game in which the lead changed hands on a number of occasions and outcome was in doubt right to the final whistle.
The home side had marginally the better of the first half exchanges and would not have been flattered if they were more than a point in front at the break when the score was 0-4 to 0-3.
The visitors levelled through Jamie Stack six minutes into the second half before going in front through Cian Burke four minutes later.
Lissycasey were reduced to fourteen when Daire Hill picked up a black card which saw him in the dugout for ten minutes. They failed to capitalise on two scoreable frees before Darragh Culligan levelled the contest at 0-5 each with twelve minutes to play.
St. Breckans replied with points from substitute Patrick Haugh and one from Jamie Stack to go two clear and this was still the position two minutes later after Ben Skerritt and Stack had exchanged scores.
Lissycasey got a huge boost with seven minutes remaining when Shane Griffin’s effort for a point slipped through the hands of Oisin O’Loughlin in the St. Breckans goal, putting the home side a point clear.
Denis O’Callaghan levelled before Dara Culligan edged Lissycasey back in front as the game went into ‘injury time’.
The visitors finished strongly and points from Denis O’Callaghan and Lorcan Doolin sealed their win.
St. Breckan’s: Oisin O’Loughlin; Joseph Flanagan, Paddy Doherty, Ronan Fitzpatrick; Thomas O’Dwyer, Eoin Guerin, Noah McNamara; Denis O’Callaghan (0-3), Eoin Fitzpatrick; Padraig O’Dwyer, Seamus McNamara, Cian Jimmy Burke (0-1); Lorcan Doolin (0-1), Jamie Stack (0-5), Aidan O’Loughlin;
Subs: James O’Dwyer for S. McNamara; Patrick Haugh for T. O’Dwyer
Lissycasey: Kieran Daniels; Ian Griffin, Daire Hill, Michael Kelly; Michael Meaney, Kevin Shivers, Evan O’Haire; Luke Griffin, Darren Keane; Dara Culligan (0-3, 1f), Michael Madigan, Shane Griffin (1-2); Shane Culligan (0-1), Ben Skerritt (0-1), Daire Killeen;
Subs: Jack Cahill for Madigan; Jack Meere for S. Culligan; Cian Neylon for O’Haire
Referee: John O’Connell (Cooraclare)
Under 21 B
Western Gaels, a combination of Naomh Eoin, O’Currys and St. Senan’s Kilkee recorded their second win of the under 21 B football campaign when they accounted for St Joseph’s Miltown at Hennessy Park on Friday evening. Five points was the winning margin as the amalgamation side won on a scoreline of 2-6 to 0-7.
Kilmurry Ibrickane got their challenge for honours in this competition off to a winning start when they had a big 4-14 to 0-9 win over their neighbours Doonbeg clearing the way for a top of the group clash with Cooraclare next day out.
Clondegad got their first points of the campaign when they defeated the North Clare combination of Liscannor, Kilfenora and Michael Cusacks by six points, 2-12 to 2-6, at Ballynacally.
Meanwhile Parteen/Meelick got their campaign off to a winning start with a big win over Kildysart, winning by six goals, 6-10 to 0-10. They now face their neighbours Cratloe in a top of the group clash.
