*Cooraclare defeated Clarecastle following a dour struggle.
Three teams being listed for intermediate football championship honours this season remain unbeaten but they had to battle hard in this weekend’s round two games.
Cooraclare managed a two point win over Ennistymon at Clarecastle while Kilrush Shamrocks had to work hard to earn a share of the spoils with Coolmeen, a result which keeps Coolmeen’s hopes of making the play offs alive.
While Kildysart made it two wins from two outings, they were made work all the way by Naomh Eoin who were a little unlucky to suffer a one point loss to Kilrush in the opening round. The Loop Head Peninsula side are the only pointless team in the competition going into the final round of group games in two weeks time.
Joining Kildysart, Kilrush and Cooraclare as the only other unbeaten team after two rounds are Wolfe Tones who proved too strong for O’Currys on Saturday evening.
These results mean that there will be some interesting fixtures in round three when a number of clubs will be battling for survival in the race for the title.
Casey answers the call for Kildysart
Kildysart 1-11
Naomh Eoin 0-9
Venue: Shanahan McNamara Park, Doonbeg
Strong favourites Kildysart were made to battle all the way for this victory over Naomh Eoin at Shanahan McNamara park in Doonbeg on Sunday.
Ahead by the minimum margin at half time, 0-5 to 0-4, Seamus Casey’s goal was to prove crucial in the winner’s victory. It came after the Peninsula outfit missed an opportunity of a goal and Kildysart immediately launched a counter attack.
Dealt a big blow in the lead up to this game with the loss of ace forward Diarmuid O’Donnell, Kildysart struggled to find the form which saw them reach the Cusack cup final earlier this season.
Seamus Casey who hadn’t been named in the starting team, came into the side at centre forward and he played a key role, contributing 1-4 of the team’s total.
They also welcomed inter county man Emmet McMahon back after he spent the last number of weeks in the U. S.
Kildysart: Kieran Eyers; Brian Eyers, Conor Donnellan, Stevie Sheehan; Ian Flanagan, Kieran Leahy, Rory McMahon; Keith O’Connor, Luke McGrath; Oisin Coyle, Seamus Casey, Conor Hassett; Jamie Evans, Keith Murphy, Conor Moloney;
Subs: Emmett McMahon for Moloney; Fergal Guinnane for Flanagan; Michael Eustace for K. Murphy; Ryan Casey for Evans; Mikey Donnellan for Coyle
Naomh Eoin: Sean Roche; Declan Keniry, Sean Bonfil, Conor Tevlin; Tomas Bonfil, Mark McQuaid, Odhran Lynch; Conor Downes, Gavin Magner; Fergal Keane, Owen Hanrahan, Conor Magner; Niall Bonfil, Seamus Boland, Owen Lynch;
Sub: Eoin Daly for Boland
Referee: Brian Shanahan (Doonbeg)
Coolmeen make things difficult for Kilrush
Coolmeen 0-14
Kilrush Shamrocks 2-8
Venue: Labasheeda
A shock win for Coolmeen looked to be on the cards when they raced into a six point lead by half time in this tie against hot favourites Kilrush played at Labasheeda. The score at half time was 0-9 to 0-3.
Six points separated the sides at the three quarter stage with the score at 0-12 to 0-6. With defeat staring them Kilrush struck strongly early in the final quarter when they hit 2-1 in a five minute spell and they regained the initiative with these scores. The goals came from Liam Madigan and Jamie Griffin.
Coolmeen refused to drop the heads and they hit back and deservingly earned a share of the spoils with Aidan Corry converting two frees to tie up the scores and bring his tally for the afternoon to 0-8.
In their final game Coolmeen will take on pointless Naomh Eoin in what will be a winner take all tie while Kilrush will be up against another of the favourites for the title, Kildysart.
Kilrush Shamrocks: Thomas Moloney; Niall Brennan, Kieran Bermingham, Cathal McMahon; Sean Purtill, Sean Canny, Ewan Kelly; Dylan O’Brien, Gearoid O’Brien; Ross Phelan. Liam Madigan, Don O’Driscoll; Cathal Carigg, Stephen Ryan, Keith Crowley;
Subs: Mark Shannon for Purtill; Jamie Griffin for Crowley; Crowley for G. O’Brien;
Coolmeen: Adam Carrig; Alan Normyle, Gary Meaney, David Hehir; Dylan O’Halloran, David Forde, Mark Meaney; Thomas Coffey, Eoin O’Connor; Joe Corry, Cathal O’Connor, Brian Markham; Aidan Corry, Ronan Murphy, cian Murphy;
Subs: Dylan Power for R. Murphy; Ben Cleary for Markham;
Referee: John O’Connell (Cooraclare)
Shane Meehan spot on for the Banner
Banner 1-9
Kilfenora 1-7
Venue: Pairc Finne, Corofin
A strong finish for Ennis side Banner helped them their championship hopes alive as they accounted for Kilfenora at Corofin on Sunday
Behind by two points, 0-2 to 0-4, at the end of a low scoring first half, the Banner did much better in the second period but the result remained in doubt right to the finish.
Helped by a goal from Joe O’Gorman, Kilfenora had edged in front in the final quarter but Shane Meehan found the net from the penalty spot shortly before the final whistle and he quickly followed with a point to edge his side to victory ahead of their final group game which will be against Ennistymon with both sides chasing a place in the knock out stage of the competition.
Banner: Mark Cleary; Finn White, Oran Rynne, Shane Garrihy; Niall Walsh, Ronan O’Halloran, Cian Rynne; Ian Molloy, James Coakley; Matthew McGrath,
Shane Meehan, Oisin McMahon; Danny O’Halloran, Thomas Meeneghan, Johnny Martin;
Subs: Adam McEvoy for McGrath; Dylan Mooney for Garrihy; Diarmuid Toner for Martin; Justin McGrath for D. O’Halloran
Kilfenora: Declan Brennan; Cian O’ Conchuir, Gearoid Howley, Nathan Brody; Joseph O’Gorman, Cronan Howley, Patrick Collins; Jack O’Dea, Paul Carkill; Patrick Connole, Cian O’Dea, Paudie Ireland; Micheal Duffy, Peter Collins, Matthew Egan
Referee: Joe Kelly (Cooraclare)
Result in doubt right to the final whistle
Cooraclare 0-8
Ennistymon 1-3
Venue: Clarecastle
Cooraclare remain unbeaten after two rounds in the intermediate football championship but they were given a detailed examination by Ennistymon at Clarecastle on Sunday afternoon.
In a low scoring tie, defences dominated before Cooraclare secured a narrow win which they just about merited in the end.
The teams went to the break on level terms, 0-4 to 1-1, the North Clare side’s goal coming from Joe Dowling which put his side a point to the good but Cooraclare hit back to level before the break.
The game continued to be evenly fought in the second half with defences continuing to dominate making scores hard to come by.
Damian Burke, Ciaran O’Donoghue and Micheal Garry were among those to score points for the winners.
Cooraclare: Mark Lillis; Gary Donnellan, Niall Kelly, Thomas Downes; Keith Marrinan, Micheal Garry, Fergal Donnellan; Padraic O’Donoghue, Brian McNamara; Colin McNamara, Pearse Lillis, Damian Burke; Eoin O’Driscoll, Ciaran O’Donoghue, Finn O’Driscoll;
Subs: Jack Morrissey for F. O’Driscoll; James Chambers for P.. O’Donoghue; Ronal Donnellan for F. Donnellan; Sean Browne for E. O’Driscoll; Mark Tubridy for Browne;
Ennistymon: Darren Torpey; Cathal Frawley, Lawrence Healy, Dara Rouine; Niall Hogan, Brian McNamara, Ciaran Vaughan; Michael Houlihan, Josh Vaughan; Eanna Rouine, Cathal McConigley, Darren McNamara; Niall Canavan, Joe Dowling, Shane Kearney;
Subs: Rory Murphy for Kearney; Dara McInerney for Dowling; Danny rouine for Canavan; Simon Ralph for Houlihan;
Referee: Michael Talty (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
Strong finish from Wolfe Tones
Wolfe Tones 2-12
O’Currys 0-13
Venue: St Michael’s Park, Kilmihil
Trailing by two points at half time, Wolfe Tones stepped up a gear in the second half of this tie played at Kilmihil on Saturday evening to emerge with a merited win although the five point margin might be a little flattering.
Second half goals, one shortly after the resumption of play and the other just before the final whistle, were key to this victory with the scores coming from Ben O’Neill and Darragh Leahy.
O’Currys were two points clear at the break when the score was 0–8 to 0-6 but Wolfe Tones struck early in the new half to hit the front and while the West Clare men hit back to level, that goal gave a great boost to the Shannon men.
The result was still very much in the melting pot as the game move to injury time but the Shannon men struck for their second goal, a score which endured that they left Kilmihil with the points.
Wolfe Tones; Shane Russell; Aaron Kelly, Jayme O’Sullivan, Shane Nihill; Eoghan Casey, Sean Brennan, Brian Murphy; Dean Devanney, Daithi Lohan; Cody Waller, Jack Ryan, Ben O’Neill; Brian Monaghan, Craig Riordan, Darragh Leahy;
Subs; Billy Connors for Riordan; Darragh Lohan for J. Ryan; Chris Dunning for Waller, Jason McGauley for B. Murphy; Cian O’Rourke for Monahan
O’Currys: Eoin Troy; Darragh Keane, Michael O’Shea, Stephen Kelly; Seamus Keane, Sean Haugh, Eoin Brew; Cathal Downes, Thomas Clancy; Jim Marrinan, Michael Foran, Sean Murphy; Danny Downes, Gearoid Lynch, Shane Browne
Referee; John O’Connell (Cooraclare)
Bohannon leads the way for Shannon Gaels
Shannon Gaels 1-10
Michael Cusacks 0-7
Venue: Hennessy Memorial Park, Miltown Malbay
A strong performance from Darragh Bohannon who recently returned to full fitness after injury had kept him out of action for the first part of the year, helped Shannon Gaels to victory over Michael Cusacks at Miltown on Saturday evening.
The winners had the better of matters in the first half and they went to the break with a seven point advantage, 1-5 to 0-1. Barry Crehan was the goalscorer while Bohannon landed all five points, two from marks and three frees.
The Labasheeda based side could have been further ahead at this time but Cusacks’ goalie Joe Copley had made two great saves.
The absence of inter county hurler Domhnall McMahon was a big blow to the North Clare men but they did much better in the second half and, actually, outscored their opponents by a point in this period.
However the Gaels had laid the foundations in the opening half and they now go into their final group game against O’Currys knowing that victory will see them progress to the quarter finals.
Shannon Gaels: Michael O’Donoghue; Tadhg Kelly, Jack Reidy, Eoin Keane; Tomas Cleary, Matthew Reidy, Aaron Malone- Smith; Darragh Bohannon, Darren Crehan; Barry Crehan, Thomas Kelly, Michael O’Malley; Fergal Kenny, Dylan Kenny, Gearoid Kenny.
Subs: Niall Ellis for G. Kenny; Thomas Kenny for B. Crehan
Michael Cusacks: Joe Copley; Diarmuid Tobin, Ruaidhri McMahon, Conor Fahy; Lorcan O’Grady, Hugh Kelly, Thomas Roche; Aidan McNamara, John Fawle; Jack McGann, Aidan Forde, Pappy Taaffe; Cathal Droney, Senan Dunford, Sean McNamara;
Subs: Tadhg Geoghegan for Droney; Danny O’Connor for Copley (inj)
Referee: Brian Shanahan (Doonbeg)
