*Ikem Ugwueru scored Éire Óg’s first goal and had the assist for their second. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
ÉIRE ÓG were made earn their place in the Munster club semi-final after recovering from a poor opening half to overcome Limerick champions Adare.
Éire Óg 2-8
Adare 0-9
Venue: Cusack Park, Ennis
Ikem Ugwueru’s thirty fifth minute goal was the turning point in the game, it gave Éire Óg the lead for the first time and served as a much needed lift following a flat first half from the Clare champions.
With injury ruling out Ronan Lanigan, Éinne O’Connor and Niall McMahon plus Colm Walsh O’Loghlen’s travels down under, there was some rearranging to be done to Éire Óg’s first fifteen. The quartet of Dean Ryan, Jarlath Collins, Gavin Murray and Philip Talty who started as a result didn’t weaken their cause but the Townies were far from their best for large spells of the game.
Ugwueru, Aaron Fitzgerald and Darren O’Neill led the way as did Oran Cahill and Manus Doherty to keep them in contention but also to allow them get on top as the game entered the final furlong.
By hunting in packs, Adare applied a high level of pressure on the Éire Óg defence and they found it difficult to break through which limited their ability to power forward and create opportunities, subsequently their danger men in the full forward line were starved of possession for the first half.
Hugh Bourke had the visitors leading by two points with six minutes played, converting a free and a mark. Mark McInerney opened Éire Óg’s account on eleven minutes after slotting over a mark and then the first score of play arrived on eighteen minutes when Ciaran Russell and Gavin Murray combined for Gavin Cooney to finish off the move.
After making a run through the Éire Óg defence, Paul Maher recycled back possession for Robbie Bourke to score on nineteen minutes with a free from Hugh Bourke making it 0-4 0-2 at half time.
Choice words were needed in the Éire Óg dressing room, they duly followed and it saw the Townies power forward on the restart to win a free which was executed by McInerney. Maher was fouled at the other end to allow Hugh Bourke cancel out the free.
Clare and Éire Óg supporters have witnessed what Ikem Ugwueru can do when in possession on countless occasions but he demonstrated how powerful he can be when striking the game’s first goal. He gained possession fifty metres from goal, broke three challenges while gliding through before sticking the ball beyond Jeffrey Alfred with a well-taken finish to give the hosts the lead for the first time.
Robbie Bourke quickly responded for Adare before Darren O’Neill unleased a boomer from distance to put the Townies ahead once more. Two Hugh Bourke scores were sandwiched between O’Neill’s second point as the sides remained level entering the final quarter.
Then Éire Óg struck for their second goal, Ugwueru again ripping the Adare defence apart before handpassing the ball across the square for the on-rushing Ciaran Russell to palm to the net to create a three point advantage on forty five minutes.
Well-taken scores from Gavin Cooney and Gavin Murray followed along with Mark McInerney’s third point of the afternoon to suddenly give Paul Madden’s side a six point lead. Defender David Connolly reduced the deficit to five points but it would go no lower as Éire Óg emerged with the victory.
Scorers Éire Óg: M McInerney (0-3 1f 1M), I Ugwueru (1-0), C Russell (1-0), G Cooney (0-2), D O’Neill (0-2), G Murray (0-1)
Scorers Adare: H Bourke (0-6 4f 1M), R Bourke (0-2), D Connolly (0-1)
Éire Óg:
1: Shane Daniels
17: Jarlath Collins
3: Aaron Fitzgerald
4: Dean Ryan
5: Ciaran Russell
6: Ikem Ugwueru
7: Manus Doherty
9: David McNamara
8: Darren O’Neill
21: Gavin Murray
11: Darren O’Brien
12: Oran Cahill
15: Mark McInerney
14: Gavin Cooney
22: Philip Talty
Subs:
26: Peadar O’Keeffe for Daniels (38) (inj)
19: Luke Pyne for McNamara (43)
10: Niall McMahon for O’Brien (55)
28: Jack Joyce for Talty (59)
23: Eoin Guilfoyle for Cooney (60)
Adare:
1: Jeffrey Alfred
3: David Connolly
7: Oran Collins
2: Eoghan Costelloe
4: Darragh Lane
6: Shane Doherty
5: Ronan Connolly
9: Joe Sweeney
8: Paul Maher
14: Roy Gleeson
11: Robbie Bourke
10: Shane Costelloe
12: Davy Lyons
13: Shane O’Connor
15: Hugh Bourke
Subs:
17: Jack Fitzgerald for Lane (40)
18: Mikey Lyons for O’Connor (48)
22: Mike Keane for Gleeson (48)
19: Cian Sparling for Lyons (52)
21: Michael Southgate for Sweeney (55)
Referee: Conor Lane (Cork)
