Ryan seals top spot for Newmarket-on-Fergus

*Colin Ryan was the match-winner once again for Newmarket-on-Fergus. Photograph: Ruth Griffin

Colin Ryan has landed many crucial scores for club and county and he added to the list on this Saturday evening to send Newmarket-on-Fergus into the quarter-finals of the Clare SHC.

Newmarket-on-Fergus 2-18
Clooney/Quin 1-17
Venue: O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge

With their senior championship clash with neighbours Clooney-Quin in the final minute of normal time, Newmarket were heading out of this year’s title race as they trailed by a goal.

Just as five minutes of additional time were signaled Clare’s All-Ireland winning star from 2013 struck for a superb goal to level the tie. Newmarket followers were still celebrating when he struck again, another major and he completed another valuable performance for the Blues when he converted a free in the sixth minute of ‘injury time’, sealing a four point victory and top spot in the group.

This was another game in this round of the competition which saw the lead change hands on a number of occasions.

At the end of an evenly fought first quarter the sides went to the water break locked together at 0-4 each. Newmarket edged ahead in the second quarter and when the half time whistle sounded they were three points clear, 0-10 to 0-7.
Ryan pushed his side’s led out to four a minute into the second half when he converted a free but three in a row from Clooney-Quin left just one between the teams with five minutes of the new half played.

The introduction of Martin Duggan improved matters for Clooney-Quin and they struck 1-2 without reply to open a two point lead, the goal coming when Fergal Lynch offloaded to an on-rushing Ryan Taylor who struck low to the Newmarket net.

It could have been much different at this stage. In the thirteenth minute of the half Mikey McInerney saw his piledriver rebound off the crossbar and the in rushing Colin Guilfoyle put the ball wide. Taylor’s goal came straight from this puckout.

At the second waterbreak Clooney-Quin held a one point lead, 1-12 to 0-14. When play resumed the sides exchanged scores twice before Colin Ryan converted a free to level the game at 0-17 to 1-14 with nine minutes remaining.

Peter Duggan then converted three long range frees and as the game drifted towards the full time whistle, they led by three.

Exchanges were getting heated before Ryan struck for the equalising goal following good work by Mikey McInerney. He repeated the feat a minute later and now the Blues led by three.

Newmarket were reduced to fourteen men in the next play as Colin Guilfoyle was shown a straight red card following a tackle on Jimmy Corry. Despite being a man down they held firm and sealed their place in the quarter finals when Ryan landed a free deep in injury time.

Colin Ryan, Sean and Niall O’Connor and Mikey McInersney were prominent for the winners on an evening when Cillian, Peter and Martin Duggan when introduced, Shane McNamara, Dylan Cunningham, and Mike Corry worked hard for Clooney-Quin.

Scorers Newmarket-on-Fergus: Colin Ryan (2-7, 0-6 f); Mikey McInerney, Eoin Guilfoyle (0-3) each, Eanna Crimmins (0-2), Niall O’Connnor, Sean O’Connor, Colin Guilfoyle (0-1) each

Scorers Clooney/Quin: Peter Duggan (0-11, 9f) Ryan Taylor (1-3) Dylan Cunningham, Michael Corry Martin Duggan (0-1\) each

Newmarket-on-Fergus:
1: Ronan McCormack

2: Sean O’Connor
3: James McIneerney
4: Paraic McMahon

5: Niall O’Connor
6: Enda Barrett
7: Stephen Casey

8: John Fehilly
17: Eanna Crimmins

12: Eoin Guilfoyle
10: Colin Ryan
14: Mikey McInerney

21: Stephen Kelly
11: Colin Guilfoyle
15: Peter Power

Subs:
13: Eoin Hayes for Fehilly (46)
20: Liam Clancy for Barrett (55)
18: Jack Enright for Power (62)

Clooney-Quin
1: Keith Hogan

2: Bryan McInerney
3: Shane McNamara
20: Jimmy Corry

9: Donagh O’Sullivan
6: Cillian Duggn
18: John Conneally

8: Ryan Taylor
4: Conor Harrisson