Write off Whitegate at your peril’ should be emblazoned across their jerseys as the experts of escapology produced yet another seismic result to get off the mark in this year’s senior championship in O’Garney Park in Sixmilebridge.
Whitegate 2-19
O’Callaghan’s Mills 2-18
Venue: O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge
The last action of another enthralling weekend was arguably not the greatest fare quality-wise but an utterly compelling spectacle nonetheless as the sides were level on seven occasions before Paul Burke popped up with a worthy winner at the death.
All that after Whitegate appeared to blow every possible advantage in a typically frantic East Clare derby clash with O’Callaghan’s Mills that seemed destined to finish with a sharing of the spoils. A fortuitous long range Brendan Bugler goal just before the first water break helped a momentum-fuelled Whitegate to an eight point cushion which would remarkably be wiped out by half-time mainly thanks to a Colin Crehan goal.
Despite now facing into the conditions, Whitegate actually rebuilt a three point cushion that would again be cancelled by a brilliant Aidan Fawl volleyed goal to ensure another stalemate by the turn of the final quarter.
A Ciaran Keenan goal in the 55th minute should have been the clinching score at 2-17 to 2-14 but amazingly Whitegate conceded the next four and had to actually scramble an injury-time equalising point before Paul Burke cooly slotted over a 64th minute winner from halfway.
Whitegate’s collective spirit and appetite imbued that never-say-die attitude throughout whereas the Mills only showed flashes of the type of form that catapulted them all the way to a county final last year.
That was most evidenced by Whitegate’s healthy spread of ten scorers that put their opening round number of four against Kilmaley in the shade.
Brendan Bugler rolled back the years with an inspirational performance from wing-back, goalkeeper Andrew Fahey made two crucial stops while spinal defenders Eoin Quirke and Colm Madden kept the ship afloat when needed most. Ronan Hayes, Paul Burke and Conor McDermott were the pick of the forwards while consistency wasn’t as apparent on the Mills side as apart from Patrick Donnellan, Conor Cooney, Jacob Loughnane, Gary Cooney and Colin Crehan, there weren’t too many more looking to take on additional responsibility or leadership.
A dream opening quarter for Whitegate almost became a nightmare when letting slip an eight point advantage. 1-1 from Brendan Bugler was quickly followed by points from Conor McDermott and Paddy Burke to power their side 1-7 to 0-2 clear by the 16th minute.
However, the dreaded water break completely flipped the momentum as the Mills tacked on 1-7 including a 24th minute goal for Crehan after good work from Patrick Donnellan and Conor Henry to regain full parity just in time for the interval at 1-9 apiece.
A regrouped Whitegate fired the first three points of the new half through Paul Burke, Ian Fahy and Ronan Hayes but while they survived a Gary Cooney goal attempt that hit the side-netting, their luck would turn in the 38th minute when the county senior’s point attempt came off the upright for Fawl to instinctively smash to the net at 2-09 to 1-12.
Whitegate admirably responded with three of the next four points but were subsequently hit by three successive Mills points with a brace of Jacob Loughnane frees sandwiching a great score for young impact sub Colm Cleary as the sides couldn’t be separated again by the final water break at 2-13 to 1-16.
Michael Hynes’ lineball from 60 metres deceived a hesitant Mills defence to land perfectly for Ciaran Keenan at the edge of the square to finish to the net at 2-17 to 2-14 with five minutes remaining.
However, it only seemed to spark the Mills into life as Gary Cooney, corner-back Michael Cotter, Loughnane and Cleary managed to inch their side in front by the 59th minute.
It could have been more only for Andrew Fahey to stop a Conor ‘Elmhill’ Cooney point blank effort and that save would be magnified when a Michael Hynes levelling free would be bolstered by Paul Burke’s injury-time blockbuster.
With two matches remaining, Whitegate can now look upwards and will have a real go at a quarter-final place as barring a complicated string of results, they are clear from immediate relegation danger.
The same cannot be said of the ailing Mills who after a third successive defeat need to overcome Kilmaley in their final match as a prerequisite and hope that others also do them favours in order to avoid the dreaded demotion play-off dungeon for the second time in three seasons.
Scorers for Whitegate: Brendan Bugler (1-2); Michael Hynes (0-4f); Ciaran Keenan (1-1); Ronan Hayes, Paul Burke (0-3 each); Conor McDermott (0-2); Colin Burke, Paddy Burke, Ian Fahy, Colm Madden (0-1 each)
Scorers for O’Callaghan’s Mills: Jacob Loughnane (0-9, 6f, 2’65); Gary Cooney (0-4); Aidan Fawl (1-1); Colin Crehan (1-0); Colm Cleary (0-2); Adrian Flaherty, Michael Cotter (0-1 each)
Whitegate
1: Andrew Fahey
2: Tomás Quirke
3: Eoin Quirke
4: Dylan White
5: Brendan Bugler
6: Colm Madden
7: Ian Fahy
8: Colin Burke
9: Michael Hynes
10: Thomas Hogan
11: Conor McDermott
12: Ciaran Keenan
13: Paul Burke
14: Ronan Hayes
15: Paddy Burke
Substitutes:
21: Tommy Holland for Hogan (HT)
17: Danny Hynes for Paddy Burke (46)
20: Ciaran Quinn for C. Burke (63, inj)
O’Callaghan’s Mills
1: Killian Nugent
2: Michael Cotter
3: Conor Cooney
17: Gerry Cooney
5: Patrick Donnellan
6: Aidan O’Gorman
4: Sean O’Gorman
7: Ciaran Cooney
8: Conor Henry
10: Jacob Loughnane
11: Bryan Donnellan
12: Aidan Fawl
13: Gary Cooney
9: Sean Cotter
15: Colin Crehan
Substitutes:
21: Adrian Flaherty for S. Cotter (19)
20: Colm Cleary for B. Donnellan (42)
24: Fionn Hickey for Ciaran Cooney (46)
22: Conor “Elmhill’ Cooney for Flaherty (52)
14: Cormac Murphy for Henry (58)
Referee: Jarlath Donnellan (Wolfe Tones)
