The race for the under 21 A and B football championship titles is down to the semi-finals which will take place on the weekend of November 25/26
Ahead of this weekend’s final round of group games, title holders Ennistymon had qualified and they will be joined by Kilrush-Killimer, St. Breckans and Westers Gaels/Doonbeg who sealed their place as the best runner up when they defeated a fancied Wolfe Tones side on Sunday afternoon.
Three of the four semi-final places in the B competition have been filled with the winners of the mid week meeting of South Clare neighbours Cratloe and Parteen-Meelick set to join Western Gaels, Cooraclare and Clarecastle
Strong finish by St. Breckans
St. Breckans 0-12 Banner 0-5
A strong second half showing sealed victory and top place in the group for St. Breckans as they defeated a Banner outfit minus Shane Meehan at Lisdoonvarna on Sunday.
The first half was a rather poor affair at the end of which the winner were 0-3 to 0-1 in front
Things improved considerably in the second half when the home side put together some good moves as they pulled away for a merited win.
Jamie Stack top scored with 0-5 to his credit, three from frees while Patrick O’Dwyer and Shane Fitzpatrick landed 0-2 each with the remaining three points coming from Noah McNamara Denis O’Callaghan and Lorcan Doolin
St. Breckans; Oisin O’Loughlin; Joseph Flanagan, Patrick O’Doherty, Ronan Fitzpatrick; Thomas O’Dwyer, Eoin Guerin, Noah McNamara (0-1); Denis O’Callaghan (0-1), Patrick O’Dwyer (0-2); Eoin Fitzpatrick, Cian Jimmy Burke, Seamus McNamara; Shane Fitzpatrick (0-2), Jamie Stack (0-5, 3f), Aidan O’Loughlin;
Subs; Lorcan Doolin (0-1) for O’Loughlin; Dan Garrihy for Flanagah (inj); Oisin McNamara for E. Fitzpatrick; MacDara Garrihy for O’Callghan.
Banner; Aaron Kelly; Ronan Marron Niall Walsh, Finn Whyte;Dylan Moroney Justin McGrath, Mufana Flynn; Eoin Walsh (0-1), Thomas Meeneghan, Conor Dennehy, Sean McMahon (0-3), Diarmuid Toner; Ronan Kilroy (0-1), Matthew McGrath, Oisin McMahon;
Subs; Michael Barrow for Toner; Conor O’toole for O. McMahon; Jamie Garrihy for Marron
Referee; Barry Kelly, Miltown St. Josephs;
Doherty’s goal decisive
Western Gaels/Doonbeg 1-9 Wolfe Tones 0-11
A goal from Fionn Doherty midway through the first half proved decisive as Western Gaels/Doonbeg eeked out a one point win over Wolfe Tones in this tie which took place in Doonbeg after the Wolfe Tones pitch in Shannon failed a late pitch inspection.
The win was enough to seal the combination side’s place in the semi-finals as the best runner up.
In fairness to Wolfe Tones they went into this tie without a number of first choice players due to injury and illness and amongst the absentees were Liam Murphy, Daithi Lohan, Tadhg Fitzgerald, Cody Waller and Dara O’Callaghan.
As it was they had a couple of good scoring opportunities at either side of half time which they failed to convert and these proved costly.
That said credit must go to the winners, a number of whom had played for Western Gaels (Naomh Eoin, O’Currys and St Senans) on the previous day when they qualified for the B championship semi-final with a good win over Clondegad
Western Gaels/Doonbeg; Eoin Daly (Naomh Eoin); Conor O’Mahoney (Doonbeg), Dara Keane (O’Currys), Shane Bermingham (Doonbeg), Paddy Clancy(O’Curry’s), Adam Haugh (Naomh Eoin), Gavin O’Shea (Doonbeg); Jack McNamara (St.Senans, Kilkee), Cathal Killeen (Doonbeg); Fionn Doherty (Naomh Eoin), Eoin Killeen (Doonbeg), Fergal Keane (Naomh Eoin); Shane Browne (O’Currys), Darragh Burns (Doonbeg), Donal McNamara (St.Senans, Kilkee);
Subs; Colm Greene (Doonbeg) for P. Clancy; Jamie O’Shea (Doonbeg) for J. McNamara;
Wolfe Tones; Fionn McInerney; Shane Duggan, Eoghan Casey, Mark O’Sullivan; Tan Green, Aaron Kelly, Brian Murphy; Jack Ryan, Darragh Treacy; Niall Fitzgerald, Craig Riordan, Darragh O’Neill; Oisin O’rourke, Colin Riordan, Ben O’Neill;
Sub; Ronal Walsh for O’Rourke;
Referee; John O’Connell, Cooraclare
Lissycasey lay foundation in opening half
Lissycasey 1-13 Corofin 1-5
Lissycasey finished off their campaign with a merited win over Corofin at Lissycasey on Sunday.
Ahead of next week’s Munster intermediate hurling semi-final, Corofin rested five players.
Lissycasey played with the aid of the breeze in the opening half and built up an eight point lead by half time when the score was 1-10 to 1-2.
The goal came from Shane Culligan six minutes from half time following a great run by Shane Griffin.
Corofin responded three minutes later when Colm Breen fired to the net after an effort from Eoin O’Brien rebounded off the crossbar.
Lisycasey played ten minutes of the opening half with fourteen men after Ben Skerritt picked up a black card in the ninth minute and they finished the tie with a player short after full back Ian Griffin was shown a black card with eight minutes remaining.
Defenders Michael Kelly, Daire Hill and Michael Meaney ensured that Corofin got few scoring chances in the second half
Lissycasey; Kieran Daniels; Evan O’Haire, Ian Griffin, Michael Kelly; Michael Meaney (0-1), Daire Hill, Kevin Shivers; Ben Skerritt, Luke Griffin; Darren Keane (0-1, f), Michael Madigan (0-2, 1’45), Shane Griffin (0-1); Shane Culligan (1-4, 0-1 f), Darragh Culligan (0-3, 1 f), Daiee Killeen (0-1);
Subs; Jack Cahill for Skerritt; Fionn Cotter for madigan(both 39); Matthew Culleton for O’Haire (45); Stephen Davoran for Killeen; Aaron Clohessy for S. Culligan (both 48);
Corofin; Luke Neylon (0-1, f); Jack McDonagh, Colin Fitzgerald, Eoin Doolin; Colm Breen (1-0), Michael Cahill, Cian Doolin(0-1); Christian Cummins, Caoimhin O’Conovan;Aidan O’Loughlin, Eoin O’Brien (0-1), Dara Kenny; Cathal Flanagan, Aidan Moloney, Josh O’Brien (0-2, 1f);
Subs; Eoin Carroll for Kenny (40); Michael Mounsey for Neylon (43); Neyon for A. Moloney (48); Dara Kenny for J. O’Brien (50)
Referee; Michael Talty, Kilmurry-Ibrickane
Kilrush-Killimer march into last four
Kilrush-Killimer 1-11 Eire Og 2-5
The switch of Sean Canny to mark Luke Pyne in the second half played a key part in helping Kilrush-Killimer defeat Eire Og in this tie played at the Eire Og grounds on Sunday.
Pyne who lined out in the Ennis side’s half forward line had contributed 1-2 in the opening half at the end of which his side were 2-3 to 0-6 ahead. Eire Og’s second goal came from Sean Perrill.
Kilrush-Killimer did much better in the second half and struck for the all important goal from defender Fiachra McKeown, a score which proved crucial in steering them to victory and a place in the semi-final.
Kilrush-Killimer; Cian Corry; Fiachra McKeown (1-0), Ciaran Bermingham, Harry Looney; Odhran Culligan, Dylan O’Brien, Sean Canny; Ewan Kelly (0-2) Conor Fennell (0-2); Keith Crowley (0-2), Mikey Kelleher (0-1), Colin Wallace; Filip Rzymek, Sean Keane, Jack Kelleher (0-4);
Subs; David Jones for Corry; Joe Meehan for Wallace; Josh Hassett for S. Keane
Eire Og; Cian Howard; Hugh Connolly, Eoin Guilfoyle (0-1), Fionn McMorrow; Cathal Kilcawley, Oran Cahill, Killian Moroney; Harry Kevanagh Jarlath Collins; Sean Perrill (1-1), Luke Pyne (1-2), James O’Dwyer (0-1); Darragh Stack, Fionán Treacy, Andrew McElwee;
Subs used; Michael Heneghan, Evan White, James Lyne.
Referee; Martin Downes, Naomh Eoin
Under 21 B;
On Saturday Western Gaels completed their group games unbeaten with a five point win, 0-14 to 0-9, over Clondegad, sealing their place in the semi-final
On the same afternoon Clarecastle had a one point win, 0-6 to 1-2, over Ennistymon’s B team and this saw the magpies into the semi-final.
West Clare neighbours Cooraclare and Kilmurry-Ibrickane played out a cluff hanger on Sunday afternoon with Cooraclare sealing their passage to the semi-final by the narrowest of margins. John Lillis was the hero as he converted a late free to give his side victory on a scoreline of 0-11 to 0-10.
The North Clare combination of Liscannor, Kilfenora and Michael Cusacks finished their campaign on a high with victory over Miltown St. Josephs in a high scoring contest at Gleann Chiosog, Carron on Saturday. The final score here was 8-7 to 4-10.
