Big Kilrush win aids scoring difference

Kilrush  3-11   O’Curry’s  0-7
ALTHOUGH Jim Young fisted a goal to the O’Curry’s net in the third minute, Kilrush struggled to assert themselves until about 10 minutes into the second half.

At that stage, they took near full control and ran out comprehensive winners. Given that scoring difference might decide who qualifies for the quarter-final from this group, their 13-point win could edge them into the last eight if they defeat Doonbeg.
O’Curry’s main problem was their dearth of scoring prowess. Ger Quinlan kicked six of their seven points from frees, with Michael Carmody the only O’Curry’s man to score from play.
Six minutes from full-time Tony Burke saved a Damien Carmody penalty, low to his right, while Burke also made a nifty save from Brian Troy three minutes before that.
With Michael Carmody playing as an extra defender for much of the first half, O’Curry’s trailed by just a point at half-time. Quinlan kicked four frees, with Carmody’s point coming just before the interval. 
Peadar McMahon twice and Ruairi O’Connor accounted for Kilrush’s first half points. They lost midfielder Donal O’Sullivan about 10 minutes before the interval, when he badly strained his knee ligaments, leaving him unlikely to be fit in time for Kilrush’s season defining game against Doonbeg the weekend after next.
Quinlan pulled O’Curry’s level three minutes into the second half after Mark Roche won a free before McMahon and O’Connor, with two points, helped Kilrush into a 1-6 to 0-6 lead. Quinlan’s 13th minute point was O’Curry’s last as Kilrush pulled away in the closing 17 minutes.
McGrath, McMahon and Matthew Moloney tagged on points, while McMahon and O’Connor also struck for late goals.
Ruairi O’Connor, Tony Burke, Peadar McMahon and Matthew Moloney played well for Kilrush, while Tom Downes, Ger Quinlan and Ollie Quinlan were best for O’Curry’s.
To escape having to play in a relegation semi-final, O’Curry’s must beat Cooraclare, while to qualify for the last eight, Kilrush know they have to beat Doonbeg.
Kilrush: Tony Burke; Seamus Bolton, Chris Dixon, Cathal Lyons; Con O’Brien, Matthew Moloney, John Hayes; Donal O’Sullivan, Paddy Clancy; Ruairi O’Connor, Seán Burke, Eoin Fitzgerald; Alan Daly, Jim Young, Peadar McMahon.
Subs: John Moody for Donal O’Sullivan (inj), Padjoe McGrath for Eoin Fitzgerald, Martin Griffin for Paddy Clancy, Stephen Sweeney for Alan Daly.
Scorers: Peadar McMahon 1-5 (0-3f), Ruairi O’Connor (1-3), Jim Young (1-0), Padjoe McGrath (0-2), Matthew Moloney (0-1f).
Frees won: 17; wides: 8; 45s: 1
Yellow cards: Jim Young, John Moody, Paddy Clancy.
O’Curry’s: Eoin Clohessy; Seamus Coffey, Brian Troy, Gearóid Lynch; Paul Roche, Ollie Quinlan, Tom Downes; Michael Foran, Ger Quinlan; Declan Walsh, Seán Haugh, Damien Carmody; Michael Carmody, Mark Roche, Gerald Troy.
Subs: Eoin Troy for Declan Walsh, Tadhg Concannon for Gerald Troy.
Scorers: Ger Quinlan 0-6f, Michael Carmody 0-1.
Frees won: 25; wides: 5; 45s: 3
Yellow cards: Ger Quinlan, Eoin Troy.
Referee: Tom Stackpoole (Ennistymon).

Doonbeg  1-8   Cooraclare  0-8
SHANE Killeen’s goal 17 minutes into the second half, followed seconds later by David Tubridy’s sixth point, clinched a crucial win for Doonbeg in Kilrush last Saturday evening.
In an hour during which only Tubridy regularly escaped the massed defences of both sides, those scores left Doonbeg top of the group, with two wins from two. They still have to play Kilrush, who need to win to stay in the championship, while Cooraclare have to beat O’Curry’s to make the last eight.
That fact that the opening 13 minutes elicited just a point each, illustrates how tight and uncompromising the opening quarter was. John Looney kicked the game’s first score for Cooraclare, while Tubridy, from a free, replied for Doonbeg, who kicked seven first-half wides.
Tubridy, picking up a break from Shane Ryan, put Doonbeg a point up before Ryan notched a lovely point from play, putting the Magpies 0-3 to 0-1 in front. 
A brace of Mark Tubridy pointed frees were separated by a moment of left-footed point-scoring class from his cousin, David Tubridy, who also kicked the final score of the half from a free. Leading 0-5 to 0-3 at half-time, Doonbeg were dragged a point closer to Cooraclare when John Looney kicked his second score for the Blues. Tubridy, from a free won by Conor Whelan and Rory Donnelly, swapped points before Killeen raced through the middle and struck the winner’s goal.
David Tubridy’s point immediately afterwards left Doonbeg 1-7 to 0-5 ahead 17 minutes from full-time. It may concern Kieran O’Mahony’s team that they only kicked a single point, from a Tubridy free, in the remaining 13 minutes, plus injury time.
Mark Tubridy (twice) and Donnelly fired over Cooraclare’s closing points but they didn’t manage to create a decent goal-scoring chance, which they badly needed.
Throughout the hour, neither team played very fluently and several passes, both kicked and from the hand, went awry.
However, Conor Whelan, who drove forward repeatedly from corner-back substitute Conor Downes and David Tubridy, who looked a class apart, excelled for Doonbeg, whose work rate was exceptional.
Although he kicked away a few balls early on, Mark Tubridy played well for Cooraclare as did Fergal Lillis and John Looney, when fed with good ball. Cooraclare definitely missed David Hedigan though.
If Kilrush beat Doonbeg in the next group game and if Cooraclare overcome O’Curry’s, three of the four teams in the group will be tied on four points each. Scoring difference would separate the teams if that happens. If Doonbeg beat Kilrush and O’Curry’s overcome Cooraclare, three teams would then be tied on two points each, with Doonbeg on full points. Again, scoring averages will divide the teams if this happens.
Doonbeg: Nigel Dillon; Richie Vaughan, Padraig Gallagher, Conor Whelan; Joe Blake, David Downes, Paraic Aherne; Colm Dillon (captain), Enda Doyle; Brian Egan, Shane Killeen, Frank O’Dea; Kevin Nugent, Shane Ryan, David Tubridy.
Subs: Brian Egan for Conor Downes
Scorers: David Tubridy 0-7, (0-4f), Shane Killeen 1-0, Shane Ryan 0-1.
Wides: 9; frees won: 23.
Cooraclare: Joe Killeen; Michael Chambers (captain), Conor Marrinan, Gearóid Meade; Fergal Lillis, Michael Kelly, Thomas Donnellan; Joe Considine, Hugh Donnelly; John Looney, Mark Tubridy, Seán Maguire; Cathal Lillis, Rory Donnelly, Declan McMahon.
Subs: Andrew O’Neill for Seán Maguire, Colin Kelly for Hugh Donnelly, David Marrinan for Gearóid Meade, Michael McMahon for Declan McMahon.
Scorers: Mark Tubridy (0-4, 0-2f), John Looney, Rory Donnelly (0-2 each).
Wides: 7; frees won: 20; 45s: 1.
Yellow cards: Joe Killeen, Gearóid Meade, Mark Tubridy, Conor Marrinan.
Referee: Michael Rock (Ennistymon).