Sports

Avenue United 2 Moneypoint 0 The U-16 cup final ended prematurely at Doora on Saturday when Moneypoint left the field of play 12 minutes into the second half.They had just been reduced to eight players and were trailing by two goals to the competition favourites.Clare Schoolboys League chairman, Ronnie Pyne confirmed “the game was not abandoned. It ended when Moneypoint left the field. I have spoken with the referee Martin O’Brien and he confirmed that he did not abandon the game”.  According to the rules, a team can play with eight players.The Clare official added, “The league will examine the referee’s report when it is submitted and all aspects of this incident will be investigated.”It’s expected Avenue will be confirmed as winners of the title, adding to their league success. Confirmation of victory in this final will extend a remarkable run of successes for this group of players, who have won the league and cup double at every level from …

Bridge United 2 Tulla United 1 Bridge United were crowned U-12 champions at the county grounds on Saturday when they accounted for Tulla United in a game that required extra time to separate the sides. All of the goals were scored in extra time.Tulla played with the aid of the breeze in the first half and they created the better chances.Tulla’s Conor Murphy, later named as the player of the match, came close but he was denied by the outstanding Bridge United goalie, Jamin Hoffman, who made one particularly superb save.Hoffman came to his side’s rescue again early in the second half.As the end of the third quarter approached, Tulla’s Cian Keogh was adjudged to have handled the ball in the area and this resulted in his sending off and the awarding of a penalty to Bridge United. Paul Corry, whose cross had been handled by Keogh, stepped up to the spotkick but he failed to find the target.Tulla had …

NEWMARKET’S Breda Casey was the sole Clare winner at the benefit meeting promoted by Cratloe GAA Club at Limerick Racing Stadium on Friday night when Snuggie Boy obliged in the Woodcross Bar A4 525.Running from trap four, Snuggie Boy (Group Rooster–Christians Lady) encountered traffic problems at the opening bend but heading down the back straight had made up ground on the early leader, Ryan’s Fantasy.The Darryl Hopper-trained Nine Minus Two, owned by a Clarecastle-based syndicate, also joined the thick of the action but off the final bend, Snuggie Boy found that bit extra to have a length and a half at the line on Nine Minus Two. The winning time was 29.49.Breda’s fellow parishioner, John Meehan, was denied victory in the Setright’s Tavern A 2 575 with Nurse Jackie (Westmead Joe–Top Award).The Gerry Griffin-trained Stuck in Reverse hit top gear from the lift of traps and the son of Big Daddy Cool–Plutos Tip was never headed. He raced to victory …

IT is that time of the year again when coursing dog owners get down to serious business for the months ahead. Harbouring dreams of achieving crowning glory at the national meeting or the Irish Cup fixture at the end of the season, they will take the first steps in that direction when the Liscannor and Kilflynn coursing clubs host the opening meetings of the 2011-2012 season this weekend.With the awarding of the Hare Netting Licence well in time this year by new minister, Jimmy Deenihan, both Liscannor and Kilflynn have had ample time to prepare for their presentations and coursing enthusiasts are looking forward to a cracking start to the new season.With the amount of rain that has fallen in recent weeks, Liscannor will be spared the task of watering the field. They reported eveything in order when they made the draw for their meeting in Liscannor on Sunday night.The card will again feature all-aged stakes for dogs and bitches, …

Four Ennis boxers who captured titles for their club at this year’s Irish Juvenile Championships were presented with engraved trophies to mark the significant achievement of the occasion this week.

BANNER Ladies’ Football Club hit the road this weekend when both the seniors and the U-14s participate in All-Ireland seven-a-side competitions in Dublin.Both teams will part company at the Red Cow as the seniors, who are the current All-Ireland Intermediate Champions, head north for Naomh Mearnóg/St Sylvester’s in Portmarnock and the U-14s head south to the Kilmacud Crokes grounds in Stillorgan to join teams from all over the country. Banner have taken the laurels in the Kilmacud Crokes’ U-14 All-Ireland seven-a-side competitions only once, in 2006, when they also claimed the Football Féile Division 1 title, which they had previously won in 2005 and 2001 at Division 2 level. The seniors have just attained their third county championship in four consecutive appearances and are pencilled in to meet Cappawhite in the Munster Senior B Club semi-final on October 1. The Banner beat Cappawhite in last year’s All-Ireland seven-a-side intermediate final, adding another element of spice to the Munster club match. …

St Joseph’s  0-7 Doonbeg  0-6 A powerful last quarter at Lissycasey on Saturday saw St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield cause the shock of the 2011 Clare Senior Football Championship by ousting the defending champions, Doonbeg.The Magpies may have been most people’s favourites to win this one but few will deny St Joseph’s were deserving winners on a day when a strong wind and driving rain made conditions very difficult for the players.Shrewd changes in the second half played a big part in this win, with substitutes Christy O’Brien and Colm Mullen kicking the final two scores of the match. From his juvenile days, Mullen was noted as an accurate and skillful forward. With Saturday’s game in the first minute of injury time, the ball was delivered to the St Joseph’s man and from 40 yards out on the right wing he made no mistake for what proved to be the winning score.Doora-Barfield looked to be in a strong position when they trailed …

ST Joseph’s Doora-Barefield’s stunning defeat of county champions Doonbeg has underlined the changing demographics of Clare football. Couple this with Cratloe’s advancement to the semi-final and the fact that Wolfe Tones should really have beaten Kilkee and there is clear evidence that West Clare’s football power base is eroding rapidly.It is a common belief in the west that this development is not good for Clare football. The fact that many Cratloe, Doora-Barefield and Wolfe Tones footballers are dual players is held as evidence against them. The view is that these players will opt to play hurling, rather than football, for Clare if they have a choice to make.However, before anybody in West Clare suggests that the rise of East and Mid-Clare football is bad for the game in the county, they should examine why many players from their own areas don’t represent the county. If some of the top footballers in West Clare can’t be bothered playing for Clare, why …