Sports

Whitegate 1-12  Killanena 1-10 WHITEGATE and Feakle will contest the final of the intermediate hurling championship but both Killanena and Ruan have reason to rue missed opportunities this week as they come to terms with their defeats in last Saturday’s semi-finals. A draw would probably have been the fairest result in each case, as both losing teams certainly had chances in the second half of their games that they failed to convert.After a bad start to the season, which saw them suffer a number of heavy defeats, Feakle managed to regroup and they have improved with each outing.Whitegate were shortlisted for success from the beginning but a shock first-round loss to Ennistymon forced many to review their prediction. That result also made the East Clare side sit up and take notice and since then they have been quite impressive.Without question, they received their stiffest test of the campaign at Shannon on Saturday and they will be the first to admit …

Sixmilebridge may have retained their U-15 county title at Newmarket on Saturday but they did it the hard way.Following an authoritative first-half performance, which saw them fashion a 3-9 to 2-2 lead, Sixmilebridge created four clear-cut goal chances in the third quarter and the opportunity to kill off the game.None were taken, with Paul Finnan and Stephen Mulready hitting efforts into the side netting. The misses almost became costly as Clarecastle, who wrestled the initiative in the final quarter, pressed strongly. Their courageous performance had the ’Bridge on the back-foot and clinging on for dear life but their insistence in going for goals instead of picking off their points was probably unwise.Sixmilebridge were quickest to settle and with Brian Corry causing problems in abundance for the Clarecastle rearguard with his searing pace, it was he who grabbed the opening goal when capitalising on a defensive mistake. He also chipped in with two points for good measure.Jamie Shanahan, at the head …

THE October meeting of the Clare Camogie Board ratified the appointment of a number of inter-county managements for 2010.

Shannon Gaels 1-7  Ballyvaughan 0-6 THEIR first-half performance, following which they led 1-5 to 0-2 at half-time, helped Shannon Gaels to secure their senior status for 2010 in Miltown last Sunday.

Desmond League 1  Clare League 1 STEPHEN Hickey earned Clare a share of the spoils in this Oscar Traynor first-round tie at Askeaton when he struck for the equalising goal in the final minute of the game.

Hermitage A 6  Corofin A 2 HERMITAGE were convincing winners over Corofin A in this first-division league tie on Sunday. The winners led 3-0 at half-time and went on to retain the upperhand in the second half.

REGISTERING a first winner is always a moment to savour for any trainer and Garrett Hassett from Quin reached that notable milestone recently when sending out Miyajima to land the winners of two contests at the Westmeath Foxhounds point-to-point at Castletown-Geoghegan.

Although an exact percentage has not been established, in the region of 20% of the footballers who will represent Kilmurry-Ibrickane and Kilkee will have no job to go to next week, once the 2009 county final has been played. In fact, Kilmurry club chairman Gerard Talty told The Clare Champion that up to one in three of the Kilmurry panel are unemployed, while Kilkee club chairman Donal Hayes feels that many Kilkee players who work in the construction industry may emigrate once the football season concludes.