Champions Cratloe make a winning start in championship

THE race for the Clare U-21 A football championship title got underway last Sunday when title holders and favourites Cratloe made a winning start by accounting for St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield.
When the final whistle sounded, the champions were 10 points clear after a disappointing contest in which goals from Joseph O’Connor (2), Dean De Loughrey and Conor McGrath helped them to a 4-5 to 1-4 victory. Cathal Nolan scored the Doora-Barefield goal.
They will play their quarter-final tie this Friday, when their opponents will be Kildysart-Coolmeen. The mid-Clare amalgamation go into this tie without the benefit of a first-round game as their proposed clash with the amalgamation of Michael Cusacks-Tubber, Kilfenora and Liscannor did not materialise as the North Clare side failed to field.
Ennistymon, another of the teams fancied to be in the shake-up for the title, got their campaign off to a winning start when they proved too strong for Éire Óg at Corofin.
A Danny Rouine penalty early in the game and a Tadhg Malone goal in the second half sealed a 2-7 to 0-6 win for the North Clare men and they will play Wolfe Tones in the quarter-final, the Shannon outfit having received a bye to this stage of the competition.
Kilrush caused a surprise when accounting for a fancied Kilmurry-Ibrickane side in a first round tie played at Cooraclare. At the end of a low-scoring first half, the Shamrocks led by the minimum margin and there was never very much between the sides in the second half. On the day, Jamie Gilligan was Kilrush’s top scorer with four points while their goal came from Colm Ellis. Mark McCarthy accounted for all but a point of the Kilmurry-Ibrickane tally
In the quarter final, Kilrush will play Miltown, another of the clubs that received a bye into the last eight.
Cooraclare, with the assistance of a number of players from St Senan’s Kilkee, had a runaway win over Doonbeg in a first-round tie played at Kilrush. A final scoreline of 4-16 to 0-2 confirmed the one-sided nature of the tie. Cooraclare will face Lissycasey in the quarter-final.
The quarter final pairings are: Cratloe v Kildysart-Coolmeen; Ennistymon v Wolfe Tones; Cooraclare v Lissycasey; Kilrush v Miltown St Joseph’s.

Race for B title hots up

In the U-21 B title race there were two ties played last weekend. Corofin booked a quarter-final date with Kilmihil when they scored a two-point win over Meelick-Parteen at Clareabbey. The quarter final goes ahead this Friday and the winners will go through to play St Breckan’s in the semi-final.
Shannon Gaels and Clarecastle will replay this Friday after they played out a draw last week. The Magpies, with goals from Patrick Galbraith and Dara Moloney, led at half-time on a score of 2-1 to 0-4. In the second half Niall Hehir (Shannon Gaels) and Aaron Considine exchanged goals and the Magpies looked to be heading for the semi-finals with time ticking away.
Then Ruairi Norrby, as was the case in the recent senior championship first round, stepped in to save the day for the Gaels when he landed the equalising point.
The winners of this week’s replay will play Clondegad in the semi-final.