Champions make a winning start to campaign

Sixmilebridge 1-17  Clooney-Quin 2-10

DEFENDING champions Sixmilebridge made a winning start in their campaign to retain the Clare Champion Cup (senior hurling league) when they accounted for Clooney-Quin at O’Garney Park on Sunday evening.
Helped by a goal from Danny Morey, they led at half-time by five points, 1-10 to 1-5, on a day when Tony Carmody made his debut for the club having transferred from Inagh-Kilnamona earlier in the season.
Three unanswered points at the start of the second half suggested Clooney-Quin might be about to get the upperhand and while they made the holders battle all the way, they were unable to overtake the home side. Impressive points from Declan Morey, Brian Culbert, Niall Gilligan and a Pa Sheehan effort from a sideline cut, ensured that the winners remained in front.
Clooney-Quin’s second goal came from a 20m free, which Fergal Lynch converted on a day when Paudie Ward and Brian Shally scored some good points. There was disappointment for Clooney-Quin when Shally had to be helped from the pitch shortly before the end because of a leg injury.

Sixmilebridge: Derek Fahy; Tadhg Keogh, Aidan Quilligan, Ray McNamara; Barry O’Connor, Caimin Morey, Trevor Purcell; Shane Golden, Paul Fitzpatrick; David O’Connor, Niall Gilligan, Tony Carmody; Danny Morey, Brian Culbert, Declan Morey.
Subs: Tommy Morey for Golden (inj); Pa Sheehan for Fitzpatrick; Eoin Quinn for McNamara.
Clooney-Quin: Damian O’Halloran; Joe O’Loughlin, Conor Harrison, Shane McNamara; Mike McNamara, Sean Conheady, Enda Harrisson; Brian Shally, Martin Duggan; Paudie Ward, Fergal Lynch, Mike Daffy; Ronan Gallagher, Cathal Egan, Derek Ryan.
Subs: John Earls for Ryan; Adrian Fleming for Gallagher; Peter Duggan for Shally (inj).

Clarecastle 3-14  Broadford 0-9

HELPED by goals from Aaron Considine and Tyrone Kearse (2), Clarecastle got their campaign off to a winning start when they powered past Broadford at Clarecastle on Sunday evening.
While Clarecastle deserved victory, Broadford will be disappointed at having missed a lot of scoring opportunities. They had a total of 16 wides over the hour, which is 10 more that Clarecastle.
Clarecastle: Jamie Coughlan; Seanie Moloney, Gareth Barry, Ollie Plunkett; Stephen O’Halloran, Pat Kelly, Gary Farmer; Jonathon Clancy, Eamonn Callinan; Derek Quinn, Tyrone Kearse, Aaron Considine; Seanie Talty, Danny Scanlon, Dara Moloney.
Subs: Fergus Ryan for O Punkett; K Clohessy for S Moloney; Jason Considine for S Talty; Andrew Page for D Moloney Erid Flynn for D Scanlan.
Broadford: Cian O’Brien; John Corcoran, Aidan O’Brien, Stephen Gunning; Alan Kilcoyne, Cathal Chaplin, Peter O’Brien; James Gunning, Craig Chaplin; Aonghus O’Brien, Dara Corcoran, Declan Teefy; Padraic Taylor, Niall Moloney, Pauric Hickey.
Subs: Mark Moloney for Teefy; Alan Mahon for S Gunning; Alan McMahon for N Moloney.

Crusheen 1-20  Whitegate 0-10

A STRONG second-half performance helped Crusheen to a comfortable win over Whitegate in this first-round tie played at the East Clare club’s venue on Sunday afternoon.
The winners held a three-point advantage at half-time when the score was 0-9 to 0-6 but a lively start to the second half by the home side suggested that they might turn the tables on the Clare champions.
However, Crusheen regained the initiative helped by points from Pat Vaughan and Gerry O’Grady and when substitute Conor O’Loughlin got through for the game’s only goal, they were on the road to victory.
Clare captain Pat Vaughan contributed 0-10 from midfield while others to get on the scoresheet were Gerry O’Grady, Joe Meaney, Conor O’Donnell, Shaun Dillon, Patrick O’Grady and Gearoid O’Donnell.
Crusheen: Donal Tuohy; Alan Brigdale, Cronan Dillon, John Brigdale; Cathal Dillon, Cian Dillon, Ciarán O’Doherty; Pat Vaughan, Tony Meaney; Joe Meaney, Shaun Dillon, David Forde; Conor O’Donnell, Gerry O’Grady, Alan Tuohy.
Subs: Conor O’Loughlin for T Meaney; Gearóid O’Donnell for A Tuohy; Patrick O’Grady for C O’Donnell.
Whitegate: Andrew Fahy; Tomás McNamara, John Buglar, Cathal Mulvihill; Jason Malone, Brendan Buglar, Patrick Minogue; Ian Fahy, Shane O’Rourke; Stephen Malone, John Minogue, Michael O’Brien; Gary McClearn, George Waterstone, Michael Dooley.

Wolfe Tones 1-16  Tulla 2-13

A SHARE of the spoils resulted when Wolfe Tones and Tulla clashed in this first-round tie at Shannon on Sunday.
The Shannon outfit held a slight lead for most of this tie but a goal from Danny O’Halloran saw Tulla take the lead near the end and they carried this advantage into injury time when Wolfe Tones got the equalising point from a free by Gareth McPhillips.
The Tones held a two-point advantage at half-time when the score was 1-8 to 1-6, with their goal coming from Aaron Cunningham.
Tulla played the closing stages of the game with 14 players after Conor O’Halloran was sent off.
Wolfe Tones: Paul Hogan; John Coen, Joe McGauley, John Guilfoyle; George Justice, Bobby McPhillips, Barry Loughnane; Shane Chambers, Daithi O’Connell; Brendan Hughes, Ronan Hehir, Gareth McPhillips; Ritchie Lillis, Mark Lennon, Aaron Cunningham.
Subs: Niall Murphy for Justice; Kevin McCafferty for Hehir; Alan Hehir for Lennon.
Tulla: Philip Brennan; John Fahy, Sean Torpey, Eugene Cooney; Donnacda McNamara, Eanna Torpey, Brian Lynch; David McInerney, Cathal Dinan; Kieran Brennan, Mike Murphy, Aidan Lynch; Danny O’Halloran, Andrew Quinn, Ray Stewart.
Subs: Mark Quinn for M Murphy; Conor O’Halloran for Stewart.

Inagh-Kilnamona 1-15  Newmarket 0-12

INAGH-Kilnamona made a winning start to their Clare Champion Cup campaign when they accounted for Newmarket at the latter’s venue on Sunday.
Helped by a goal from Conor Tierney, the winners led by three points at half-time when the score was 1-8 to 1-5, the home side’s goal coming from Enda Kelly.
Inagh-Kilnamona raced into a 0-5 to 0-1 lead before Newmarket broke through for a goal.
The winners went on to maintain this advantage throughout the second half but a draw looked to be on the cards when, in the last minute, Newmarket were awarded a penalty. However, James McInerney’s effort for a goal was saved by Inagh-Kilnamona substitute Stephen Twomey.
Conor Tierney scored 1-3 for the winners while Niall Arthur scored five points.
Inagh-Kilnamona: Patrick Kelly; Milo Keane, Ronan O’Looney, Dermot Lynch; Damian Lafferty, Eamonn Glynn, Colm Pilkington; Eoin Vaughan, Cathal Lafferty; Tomas Kelly, Dermot Gannon, Haulie Vaughan; Conor Tierney, Niall Arthur, Ger Arthur.
Subs: Shane Griffin for H Vaughan; Sean McConigley for E Vaughan; Stephen Twomey for D Gannon.
Newmarket: Kieran Devitt; Eoin McInerney, Stephen Kelly, Pádraig Gilmartin; Eoin O’Brien, Shane O’Brien, Alan Barrett; Martin O’Hanlon, Enda Barrett; Eoin Hayes, David Barrett, Jim McInerney; Enda Kelly, James McInerney, James Liddy.
Subs: Darren O’Connor for O’Hanlon; Ronan McCormack for Jim McInerney.