Championship draws throw up interesting pairings

Kilmurry-Ibrickane 1-13   Doonbeg 0-9
This is one of the few Cusack Cup games to generate interest amongst the general public. This was reflected by the sizeable crowd at the second-round game in Shanahan McNamara Park last Saturday evening. When Kilmurry play Doonbeg, incident and maximum effort levels are a given.
The incident was catered for eight minutes before half-time when Doonbeg’s Conor Whelan was red-carded following an incident with Michael O’Dwyer. There was a time when Doonbeg lifted their game to a new level if they found themselves a man down. Last weekend wasn’t one of those times.
Kilmurry led 0-6 to 0-4 at half-time, with Noel Downes, Enda Coughlan, Tom Lernihan and Peter O’Dwyer finding the target for the winners. Conor Downes, Enda Doyle and Brian Dillon scored Doonbeg’s first-half points.
The home club upped their game in the early minutes of the second half. Points from Dillon and Frank O’Dea, sandwiched between a Noel Downes reply, left Kilmurry 0-7 to 0-6 ahead.
However, Keith King’s nicely taken goal proved the game’s crucial score. Just a minute later, Shane Ryan had a excellent chance of goaling in instant reply but his shot went wide at Peter O’Dwyer’s right-hand post at the scoreboard end. Had that shot nestled in the net, the last 20 minutes could have been rather more eventful.
A Noel Downes point stretched Kilmurry’s lead (1-8 to 0-6) but three successive Brian Dillon points infused Doonbeg with some hope. However, a fisted Downes point, followed by a similar Keith King, effort was added to by an Enda Coughlan free. The same player added a superb score from play, as did Peter O’Dwyer in the closing minutes.
Five minutes from time Shane Ryan had another goal effort blocked by Darren Hickey while Doonbeg goalkeeper Eamon Downes made an excellent save from Odran O’Dwyer a minute from normal time.

Kilmurry-Ibrickane: Peter O’Dwyer; Shane Hickey, Darren Hickey, Pat Sexton; Tom Lernihan, Paul O’Connor, Thomas O’Connor; Keith King, Peter O’Dwyer; Seamus Murrihy, Enda Coughlan, Niall Hickey; Stephen Moloney, Noel Downes, Michael O’Dwyer.
Subs: Johnny Daly for Niall Hickey; Odran O’Dwyer for Seamus Murrihy; Seamus Lynch for Thomas O’Connor; Eamon Dunne for Pat Sexton.
Doonbeg: Eamon Tubridy; Philip Smith, Pádraig Gallagher, Conor Whelan; Richie Vaughan, Brian Dillon, Jim Bob Griffin; Frank O’Dea, Enda Doyle; Brian Egan, Colm Dillon, Conor Downes; Cian Clancy, Shane Ryan, Paul Dillon.
Subs: Colm Killeen for Paul Dillon (injured).

Miltown 2-4   Ennistymon 0-9
Following their second successive Cusack Cup win, St Joseph’s Miltown are now joint top of the Cusack Cup table along with neighbours Kilmurry-Ibrickane. The winners led 1-3 to 0-4 at half-time, with Dessie Molohan netting the first of Miltown’s goals.
Ian Sexton struck for Miltown’s second goal early in the second half and it was this score that proved pivotal in securing the result. However, Ennistymon finished impressively and scored the game’s last four points from Seán Cullinan, Joe Dowling and Brian McDonagh.
Miltown play Shannon Gaels this weekend while Ennistymon take on St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield.

Miltown: Niall Quinn; Enda Malone, Kevin Burke, Brendan O’Brien; Ian Sexton, Gordon Kelly, David Cleary; Seán Meade, Darragh McDonagh; Micheál Malone, Gary Egan, Seánie Malone; Joe Curtin, Eoin Curtin, Dessie Molohan.
Subs: Gearóid Curtin for David Cleary; Michael Hehir for Gary Egan; Enda O’Gorman for Brendan O’Brien.
Ennistymon: Seán Keane; Enda Ralph, Brian McDonagh, Wayne Griffin; Michael Devitt, Kieran Devitt, James Murphy; Laurence Healy, Michael Houlihan; Joe Dowling, Joey Rouine, Seán O’Driscoll; Cathal McGonigley, John McInerney, Seán Cullinan.
Sub: Eamon Murphy for John McInerney.

Eire Óg 2-10   Kilrush 1-6
Second-half goals from Darren O’Neill helped Éire Óg to their third Cusack Cup point last weekend. Having drawn their first game against Ennistymon, this victory completes an excellent opening week of Cusack Cup football for James Hanrahan’s teams.
Having been well beaten by Miltown in their first game, Kilrush improved considerably on that display.
The teams were level at 0-4 each at half-time but an early second-half Donal Madigan goal helped Kilrush to establish a 1-6 to 0-4 advantage. At this juncture, it looked as if Kilrush were about to build on this lead and record a win but Éire Óg were soon on the comeback trail.
O’Neill, one of the Clare U-21’s best performers against Cork the previous Wednesday, goaled 15 minutes from time while Danny Russell, Eoin Glynn, Shane Daniels and Seán O’Meara added points.
O’Neill netted his second late in the second half.

Éire Óg: Shane O’Connell; Francie Keane, Saran Butler, Robbie Malone; Aidan McGrath, Shane Daniels, David Smyth; David Russell, Brian Frawley; Dylan Blake, Seán Crotty, Colin Smyth; Eoin Glynn, Darren O’Neill, Seán O’Meara.
Subs: Danny Russell for Aidan McGrath; Mattie Melican for Robbie Malone; James Sweeney for Dylan Blake; Paul Madden for Brian Frawley.
Kilrush: Tony Burke; Seamus Bolton, Niall Gilbride, Cathal Lyons; Niall Brennan, Matthew Moloney, John Hayes; Jim Young, Darragh Bolton; Donal Madigan, Padjoe McGrath, Niall Clancy; Stephen Sweeney, Owen Tarrant, Ruaidhri O’Connor.
Subs: Calum Bond for Donal Madigan; David O’Shea for Niall Clancy; Jamie Gilligan for Stephen Sweeney.

Doora-Barefield 4-14   Shannon Gaels 0-4
St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield hammered Shannon Gaels in their meeting in Gurteen last Saturday evening.
While Shannon Gaels were minus some of their more experienced players, St Joseph’s dominated completely and deserved their emphatic win.
The home club led 2-8 to 0-3 at half-time and the game was well over at that stage.
Cathal Duggan and Luke Brannock scored their goals while Cathal O’Sullivan and Alan O’Neill added similar scores in the second period.
This was St Joseph’s first win of the campaign while Shannon Gaels have now lost both their opening fixtures.

Doora-Barefield: Declan O’Keeffe; Paudie Nugent, Seán Flynn, Declan Malone; Damien Kennedy, Ivor Whyte, Ger Fannin; Mark Hallinan, Kevin Dilleen; Paul Dullaghan, Greg Lyons, David O’Brien; Luke Brannock, Cathal O’Sullivan, Cathal Duggan.
Subs: Alan O’Neill for Ger Fannin; Enda Lyons for Cathal Duggan; Mark Brooks for Paudie Nugent; Jamie Collins for Luke Brannock; Chris O’Brien for Paul Dullaghan.
Shannon Gaels: Keith Ryan; Michael McMahon, Micheál Lorigan, Stephen O’Shea; Damien O’Connell, Frank Cleary, Michael Coughlan; Padraig Neylon, Michael O’Donoghue; Fergal O’Neill, Nigel Hehir, Mark
Bohannon; Brian Cunningham, David Neylon, Shane Tubridy.
Subs: Noel Kennedy for Michael McMahon; Martin Tubridy for Fergal O’Neill; Declan O’Connell for Stephen O’Shea; Cillian McMahon for Shane Tubridy.