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Action from St Joseph's v Michael Cusacks in the Clare IFC. Pic by Willie O'Reilly

Clare IFC Wrap Up

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Clare IFC Wrap

Shannon Gaels 2-11 Kilfenora 2-6

Shannon Gaels moved back into the last four of the Clare intermediate football championship after seeing off a stern test from Kilfenora.

It was a fitting way for the current crop to mark one the greatest achivements of the past with last Sunday marking 50 years since the Gaels were last crowned senior football champions.

Their bid to get back to the top tier took its latest step with this win, as goals in either half from Darragh Bohannon and Niall Ellis proved the crucial scores, with Ellis helping himself to 1-3 over the course of the hour.

The opening quarter was lively with the Gaels holding the lead by minimum at the first water break. It was Kilfenora who raced out of the blocks as Pat Connolle got the first of his two goals to send them into an early 1-1 to 0-3 lead. Shannon Gaels recovered well to notch the next two scores before the break, and a further 1-2 without reply in the second quarter put them well in control of the contest. Ellis was instrumental in that second goal, as he was fouled inside the square with Bohannon tucking it away. Bohannon also landed two points from placed balls and at the break Shannon Gaels were 1-7 to 1-2 in front.

That lead was stretched further in third quarter as Ellis broke through for a second Shannon Gaels goal and despite losing Thomas Kelly to a second yellow card, they held a 2-9 to 1-4 lead at the final water break.

Connolle did find the net once more for the North Clare side in the final quarter while Micheal Duffy continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over in the closing stages. There were chances for further scores but they could not make them count as Shannon Gaels closed out the game for a deserved second championship win.

Shannon Gaels: David Foley; Michael McMahon, Fergal Kenny, Stephen Keogh; Eoin Keane, Michael O’Malley, Aaron Malone-Smyth; Darragh Bohannon, Jack Reidy; Dylan Kenny, Thomas Kelly, Darren Crehan; Barry Crehan, Niall Ellis, Diarmuid Lorigan.

Scorers: Niall Ellis (1-3), Darragh Bohannon (1-2, 1-0 pen, 1 ’45, 1f), Thomas Kelly (0-3, 2f), Dylan Kenny, Eoin Keane and Aaron Malone Smyth (0-1 each).

Kilfenora: Liam Keane; Niall Hegethry, Mattie Egan. Cronan Howley; Paul Carkill, Cian O’Dea, Shane Long; Jack O’Dea, Robert Nagle; Gearóid Howley, Simon Keane, Danny Egan; Pat Connole Aidan Malone, Mícheál Duffy.

Scorers: Pat Connolle (2-0), Micheal Duffy (0-5), Cian O’Dea (0-1).

Eire Óg 1-10 Naomh Eoin 1-9

Eire Óg’s second string moved into the playoff round of the Clare intermediate football championship with a hard fought win over a gallant Naomh Eoin.

It was a keenly contested tie throughout with the sides level on three occasions in the closing stages before a strong final quarter from the Townies saw them surge three points clear. That gap was reeled back in to the minimum before the final whistle, but crucially the peninsula side could never restore parity.

Naomh Eoin had the perfect start to the game with Owen Lynch’s opportunist goal coming after veteran Mick Liddane saw his attempt at a point come back off the post. It dropped to the waiting arms of Lynch who was clinical with the finish.

That joy was shortlived though as Alan O’Neill produced a powerful low drive to the net after being sent clear by the lively Manus Doherty. That helped Eire Óg to take a narrow lead into the opening water break by 1-2 to 1-1 with Doherty and O’Neill on target for the Townies while Gearoid Lynch notched a point for the westerners.

There was nothing between the sides at the half-time whistle with Conor Magner and Doherty each scoring a brace of points for their respective teams. Doherty’s duo put Eire Óg two clear, but three in a row from Niall Bonfil, Magner and Owen Lynch handed the initiative back to Naomh Eoin. O’Neill was in fine form from frees, and his second of the game restored parity to see the sides locked at 1-5 each at the break.

The third quarter was a tense affair with O’Neill and Magner swapping frees as both sides struggled to make any real headway. Eire Óg made the crucial kick for home just after the final water break as Ultan Shields, Sean Corry and O’Neill all found the range to put daylight between the sides for the first time in the game.

Naomh Eoin, who were without key players due to injury and suspension, deserve huge credit for the manner in which they stuck to their task. Veteran like Mick Liddane, Seamus Bolton and Patrick Foley put in massive shifts, and while they outscored the Townies 0-3 to 0-1 in the closing stages, that levelling score never materialised.

Eire Óg: Eoin Slattery; Mark Collins, Noel Whelan, Rory Brennan; Cathal Lynch, Gearoid Collins, Gavin D’Auria; Sean Corry, Ultan Shields; Jamie Roche, Darren O’Brien, Colin Reidy; Kevin Brennan, Alan O’Neill, Rory Gallagher.

Scorers: Alan O’Neill (1-4, 4f), Manus Doherty (0-3, 1f, 1 ’45), Sean Corry, Ultan Shields and Gavin D’Auria (0-1 each).

Naomh Eoin: Kieran Magner; Declan Keniry, Patrick Geaney, Andrew Naughton; Niall Bonfil, Odhran Lynch, Eoin Hanrahan; Conor Manger, Conor Downes; Gavin Magner, Mick Liddane, Gearoid Lynch; Patrick Foley, Seamus Boland, Owen Lynch.

Scorers: Conor Magner (0-5, 5f), Owen Lynch (1-1), , Niall Bonfil, Patrick Foley and Cathal Downes (0-1 each).

Corofin 1-15 Liscannor 0-3

The battle of North Clare was easily won in the end as a much slicker and clinical Corofin eased into the playoff round and stayed in the hunt for a place in the last four.

The game was something of a slow burner as Corofin led by just 0-3 to 0-1 at the opening water break, and stretched that advantage to 0-7 to 0-2 at the half-time whistle.

The goal only arrived after the second water break and it came from the penalty spot as Gearoid Cahill continued his return from injury with a tidy finish. He finished with 1-4 overall with two of those points coming from play, while brother Diarmuid (0-4) and Jamie Malone (0-3) were also prominent in the scoring stakes.

Corofin: Kieran Carkille; John Rees, Eoin Clancy , Damien O’Loughlin; Colm Rice , Fionn Clancy , Shay Malone; Kevin Keane , Cillian Mullins; Sean O’Brien , Gearoid Cahill, Gearoid Kelly; Robin Mousey, Jamie Malone, Cillian Clancy.

Subs: Diarmaid Cahill for Cillian Clancy, Fergus Killeen for Kelly, Conor Leen for Shay Malone, Diarmuid Cleary for Rees.

Scorers: Gearoid Cahill (1-4, 1-0 pen, 2f), Diarmaid Cahill (0-4), Jamie Malone (0-3), Robin Mounsey (0-2) , Fionn Clancy and Gearoid Kelly (0-1 each).

Liscannor: Anthony Lacey; Anthony Canavan, Niall Considine, Kieran Roche; Franseco Bonito, Shane Canavan, Brian Considine; Stephen Murray, Brian Leyden; Cathal O’Gorman, Alan Clohessey, Shane Curtin; Oisin Leyden, Ronan Slattery, Robert Lucas.

Subs: David Commane for Slattery, Aidan Murray for Curtin

Scorers: Oisin Leyden (0-2, 2f), Alan Clohessey (0-1).

Kildysart 1-14 O’Curry’s 2-5

A strong finish from Kildysart eventually saw them overcome the challenge of a battling O’Curry’s to make it back to the semi-final of the intermediate football championship.

Having overcome a scare in the opening round against Corofin, the men from the estuary had another major fright here before a run of 1-4 without reply in the closing stages saw them over the line.

O’Curry’s had the ideal start to the game with two goals from Danny Downes in the opening perioid helping them a 2-2 to 0-7 half time lead.

Ger ‘Bobby’ Kelly continued to defy Father Time as the 2019 All Ireland Masters winner lined out at full forward and landed 0-5 over the course of the contest. He was backed up most by young star Emmet McMahon with the same total, while Seamus Casey’s late goal was the score that finally settled the tie.

Midway through the second period, the sides were level at 2-4 to 0-10 but it was last year’s beaten finalists who finished best to outscore the West Clare side by 1-4 to 0-1 in the closing stages and seal the win.

McMahon stood tallest in that period with some crucial scores and once Casey rattled the net, there was no coming back for an O’Curry’s outfit who put in a massive effort in their bid for a semi-final spot.

Kildysart: Robert Eyres, Kieran Leahy, Conor Donnellan, Brian Eyres, Kieran O’Brien, Shane McNelis, Stevie Sheehan (0-1), Neil O’Connor, Emmet Mcmahon (0-5, 4f), Mikey Donnellan, Keith O’Connor, Conor Hassett (0-1), Diarmuid O’Donnell (0-2, 2f) Ger Kelly (0-5, 1f), Seamus Casey (1-0).

Scorers: Ger ‘Bobby’ Kelly (0-5, 1f), Emmet McMahon (0-5, 4f), Seamus Casey (1-0), Diarmuid O’Donnell (0-2, 2f), Conor Hassett and Stevie Sheehan (0-1 each).

Subs: Kieran Eyres for Hassett, Michael Eustace for Brian Eyres, John Ginnane for Neil O’Connor, Oisin Coyle for Mikey Donnellan, John Murtagh for McNelis.

Wolfe Tones 0-9 Coolmeen 0-6

WOLFE Tones doggedly booked their spot in a playoff with a three-point win over Coolmeen in a war of attrition in Ennis on Saturday afternoon.

Having both lost their first round games, the pressure was on both sides to not lose and what resulted was a tight affair with the onus on defensive play.

At the opposite end of the field though Cian O’Rourke was in great form for Wolfe Tones as he landed four points from play and was the difference maker for the Shannon side, alongside Jayme O’Sullivan’s reliable free-taking.

Mark Meaney put Coolmeen ahead early on in the clash, but O’Rourke soon levelled the tie. Donal O’Halloran and Dan Gallery then matched each other with points.

Aidan Corry bagged Coolmeen’s third while O’Rourke landed his third of the clash to ensure Wolfe Tones edged the scoreboard with a 0-4 to 0-3 lead at half-time.

Corry landed his second after the resumption to level the tie but Wolfe Tones started getting the better of the exchanges and had more possession as the second half wore on.

The Shannon side began relying on the boot of Jayme O’Sullivan for scores and the full-back and free-taker duly obliged with three scores in the second half to nudge his side in front in what was a very close tie.

JJ Carrig landed a point and Cathal O’Connor added one at the death for Coolmeen but the deficit was too much and points from O’Rourke, who gave a classy display, and sub Kevin Cahill ensured Wolfe Tones came away with the deserved victory.

Wolfe Tones: Shane Russell; Shane Nihill, Jayme O’Sullivan, Barry Murphy; Sean Costelloe, Aaron Brennan, Joe McAuley; Ross O’Connor, Stephen Tuohy; Cian O’Rourke, Conor Carrig, Stephen Donnellan; Ben O’Neill, Dan Gallery, Conor Casey.

Subs: Cian Hogan for Sean Costelloe, Kevin Cahill for Dan Gallery, Daniel Chláir for Aaron Brennan.

Scorers: Cian O’Rourke 0-4, Jayme O’Sullivan 0-3f, Dan Gallery 0-1, Kevin Cahill 0-1f.

Coolmeen: Adam Carrig; Alan Normoyle, Brian Markham, Kevin Val McMahon; Marty Mc Mahon, Gary Meaney, Thomas Coffey; Eoin O Connor, Cathal O Connor; Daniel Forde, Mark Meaney, Dylan O’Halloran; Aidan Corry, JJ Carrig, Paudie Corry.

Subs: Ben Cleary for Dylan O’Halloran, Joe Corry for Paudie Corry, Jamie Brooks for Eoin O’Connor.

Scorers: Aidan Corry 0-2 (1f), Mark Meaney, Dylan O’Halloran, JJ Carrig, Cathal O’Connor 0-1 each.

St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield 1-12 Michael Cusacks 1-10

ST JOSEPH’S Doora-Barefield survived both early and late scares from last year’s Junior champions Michael Cusacks to book their place in the last four after a tough battle in Corofin on Saturday evening.

Michael Cusacks got off to a flying start and landed the first six points of the game, as they crowded out the middle third, won a lot of the scuffles in the centre and got plenty of men behind the ball when St Joseph’s were in possession.

Hugh Kelly with two early points, Aidan Forde and Domhnall McMahon were all on the scoresheet for the Burren side.

Cusacks held Joseph’s scoreless from play in the first half as it was two Conor Brannock frees that were The Parish’s scores in the opening 30 minutes, as the half-time score read Michael Cusacks 0-6 St Joseph’s 0-2.

Three minutes into the second half, the complexion of the game changed completely when a penalty awarded to Doora-Barefield was neatly tucked away by Kieran Thynne to bring them within one point.

A couple of minutes later Tom Hannan landed his side’s first score from play to level the game after 35 minutes.

Cusacks dug deep and didn’t allow St Joseph’s to push in as the sides then went tit-for-tat until the final water break where it was St Joseph’s 1-6 to Michael Cusacks 0-9.

It was St Joseph’s though that found the extra gear when the game was in the melting pot and scores from David O’Brien, Cian McDonough, a free from ‘keeper Tom O’Brien and Conor Brannock’s fourth score of the day ensured Michael Cusacks would need a minor miracle to turn the deficit around.

They almost got their divine intervention, though, as they landed a late goal to narrow the gap to two points, but St Joseph’s held on to book their place in the final four.

Honourable mention must go to Tom O’Brien who pulled off two incredible saves to keep St Joseph’s ahead at crucial times and were it not for him, the result would certainly have been different.

St Joseph’s: Tom O’Brien; Peter Collins, Conor O’Brien, Aodhán O’Shea; Donal O’Halloran, Alan Killeen, Kevin Harrington; Dara O’Shea, Jack Hannan; Kieran Thynne, Eoin Hanrahan, Tom Hannan; Cathal Duggan, Leo Duggan, Conor Brannock.

Subs: Cian McDonouh for Donal O’Halloran, David O’Brien for Cathal Duggan, Pa McInerney for Leo Duggan, Phil Ryan for Kieran Thynne, Conal Kelleher for Conor Brannock,

Scorers: Conor Brannock 0-4 (0-2f), Tom Hannan 0-3, Kieran Thynne 1-0pen, David O’Brien 0-2, Tom O’Brien (f), Cian McDonagh, Leo Duggan 0-1 each.

Michael Cusacks: Shane Lee; Danny O’Connor, Ronan Monahan, Conor Fahy; Fergal O’Grady, Aidan McNamara, Robbie Cassidy; Neil Quinn, John Fawle; Tadhg Geoghegan, Seán McNamara, Hugh Kelly; Joey Droney, Aidan Forde, Domhnall McMahon.

Subs: Killian Droney for Neil Quinn, Seán Brosnan for Joey Droney, Robbie Hunt for Aidan Forde.

Scorers: Domhnall McMahon 1-2 (0-1 ’45), Aidan Forde 0-3f, Hugh Kelly, Seán McNamara 0-2 each, Tadhg Geoghegan 0-1.

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