Clare too strong for NUI Galway

The excellent all-weather pitch at the University of Limerick was the venue on Monday for a challenge game between Clare senior hurlers and NUI, Galway.
In a game played over four periods of 20 minutes, Clare emerged convincing winners  4-22 to 0-12.
After the first two periods, Clare introduced a complete new team and they dominated the third quarter, outscoring their opponents on a 1-9 to 0-0 scoreline, which played a big part in the comprehensive winning margin. In all, Clare used 31 players in Monday’s outing.
On a bitterly cold afternoon, the opening minutes were played in heavy rain and this was a contributory factor in the low scoring first period, at the end of which Clare led 0-5 to 0-4.
A goal from Aaron Cunningham saw Clare open a five point margin by the halfway mark when the score was 1-9 to 0-7.
Patrick O’Connor goaled in the third quarter when Clare had the assistance of the wind and at the end of this period the score was 2-18 to 0-9.
Tempers flared early in the final period and referee Johnnie Healy (Smith O’Briens) issued yellow cards to Clarecastle’s Patrick Kelly (in the NUIG line-up) and the Cratloe pair of Conor McGrath and Sean Collins.
Kelly, who played in the half-back line, was one of three Clare players in the NUI Galway side, the others being Caimin Morey (Sixmilebridge) at wing-forward and Eoin Hayes (Newmarket) who lined out at corner-forward.
Goalkeeper Donal Tuohy, a student at NUI, Galway, was an absentee due to injury as were Diarmuid McMahon and Darach Honan.
John Conlon, Colin Ryan and Jonathon Clancy were unavailable.
Minors Seadna Morey, Colm Galvin and Aaron Cunningham impressed while others to get through some good work were Brendan Bugler, Nicky O’Connell, Conor McGrath, Cathal McInerney and Sean Collins.
A number of challenge games are planned for the coming weeks ahead of Clare’s first competitive game of 2012, the Waterford Crystal tournament opening round in which they will entertain Waterford IT on January 29. This weekend Clare will play Limerick sides, Limerick IT and UL.
The Clare team for the first two periods on Monday was: Patrick Kelly (Inagh-Kilnamona); Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge), Brian Glynn (Inagh-Kilnamona), Domhnaill O’Donovan (Clonlara); Stephen O’Halloran (Clarecastle), James McInerney (Newmarket), Pat Donnellan (O’Callaghan’s Mills); Liam Markham (Cratloe), Brendan Bugler (Whitegate); Enda Barrett (Newmarket), Shane Golden (Sixmilebridge), Fergal Lynch (Clooney-Quin); Aaron Cunningham (Wolfe Tones), Ger Arthur (Inagh-Kilnamona), Cathal McInerney (Cratloe).
The team for the final two periods was Derek Fahy (Sixmilebridge); Eamonn Glynn (Inagh-Kilnamona), Conor Cooney (O’Callaghan’s Mills), Paul Flanagan (Ballyea); Mark Earley (Tubber), Cian Dillon (Crusheen), Ciaran O’Doherty (Crusheen); Patrick O’Connor (Tubber), Nicky O’Connell (Clonlara); Daire Keane (Kilmaley), Sean Collins (Cratloe), Cathal Chaplin (Broadford); Danny Russell (Éire Óg), Conor McGrath (Cratloe), Colm Galvin (Clonlara); Subs: Enda Barrett (Newmarket) for O’Connor (inj); Domhnaill O’Donovan (Clonlara) for Collins; Andrew Fahy (Whitegate) for D Fahy.