The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
Clarecastle 2-18 Broadford 2-6
ULTIMATELY, the significance of the hole on top of John Casey’s net was usurped by the excellence of Clarecastle’s second-half display in Shannon last Saturday afternoon.
If Clarecastle had lost by a couple of points, Broadford’s 12th minute goal would have rankled with the Mapgies every bit as much as Sixmilebridge’s floodlights did two years ago. That evening, the lights were switched on without consultation in the ’Bridge, on an evening when Clarecastle lost to Cratloe by a point.
This time, Clarecastle goalkeeper John Casey was adamant that Niall Moloney’s shot dropped on top of the net at the scoreboard side before it slipped through a hole in roof and dropped behind him. Immediately, Joe Kelly raised the green flag, prompting ructions from Clarecastle, who had Eric Flynn booked amid the protests. Casey was yellow-carded before a ball was pucked at the start of the second half, for another comment on the issue to his ‘new’ umpires at the far end of the Wolfe Tones field.
Broadford’s questionable goal was their last score of the opening half. It shot them into a 1-3 to 0-3 lead but Clarecastle, who were minus several injured players, struck nine unanswered points, including four at the start of the second half.
Jonathon Clancy clipped over three excellent points on the spin, while Aaron Considine, Tyrone Kearse from frees and Darragh Moloney, with a trio of early second-half points, propelled Clarecastle into a 0-12 to 1-3 lead four minutes into the second period.
Although Eamon Callinan angled over an exceptional score, his second from play at the that stage, Pádraig Hickey’s goal for Broadford narrowed the deficit to three points.
Hickey, who went for goal on a couple of occasions when a point was the easier option, found the net 15 minutes from full time, when he pulled overhead after Niall Moloney had ran at Clarecastle.
Now just 0-13 to 2-4 up, Clarecastle’s riposte was impressive. Set up by Jamie O’Connor, Clancy hit over his fifth point from play before Darragh Moloney escaped Kieran Corcoran and netted the Magpies into a 1-14 to 2-4 lead.
After Kearse and Callinan put Clarecastle further ahead, Moloney profited from an Alan O’Loughlin pass to goal again and finish off Broadford.
Ironically, given the furore surrounding Broadford’s first goal, Clarecastle were denied what they thought was a definite point five minutes before half-time. Tyrone Kearse’s shot landed on the roof of the net but the umpires judged that the shot had veered in around the back of the post.
On an afternoon when Clarecastle played some exceptional hurling and used the diagonal ball to open up Broadford, Ollie Plunkett, Eric Flynn, Jonathon Clancy, Darragh Moloney in the second half and Eamon Callinan showed what they were made of.
Having drawn with Kilmaley in their opening fixture, Clarecastle still have to play Scariff and Clooney Quin, while Broadford have lost both of their opening group fixtures.
