Clonara win at their ease

Clonlara 2-19   Clooney-Quin 2-10

HURLING well within themselves, Clonara eased beyond Clooney-Quin in Clarecastle last Saturday evening. Very simply, Clonara had several players capable of creating and taking a score, while their opponents were reliant on Peter Duggan to keep them in touch.

The ideal scenario for a club like Clonara, who are likely to be competing at the latter stages of the championship, come late September, mid-October is to win their opening game, without having to unduly exert themselves.

That’s more or less what they did before their club players and every club player in the county, hang up their championship hurleys for most of the summer.

The earliest club players will be seen playing championship again is the last weekend in June if Clare reach the Munster Senior Hurling final. If that happens, clubs will have six days’ notice before their second round group game. If Clare don’t reach the Munster final, club players will have 12 weeks to prepare for their next 60 minutes of championship hurling.

Although the evening was damp, the Clarecastle pitch was in superb condition. Clooney-Quin were competitive for eight minutes until Darach Honan stretched his legs and notched 1-1 inside a minute.

Honan flicked a sublime second to the Clooney-Quin net, seven minutes before half-time before adding a brace of effortless points. Honan’s 2-3 helped his side into a comfortable 2-10 to 0-7 interval lead and while he was on the field, Honan wasn’t seen again. He had done his bit and knows he’ll need to extend himself for Clare and Clonara later this year but there was no call for a flat out innings last weekend.

Peter Duggan scored 0-6, 0-5 from frees in the first half, while John Earls was his only team-mate to score in the opening half.

Clooney-Quin were, however, unlucky not to raise a green flag in the 12th minute, following a mammoth delivery from Peter Duggan.

Cathal O’Connell, who was very busy in the first half, John Conlon, Colm Galvin and the impressive James Hastings put over Clonara’s additional opening half tally.

While Clooney-Quin did up their performance on the resumption, the nearest they came to the winners was six points, five minutes from time.

Peter Duggan rocketed home their first goal from a free, having been fouled himself, while substitute Pádraig Ward scored their second, seven minutes from time.

Duggan, Mike Daffy and Cathal Egan scored their remaining points, while Hastings, Conlon and Galvin tagged on points for Clonara, who didn’t have to extend themselves.

Darach Honan top scored without appearing to raise a sweat, while beside him, James Hastings played some outstanding hurling. Elsewhere Oisín O’Brien excelled at corner-back, while Domhnall O’Donovan was rock solid in front of Ger O’Connell, whose constant cajoling was a source of vocal leadership to Clonara.

Peter Duggan imparted further evidence of his sublime skill, while Conor Harrison kept Darach Honan to 0-1 when switched onto him.

Clonara: Ger O’Connell; Shane O’Brien, Domhnall O’Donovan, Oisín O’Brien; Pat O’Hare, Nicky O’Connell (captain), Eoin Meehan; William Slattery, Colm Galvin; Neil Ryan, John Conlon, Cathal O’Connell; Darach Honan, David Begley, James Hastings.
Subs: Micheál O’Loughlin for William Slattery (47), Ronan Carey for David Begley (47), Cillian Fennessy for Neil Ryan (54).
Scorers: Darach Honan (2-3), John Conlon (0-6, 4f), James Hastings 0-5, Colm Galvin 0-3, Cathal O’Connell 0-2.
Wides: 8; frees: 11; 65s: 0.
Yellow cards: Nicky O’Connell, Neil Ryan.
Clooney-Quin: Damian O’Halloran; Brian McInerney, Joe O’Loughlin, Donncha Murphy (captain); Enda Harrison, Shane McNamara, Conor Harrison; Peter Duggan, John Earls; Richie Hennessy, James Casey, Fergal Lynch; Seamus Conroy, Cathal Egan, Mike Daffy.
Subs: Ryan Taylor for Seamus Conroy (half-time), Pádraig Ward for James Casey (42), James Corry for Cathal Egan (47), Adrian Fleming for John Earls (53).
Scorers: Peter Duggan (1-7, 1-6f), Pádraig Ward (1-0), John Earls, Cathal Egan, Mike Daffy (0-1 each).
Wides: 7; frees: 14; 65s: 0.
Yellow cards: Cathal Egan.
Referee: Rory Hickey (Éire Óg).