Clondegad secure promotion and cup final spot

Clondegad                   3-9
Kildysart                   0-14

A five point win over their neighbours Kildysart has earned Clondegad a place in the final of the Garry Cup (Division 2) as the win has seen them finish on top of the group. A further bonus for them is that they will be back in the Division 1 next season after a two-year absence.
Three first-half goals proved decisive to Saturday’s victory which was achieved without the influential Brennan brothers, Gary (injured) and Shane (overseas).
Kenneth Kelly opened the scoring with a Clondegad point but like scores from Ger Kelly and Damian Murtagh had the home side in front before Kenneth Kelly levelled the game at 0-2 each.
The first goal arrived in the 12th minute when Paudge McMahon soloed through and blasted to the net. Eoin Donlon followed with another before McMahon pointed to put his side seven clear.
Ger Kelly pulled a point back for the home side but straight from the kick-out Clondegad attacked and full-forward colm Quinlivan got the vital touch for their third goal.
In delivering the cross for this score, Kenneth Kelly picked up a leg injury that resulted in a delay before he was removed from the field and taken to hospital. At first it was feared that he had suffered a broken leg but this subsequently proved not to be the case but he is likely to be out of action for a while due to serious ankle ligament damage.
At half time it was 3-4 to 0-6 in Clondegad’s favour. They scored first in the second half through Paudge McMahon before Damian Murtagh hit two for the home side. Francie O’Reilly should have stretched the winner’s lead after this but he failed to convert a goal chance.
Points were exchanged up to the mid-point of the second half when the score stood at 3-6 to 0-13. However that was a close as the home side got to their neighbours who finished the game strongly for a merited win.
Kildysart will contest the semi-final of this league but they won’t know their opponents until the outcome of an appeal by Cratloe against the decision to schedule their game with Kilrush for last Saturday, is known.

Clondegad: Declan O’Loughlin; Flan Enright, Conor Gavin, Cormac Ryan; Francie Nealon, Brian Carigg, Tadhg Lynch; Eoin Griffin, Paddy Breen; Kieran Browne (0-1), Paudge McMahon (1-5), Francie O’Reilly (0-1); Kenneth Kelly (0-2), Colm Quinlivan (1-0), Eoin Donlon (1-0).
Subs: James Murphy for Kelly (inj) Paddy O’Connell for. Ryan.
Kildysart: Liam Griffin; Michael Eustace, Shane McNeilis, Kieran Ayers (0-1); Damian Hill (0-2), Brian Ayers, John Guinane; Keith O’Connor, Niall Guinnane; Damian Murtagh (0-5), Neil O’Connor, Christy Clancy; Ger Kelly (0-4), Keith Murphy (0-2), John Murtagh.
Subs: Brian O’Sullivan for McNeilis (inj) Ian Slobody for C Clancy; Eoin Cleary for J Murtagh; Brian Moloney for N Guinnane.

O’Curry’s                     5-9
Shannon Gaels                     0-6

O’Curry’s cruised to an easy win over Shannon Gaels in the final round of the Garry Cup in Doonaha last Saturday evening.
The winners scored all five of their goals in the second half with substitute James Troy scoring a hat trick. Jack Scanlan scored their first goal, while another substitute Sean Murphy scored the remaining goal.
The winners played against the breeze in the opening half and led 0-6 to 0-4 at half time. Mike O’Shea scored three of the Gaels first half points, with Padraig Neylon kicking the other, while Eoin Troy was O’Curry’s top point scorer in the opening half.
The winners took over completely on the resumption and banged in successive goals. Both teams finished on eight points on the table. O’Curry’s may qualify for a semi-final meeting with Kildysart if Cratloe beat Kilrush in the one outstanding fixture in this division. Although O’Curry’s would be tied with Kilrush and Shannon Gaels on eight points, they have a superior scoring difference. However if Kilrush win or are awarded the points, following the postponement of last Saturday’s game, Kilrush will join Kildysart in the semi-final.

O’Curry’s: PJ Greene; Paul Roche, Michael O’Shea, Declan Walsh; Tom Downes, Seán Haugh, Brian Troy; Ollie Quinlan, Damien Clohessy; Eoin Brew, Eoin Troy, Damien Carmody; Michael Carmody, Jack Scanlan, Jim Downes.
Subs: James Troy for Michael Carmody, Derek Troy for Damien Clohessy, Shane Keane for Eoin Brew, Seán Murphy for Jack Scanlan, Ryan McMahon for Declan Walsh.
Shannon Gaels: David Foley; Brian Bermingham, John Neylon, Frank Cleary; Stephen O’Shea, Eugene Flanagan, Micheál Lorigan; Noel Kennedy, Padraig Neylon; Diarmuid Lorigan, David Neylon, Caimin McMahon; Mike O’Shea, Brian O’Shea, Martin Tubridy.
Subs: Fergal Kenny for David Neylon, Damien O’Connell for Micheál Lorigan.

St Breckan’s                    0-9
Kilmurry-Ibrickane                2-2

A late winning point from Macken Byrne secured the points for St Breckan’s that gives them hope of avoiding relegation to Division 3. They will remain in Division 2 provided Cratloe don’t defeat Kilrush if that game is refixed.
Denis O’Driscoll, Donal Howley, Byrne, Liam Tierney and Dale Masterson were amongst the winners first-half scorers. They led 0-6 to 0-1 at half time having played with a strong wind.
Second half goals brought Kilmurry right back into the game. A Stephen Moloney free led to the first goal, which was an own goal, while Stephen Downes scored the second.
Aside from the winning score, Cathal Blood and Aidan Davidson were also on target for St Breckan’s in the second half.
The game was held up for several minutes when St Breckan’s captain Mikey Keating sustained a knee injury. Already without Conor Cormican with a long-term hand injury, St Breckan’s are also without Stephen Tierney who is in the US.
However, Kilmurry were without several first choice players for this fixture including Seamus Lynch, Odran O’Dwyer and Thomas Lernihan.

St Breckan’s: Andrew McMahon; Liam Tierney, Conor Howley, Daniel Carey; Dale Masterson, Shane Stack, Sean Cormican; Mikey Keating, Macken Byrne; Denis O’Driscoll, Donal Howley, Pat Nagle; Aidan Davidson, John Stack, Cian O’Flaherty.
Subs: Padraig Lacey for Pat Nagle (inj), Cathal Blood for John Stack, John Paul Keating for Cian O’Flaherty, Stephen Nagle for Mikey Keating (inj).
Kilmurry Ibrickane: John O’Neill; Eamon Dunne, John Willie Sexton, Conor O’Doherty; Thomas O’Doherty, Brendan O’Neill, Mark Moloney; Dermot O’Brien, Gary Donnellan; Stephen Downes, Stephen Moloney, Diarmuid Downes; Darragh Pender, John McNamara, Niall McGannon.
Subs: Gary Sexton.

Cratloe’s appeal
Cratloe have lodged an appeal to the CHC (County Hearings Committee) against the decision to fix their game with Kilrush in the final round of the Division 2 football league for Saturday last.
A request from Cratloe to switch the game to Sunday evening was agreed to by Kilrush and the South Clare club opted not to fulfil the fixture, arguing that they would be without nine first choice players, all of whom would be involved with Clare in last Sunday’s Munster senior and intermediate hurling semi-finals in Limerick.
The result of this game will have a big bearing on final positions in the group. If Kilrush win, they will be in the semi-final where they will play Kildysart. Defeat for Kilrush will leave them, Shannon Gaels and O’Currys all on eight points and it will come down to score difference to determine who will go through. At this time O’Curry’s have the better score difference.