The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
Clooney-Quin 2-25
Éire Óg 1-14
CLOONEY-Quin picked up some much-needed points when they recorded a fully deserved win over a fancied Éire Óg side at Clooney on Monday. The town side made the short journey to their neighbours as joint leaders of Division 1A Hurling but it was their first outing since their shock loss to Ruan in the opening round of the championship.
They got off to a dream start with a Graham Glynn goal after just one minute but this was as good as it got. By the end of the first quarter, the home side were 11 points clear, 2-9 to 1-1 and when the half-time whistle sounded, the margin was still the same with the score now at 2-14 to 1-6. The winners’ first-half goals came from Mike Daffy and Fergal Lynch.
Defensive problems have troubled Éire Óg this season. They were very evident in their championship clash with Ruan and they were again evident on Monday when the winners hit 2-17 from play.
Peter Duggan, who made his Munster senior championship debut on Sunday in Thurles, was their top scorer with 0-10 to his credit before he was replaced in the final quarter.
Clooney Quin: Damian O’Halloran, Brian McInerney, Shane McNamara, Joe O’Loughlin; Ruairi McNamara, Cillian Duggan, Conor Harrison, Jimmy Corry (0-1), Donacha Murphy (0-2), John Earls (0-2), Peter Duggan (0-10, 7f), Ryan Taylor (0-4), Seamus Conroy, Fergal Lynch (1-1), Mike Daffy (1-4).
Subs: Cathal Egan for John Earls, Derek Ryan (0-1) for Peter Duggan.
Éire Óg: Kevin Brennan, Ronan Cooney, Mark Fitzgerald, Liam Corry, Ciarán Russell, Kevin Moynihan, Aaron Fitzgerald (0-1), David O’Halloran (0-1), Marc O’Donnell, Tadhg MacNamara (0-1), Brian Dolan, Barry Nugent (0-3), David Reidy (0-4, 3f), Graham Glynn (1-1), Thomas Downes (0-1).
Subs: David Neylon (0-1) for Tadhg MacNamara, Philip Walsh for Kevin Brennan, Niall McMahon for Marc O’Donnell, Niall O’Connor (0-1) for Thomas Downes.
Referee: Fergie McDonagh (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield).
Newmarket 4-19
Broadford 0-16
MIKE McInerney hit a hat-trick of goals as Newmarket continued their good form in this season’s Clare Champion Cup when proving too strong for Broadford at Glenomra Park on Monday evening.
They built up an eight-point lead in the opening half and when the half-time whistle sounded, they were 1-11 to 0-6 in front. McInerney was the first-half goalscorer and that goal sent the Blues on their way.
He added two in the second half when Shane Liddy scored their fourth goal.
The respective free-takers, Liam Clancy and Craig Chaplin, were in fine form scoring 10 and 12 points respectively.
The result keeps Newmarket in joint top spot with Inagh-Kilnamona and the teams will meet in Round 7 this Saturday in Fr Murphy Park.
Newmarket: Darren Duggan; Eoin McInerney, Pádraig Kilmartin, Shane Kelleher; Eoin O’Brien, Enda Barrett, Niall O’Connor; Martin O’Hanlon, Noel Frawley; David Barrett, Ronan Goode, Liam Clancy; James Liddy, Mike McInerney, Shane Liddy.
Subs: Alan McInerney for O’Hanlon; Seanie Arthur for D Barrett; Darren Power for Eoin O’Brien; Donogh Keogh for Clancy.
Broadford: Craig Shanahan; Brian Taylor, Alan Kilcoyne, Jack Kelleher; Cathal Chaplin, Aonghus O’Brien, Caolan Cox; Craig Chaplin, Mark Moloney; Damian Keniry, Stephen Gunning, Padraig Taylor; John Corcoran, Declan Teefy, Danny Reddan.
Subs: Stiofan McMahon for Reddan; Donie Whelan for Kelleher; Reddan for Teefy.
Inagh-Kilnamona 3-14
Sixmilebridge 2-13
DESPITE the absence of such as Eamonn Glynn, Conor Tierney and the Vaughans, Inagh-Kilnamona still proved too strong for Sixmilebridge when the sides clashed in the Clare Champion Cup at Inagh on Monday.
The teams exchanged points twice in the early stages before a Gerry Coote goal gave the home side a three-point lead. The visitors fought back to level with points from Pa Sheehan (2) and Darragh O’Connor. A brace of Ger Arthur points pushed the home side two clear before Danny Morey got through for a Sixmilebridge goal to give them the lead for the only time in the game, 1-6 to 1-5.
A Shane Griffin goal after good work by Ger Arthur put Inagh-Kilnamona back in front and they went on to lead by five points at half-time, 2-9 to 1-7.
After they exchanged points early in the second half, Kevin Lynch had the visitor’s second goal to cut the lead to two points, eight minutes into this period.
The lead stretched to six points in the 12th minute when Gerry Coote turned a long-range free from goalkeeper Patrick Kelly into the Sixmilebridge net.
At the three-quarter stage, the score was 3-12 to 2-9 in favour of the winners and while the visitors succeeded in cutting the margin to three, 3-13 to 2-13, with a few minutes remaining, the home side held firm and an excellent Niall Arthur point after he received a pass from his brother Ger, sealed victory.
The win keeps Inagh-Kilnamona in the race for a place in the semi-finals, while Sixmilebridge remain in the relegation zone at the foot of the table.
Inagh-Kilnamona: Patrick Kelly; Sean Devitt, Milo Keane, Dermot Lynch; Colm Pilkington, Damian Lafferty, Brian Hehir; Tomas Kelly (0-1), Paul O’Looney; Shane Griffin (1-1), Ger Arthur (0-6), Christopher O’Looney (0-1); Gerry Coote (2-1), Niall Arthur (0-3) Gary Lafferty (0-1).
Sub: Cathal McConigley for Griffin.
Sixmilebridge: Derek Fahy; Paul Fitzpatrick, Brian Carey, Tadhg Keogh; Sam O’Sullivan, Paudie Fitzpatrick, Noel Purcell; Cathal O’Connor, Pa Sheehan (0-4); Trevor Purcell, Kevin Lynch (1-2), Christy Griffin (0-1); Darragh O’Connor (0-1), Rory Shanahan (0-1), Danny Morey (1-1).
Subs: Sean Lynch (0-3) for D O’Connor; Eanna Burns for N Purcell; Eanna McInerney for T Purcell.
Referee: Ambrose Heagney, Corofin.
Clarecastle 0-27
Clonlara 3-11
CLARECASTLE continued their recent good form when they hit an impressive 27 points on their way to a merited win over an under-strength Clonlara at Clarecastle on Monday.
Clonlara were certainly struggling to put a team together for this one and they were forced to play regular goalkeeper Ger O’Connell in the full-forward line alongside manager, Donal Madden, who came out of retirement to play at full-forward.
The teams are in the same group in the championship and will meet later in the season when the South-East Clare side will hope to have a stronger squad with county players John Conlon, Darach Honan, Domhnaill O’Donovan and Colm Galvin available.
The Magpies, it must be pointed out, were also short some regulars for Monday’s league encounter when Clare senior panelists Jonathon Clancy, Stephen O’Halloran and Patrick Kelly played leading roles in their win.
There was little between the teams in the early stages as they exchanged points before a Nicky O’Connell long-lange free went all the way to the Clarecastle net and put the visitors a goal clear, 1-4 to 0-4.
The Magpies fought back and when the half-time whistle sounded, they were six points clear, 0-13 to 1-7, Clancy and Conor Plunkett each having scored three points.
In the second half, the home side took up where they had left off and sent over some excellent points. Clancy hit another three, while Eamonn Callinan hit five, three from frees.
On a day when the O’Connell brothers accounted for all but a point of Clonlara’s tally, Nicky O’Connell was the game’s top scorer with 2-5 to his credit. Oisín O’Brien and Paul Nihill were others to impress for Clonlara, while Clarecastle’s best were Jonathon Clancy, Seanie Moloney, Stephen O’Halloran, Conor Plunkett and Pat Kelly.
Clarecastle: Jamie Coughlan, John Reidy, Stephen O’Hallloran, Kevin Clohessy, Jamie O’Connor, Pat Kelly (0-2), Seanie Moloney, Gareth Barry (0-2), Jonathan Clancy (0-6), Mikey Casey (0-4, 2f), Conor Plunkett (0-4), Fergus Ryan, Eamon Callinan (0-6, 2, 1 65’), Conor Galvin (0-1), Aaron Considine.
Subs: Pakie Healy (0-2) for Considine, Andrew Page for Ryan.
Clonlara: Patrick Stritch; Pat Conlan, Oisín O’Brien, Ger Powell, Micheál O’Connor, Paul Nihill, Eoin Meehan, Nicky O’Connell (2-5, 1-3f), Neil Ryan, Micheál Collins, Cathal O’Connell (0-5, 4f), Michael O’Loughlin (0-1), Ger O’Connell (1-0), Donal Madden, Tomas Begley.
Sub: Pat O’Hare for O’Connor.
Referee: Kevin Walsh, Wolfe Tones.
