The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
O’Callaghan’s Mills were crowned Division 4 (junior A) Hurling League champions at Dr Daly Park in Tulla on Sunday evening when they defeated Clooney-Quin.
After an evenly contested first half, at the end of which the winners led by a point, they took control in the second half.
The first half was evenly fought and the sides were level on a number of occasions.
James Hook opened the scoring for the winners before Gary Hogan levelled. Clooney-Quin goalie Keith Hogan came upfield to take a 20m free but his effort went over the bar before Hook replied for the winners to tie up the game at 0-2 each. Another Hook effort had the winners in front but Sean Ward levelled for Clooney-Quin at 0-3.
Gary Hogan put Clooney-Quin in front but points from Jamie Lynch and Hook had the winners back in front midway through the half. A long-range effort from David Kennedy levelled the game at 0-5 each.
Barry Heffernan and Jamie Lynch edged the winners two clear but the final say of the first half went to Gary Hogan for Clooney-Quin to leave the half-time score at 0-7 to 0-6 in the winner’s favour.
The opening score of the second half went to Gary Hogan from Clooney-Quin, which levelled the game yet again.
Five minutes into the second half Brendan Hannon pointed for the winners and from here on they were never headed. A brace from Hook and another from Hannon extended their lead to four, 0-11 to 0-7. Jamie Lynch, Colin Crehan and Noel Nash added points before a Gary Honan effort kept Clooney-Quin hopes alive.
James Hook and Hogan exchanged points from placed balls before the Mills closed out the tie with points from Jamie Lynch and Noel Nash.
One of the key moves on the evening was the decision by the Mills mentors to switch Aidan Fawl to wing-back in the second half to mark Clooney-Quin’s danger man, Gary Hogan.
Best for the Mills were James Shanahan, Sean O’Gorman, Brendan Hannon, Jamie Lynch, Noel Nash and James Hook.
Clooney-Quin’s best were Keith Hogan, Aidan Daffy, Daire Hannon and Gary Hogan.
On a very warm evening, the winners had 11 wides, which was three more than Clooney-Quin.
After the game, Clare GAA vice-chairman Joe Cooney, an O’Callaghan’s Mills official, presented the cup to Mills captain, Ollie Nash.
O’Callaghan’s Mills: Martin McMahon; Pádraig Duggan, James Shanahan, Ollie Nash; Ian Donnellan, Sean O’Gorman, Darren Cooney; Brendan Hannon, Ciarán Cooney; Jamie Lynch, Noel Nash, Aidan Fawl; Eoin McGrath, Barry Heffernan, James Hook.
Subs: Colin Crehan for Heffernan and Fergus Donovan for D Cooney.
Clooney-Quin: Keith Hogan; Sean McMahon, Aidan Daffy, Liam Henchy; David Kennedy, Dara Hannon, Kieran Ryan; Niall McMahon, Eanna Barry; Gary Hogan, Brian Culligan, Conor Clune; Ryan O’Neill, Shane Smith, Sean Ward.
Subs: John Reynolds for Barry, Ronan McMahon for Smith, Davy Reynolds for N McMahon and Barry Corbett for Clune.
