Doonbeg pip Clondegad in high-scoring affair

Doonbeg  2-14

Clondegad  3-9

THE timing of this second-round tie, which clashed with the second half of the All-Ireland hurling semi-final, mitigated against a decent crowd in Kilmihil on Sunday evening.

Those who paid their €10 admittance fee, which is much too expensive for a single fixture, did at least witness an open game, full of attacking football.
Neither full-back line gave an exhibition on the defensive side of Gaelic football but both sides notched some quality scores.
Doonbeg made a lightning start and led 1-3 to 0-2 inside seven minutes. Conor Downes put over two of their opening three points, with Jamie Whelan scoring the other. Doonbeg wing-back, Joe Blake, picked up breaking ball in the middle third to set up two of these points.
Eoghan Donnellan and Gary Brennan, from a free, notched Clondegad’s opening points. A sublime David Tubridy pass, right into the path of the speeding Shane Ryan set up Doonbeg’s opening goal. A minute later, the Clondegad defence was split open again but this time Jamie Whelan shot low and wide.
The Clondegad full-back line looked shaky but following a Brian Carrig point, Eoghan Donnellan exposed the Doonbeg defence when he goaled after Gary Brennan had won a kick out and linked with Francie O’Reilly.
Frank O’Dea, who kicked four excellent scores from play and Donnellan exchanged points, leaving the teams tied 1-4 each after 17 minutes.
Had Francie O’Reilly goaled two minutes later, having been found by a Gary Brennan pass over the top, Clondegad might have seriously rattled Doonbeg. Instead, Eamon O’Dea saved with his legs and two minutes later, O’Dea kicked the winners 1-5 to 1-4 ahead.
Minutes after Podge McMahon kicked an equalising point, Doonbeg hit the 2011 intermediate champions for 1-1. Linking nicely with Conor Downes and Colm Dillon, corner-back Richie Vaughan was an unlikely if clinical Doonbeg goal scorer.
Three minutes into injury time, a Colm Dillon point left Doonbeg leading 2-6 to 1-5 at half-time.
Although Gary Brennan pointed for Clondegad immediately after the interval, come the 25th minute, Doonbeg were 2-13 to 1-8 ahead.
In this period, Frank O’Dea and Shane Tubridy pointed a brace each, while Shane Ryan and Brian Egan added scores from play.
Clondegad looked finished but then proceeded to bang in two goals within three minutes. Shane Brennan netted having been freed by a lovely Tony Kelly ball into space, while a Gearóid O’Connell run and shot was deflected to the Doonbeg net by Richie Vaughan. As the game edged into injury time, Podge McMahon won and pointed a free, leaving just three points in it.
Two minutes into injury time, the same player had a shot on goal, which trickled just wide. Had Clondegad scored, the game would have gone to extra time.
Doonbeg aren’t often associated with high-scoring games and they will be keen to ensure they don’t concede three goals again from the quarter-final onwards.
They had good displays from Joe Blake, Conor Whelan, Frank O’Dea whose shooting was excellent until he picked up an injury, Conor Downes and David Tubridy in the second half.
Gary Brennan matched Frank O’Dea’s four-point tally from midfield, although two were from frees, while full-forward Eoghan Donnellan excelled in the opening half. Gearóid O’Connell made a huge impression when he came on as a substitute, while Tony Kelly also helped Clondegad to up the tempo when he was introduced.
Doonbeg mentor, Declan Conway was relieved to progress but not happy with Doonbeg’s defensive display.
“We were a bit disappointed with the final score. I thought we were probably the better team all the way through but we let them back into it in the end. They were three soft goals really although we played fairly well in attack and scored 2-13 from play. We’d be happy enough with that,” he said.
Having not played for the full 60 minutes against either Lissycasey or Clondegad, Conway says Doonbeg will be keen to play more evenly in the quarter-final on the weekend of September 8.
“People say that winning games while playing poorly is good but it doesn’t feel that way from the sideline. You’d rather play well and win well on the scoreboard as well,” he added.
Meanwhile, Clondegad manager, Martin Brennan was pleased with aspects of his side’s display although not with their sluggish start.
“We started slowly again, which is a problem we’re going to have to solve and we made too many simple mistakes. They’re opportunities to improve. I’d hope that we’ll make progress and as we mature, we’ll limit those mistakes,” he said.
Clondegad’s substitutes made a positive impact and that’s a factor that Brennan hopes will happen against Doora-Barefield and in possible subsequent fixtures.
“The longer we progress it will strengthen our squad, which we need when we get injuries like we did on Sunday. There’s good lads on the panel and hopefully we’ll stay in the championship long enough to get access to them,” Martin Brennan concluded.

Doonbeg: Eamon Tubridy; Richie Vaughan, Pádraig Gallagher, Conor Whelan; Joe Blake, Paraic Aherne (captain), Eoin Conway; Frank O’Dea, Enda Doyle; Brian Egan, Colm Dillon, Shane Ryan; Jamie Whelan, David Tubridy, Conor Downes.
Subs: Brian Dillon for Jamie Whelan (50), Kevin Nugent for Frank O’Dea (51), Paul Dillon for Conor Downes (56).
Scorers: Frank O’Dea (0-4), David Tubridy (0-4, 0-1f), Shane Ryan (1-1), Richie Vaughan (1-0), Conor Downes (0-2), Jamie Whelan, Colm Dillon, Brian Egan (0-1 each).
Wides: 8; frees won: 15.
Yellow cards: Frank O’Dea and Jamie Whelan.

Clondegad: Declan O’Loughlin; Brian Murphy, Cormac Ryan, Flan Enright; Conor Gavin, Paddy O’Connell, Francie Neylon; Gary Brennan, Shane Brennan; Kenneth Kelly, Kieran Browne, Brian Carrig; Podge McMahon, Eoghan Donnellan, Francie O’Reilly.
Subs: Conor McNeilis for Cormac Ryan (27 – injured), Gearóid O’Connell for Kieran Browne (37), Tony Kelly for Conor McNeilis (injured).
Scorers: Eoghan Donnellan (1-2), Gary Brennan (0-4, 0-2f), Shane Brennan, Gearóid O’Connell (1-0 each), Podge McMahon (0-2, 0-1f), Brian Carrig (0-1).
Wides: 6; frees won: 19.
Yellow cards: Francie O’Reilly and Kenneth Kelly.
Referee: Barry Kelly (St Joseph’s, Miltown).