Éire Óg are made battle all the way

Éire Óg 1-13
Wolfe Tones 1-10

Éire Óg maintained their place at the top of the Division 1B table but were made fight all the way for their latest victory when they entertained Wolfe Tones on Saturday evening.

Points were exchanged twice early on before the home side opened a three-point lead with scores from Danny Russell, Ronan Keane and Mark Fitzgerald. Points from the McPhillips brothers kept the Shannon outfit in contention but a fortunate goal just before the half-time whistle gave the winners a five-point advantage at the mid-point. A Danny Russell delivery from 55 yards deceived all and ended up in the net, leaving the score at 1-7 to 0-5.
In a low-scoring third quarter Éire Óg added three points to go eight clear and they looked to be on their way to a comfortable win.
Wolfe Tones, however, fought their way back and a goal from Gareth McPhillips helped them to get to within a point of their opponents, 1-10 to 1-11, with two minutes remaining.
To their credit, Éire Óg responded and points from Brian Dolan and a Danny Russell free ensured a win they just about deserved on the day. In the final minute, the winners’ goalie, Phillip Walsh made an important save from Gareth McPhillips to ensure his side stayed in front and retained their place at the top of the table.
Éire Óg: Phillip Walsh; Ronan Cooney, Cormac O’Regan, Ciarán Hanna; Marc O’Donnell, Fergus Flynn, Kevin Moynihan (0-1); Mark Fitzgerald (0-1), Tadhg McNamara; Ronan Keane (0-2), Danny Russell (1-8), Niall McMahon; Davy O’Halloran, Brian Dolan (0-1), David Durack.
Wolfe Tones: Paul Hogan; John Guilfoyle, Brendan Hughes, Barry Loughnane; Shane Chambers, Bobby McPhillips (0-5), Gary O’Connell; Kevin McCafferty, Niall Murphy; Mark Regan (0-1), Alan Hehir (0-1), Ciarán Argue; Ronan Hehir, Johnnie Bridges, Jamie Walker.
Subs: Gareth McPhillips (1-3) for Bridges and Martin O’Connell for Argue.

Kilmaley  3-16 
Feakle  0-9

Kilmaley were always in control as they kept up their strong challenge for promotion and a place in the play-offs with an easy win over Feakle on Saturday.
Helped by a fortunate goal from Michael O’Neill, whose effort from 50m deceived the defence, the winners led at the break on a score of 1-8 to 0-5. In the second half, Kilmaley were well on top and added goals from O’Neill and Eoin Enright to keep up their strong challenge for a place in the play-offs and promotion to the top division.
Kilmaley: Kieran Dillon; Marty O’Connor, Anthony Cahill, Sean Talty; Colin McGuane, Colin Lynch, Noel Casey; Enda Finnucane, Ken Kennedy; Michael O’Neill, Brian McMahon, John Cabey; Eoin O’Malley, Conor Neylon, Eoin Enright.
Subs: Cian Moloney for O’Neill, Cillian McNamara for McMahon and Pádraig Talty for Lynch.
Feakle: Eibhear Quilligan; Patrick Daly, Alan Hogan, Francis O’Grady; Ger Hanrahan, James Noonan, Eoin Tuohy; Shane McGrath, Gary Guilfoyle; Kenneth Collins, Colin Nelson, Raymond Bane; Justin Nelson, Peter Collins, Donal O’Grady.
Subs: Oisín Donnellan for D O’Grady, Cathal Collins for K Collins, Robert Bebbington for A Hogan, Trevor Collins for S McGrath and Cillian Bane for R Bane.

O’Callaghan’s Mills  1-14 
St Joseph’s  0-15

Despite being short inter-county panellists Pat and Bryan Donnellan and Conor Cooney, O’Callaghan’s Mills overcame St Joseph’s in their league tie at O’Callaghan’s Mills on Saturday evening to maintain their challenge for a place in the play-offs.
Gary Neville scored 1-9 for the winners on an evening when they trailed by two at half-time, 0-10 to 1-5.
Former Mills player Alan Duggan, who transferred to St Joseph’s this year, was the Doora-Barefield side’s top scorer, with 0-10 to his credit.
The winners got on top in the last quarter and opened a three-point gap and while St Joseph’s cut the margin to one, they weren’t able to get back on terms and the home side held on for a victory, which keeps them very much in the running for promotion and a place in the play-offs, while St Joseph’s remain at the other end of the table, dangerously close to relegation.
O’Callaghan’s Mills: John Cooney; Michael McGrath, Adrian Donovan, Ger Frost; Kevin O’Callaghan, Gerry Cooney, Aidan Fawl; Niall Donovan, Jonathon Lyons; Adrian Flaherty, Eoin Pewter, Sean O’Gorman; James McMahon, Cathal McKeogh, Gary Neville.
Subs: Eoin McInerney for Frost (inj), Conor Cooney (Ermhill) for Pewter (inj), Pewter for S O’Gorman and Aidan O’Gorman for Pewter.
St Joseph’s: Paul Madden; Brian Collins, Marty O’Regan, Sean Flynn; Conor Lyons, Mark Hallinan, Ivor White; Alan O’Neill, Darragh O’Driscoll; Kevin Dilleen, Alan Duggan, Rory O’Connor; Donal O’Halloran, Ken Kennedy, Brian Clancy.
Subs: Leo Duggan for O’Connor and Eamonn Clohessy for O’Driscoll.

Ballyea  2-12 
Tubber  0-14

Having had their first win in the campaign last week, Ballyea maintained that form when they accounted for Tubber on Sunday evening in Tubber.
It didn’t look likely at half-time when the home side led on a 0-9 to 0-2 scoreline but the visitors got the upperhand after the break.
Goals from Shane O’Neill and Francie Nealon helped them get on top and march on to a merited win, which strengthens their hopes of avoiding relegation.
Wing-back Jack Browne scored four points, while full-forward Shane O’Neill was the side’s top scorer with 1-2 to his credit.
Ballyea: Shane Harkin; David Sheehan, Paul Flanagan, Frankie Griffin; Jack Browne, Paddy O’Connell, Barry Coffey; Gearóid O’Connell, Brian Murphy; Niall Keane, James Murphy, Francie O’Reilly; Francie Nealon, Shane O’Neill, Eanna McInerney.
Tubber: Ronan Taaffe; John O’Connor, Paul Fogarty, Mark Waters; Francis O’Grady, Conor Earley, Fergal McCormack; Cyril Cunningham, Clive Earley; Tommy Lee, Shane O’Connor, Ger O’Connor; Dara O’Connor, Eamonn Taaffe, Blaine Earley.
Subs: Evan O’Donoghue for G O’Connor and Patrick O’Connor for Cunningham.