Éire Óg’s first-half dominance proves decisive

Éire Óg  0-13   St Joseph’s  0-10

A strong first-half performance from Éire Óg laid the foundation for this victory over neighbours St Joseph’s in Division1B at Gurteen on Saturday evening.

Darragh O’Driscoll opened the scoring for the home side but then the town side took control and dominated the exchanges for the next 20 minutes during, which time they hit eight unanswered points.
With Marc O’Donnell and Kevin Moynihan in control in defence, the forwards got a plentiful supply of ball and here Danny Russell, in particular, and David O’Halloran picked off some impressive points.
When the half-time whistle sounded, the town side were 0-10 to 0-3 ahead, having dominated the half.
The home side stepped up considerably on the resumption and they had four points without reply in the opening seven minutes of the half to cut the deficit to three.
One of the big talking points of the tie came in the 10th minute when the winners were awarded a penalty. Danny Russell’s effort rebounded into play, with the officials satisfied the ball came off the crossbar while Éire Óg followers claimed the ball struck the bar at the back of the net.
Defences dominated in the final 20 minutes when each side managed just three points.
Marc O’Donnell, Kevin Moynihan, Mark Fitzgerald and Danny Russell were prominent throughout for the winners while St Joseph’s best player was Alan O’Neill, who got most help from Ivory White and Darragh O’Driscoll.

Éire Óg: Phillip Walsh; Ciaran Hanna, John Mulch, Ronan Cooney; Aaron Fitzgerald, Marc O’Donnell (0-1), Kevin Moynihan; Mark Fitzgerald, Tadhg McNamara; Ronan Keane (0-1), Danny Russell (0-9, 8f, Niall McMahon; Tom Downs, Adrian Walsh, David O’Halloran (0-2);
Subs: Brian Dolan for A Walsh (inj); David Derrick for Hanna.
St Joseph’s: Mike Roseingrave; Marty O’Regan, Mark Hallinan, Brian Collins; Conor Lyons, Alan O’Neill (0-1), Ivor White (0-3); Gary Hassett (0-1), Darragh O’Driscoll (0-1); Kevin Dilleen, Declan Malone, Leo Duggan; Jarlath Colleran, Ken Kennedy, Alan Duggan (0-4).
Subs: Aaron Landy for L Duggan; Cathal O’Sullivan for O’Regan and Donal O’Halloran for Malone.

Kilmaley 0-24   Smith O’Brien’s 1-11

Kilmaley maintained their unbeaten run with this comfortable victory over Smith O’Brien’s at Killaloe on Saturday.
Behind by two points, 0-10 to 1-9, at half-time having played against the breeze, the visitors took control in the second half and picked off some excellent points.
The home team will be disappointed to have conceded so many frees and they were punished as John Cabey picked off some excellent points.
Kilmaley were without regular freetaker Kenneth Kennedy due to injury but Cabey proved an able replacement and he finished the game with a tally of 0-12. Michael O’Neill, Daire Keane, Conor Neylon and Diarmuid McMahon all picked off some impressive scores as well.
Dean Sinnott was the home side’s goalscorer but, on the day, they failed to match the experience of the visitors.

Kilmaley: Kieran Dillon; Stephen Griffey, Marty O’Connor, Sean Talty; Colin Lynch, Noel Casey, John Clohessy; Enda Finnucane, Eoin O’Malley; Michael O’Neill, Daire Keane, John Cabey; Conor Neylon, Diarmuid McMahon, Pádraig Talty.
Subs: Eoin Enright for Griffey; Killian
McNamara for Cabey; Brian McDonnell for Finnucane; Cian Moloney for O’Neill and Paul Kennedy for Keane.
Smith O’Brien’s: Mark McInerney; Brian McInerney, Seamus Gleeson, Cian Nolan; Trevor Howard, Pa Vaughan, David Gough; Mark O’Halloran, Micheál Ryan; Liam Walsh, Shane O’Brien, Anthony Sullivan; Kevin Walsh, Keith Stritch, Dean Sinnott.
Subs: Kevin McEvoy for Sullivan; Ben Hynes for Sinnott; Paul McKeogh for K Stritch and Cian Moloney for K Walsh.

Broadford 2-20   Ballyea 2-16

In a high-scoring tie played at Ballyea on Saturday, Broadford kept up their challenge for promotion and a place in the play-offs with this victory over the home side.
First-half goals from Declan Teefy and Pádraig Hickey helped the visitors to lead at half time, 2-7 to 0-10. Hickey finished the game with a tally of 1-8.
Ballyea hit back strongly in the second period and a brace of goals from Aonghus Keane kept them well in contention. Indeed, they took the lead at one stage in the second period but their more experienced visitors fought back and were four points clear when the final whistle sounded.
The absence of the club’s U-21s, who were rested ahead of this week’s A championship final replay with Kilmaley, meant that Ballyea were without Tony Kelly, Gearóid O’Connell, Jack Browne, Paul Flanagan and Niall Deasy, to mention a few.

Broadford: Alan McMahon; Brian Taylor, Alan Kilcoyne, Peter O’Brien; Stephen Gunning, Aonghus O’Brien, James Gunning; Cathal Chaplin, Caolan Cox; Padraic Taylor, Kieran Corcoran, Mark Moloney; Declan Teefy, John Corcoran, Padraic Hickey.
Subs: Shane Taylor for P O’Bren (inj); Diarmuid Moloney for Teefy; Niall Moloney for J Corcoran and Seanie Casey for Cox.
Ballyea: Shane Harkin; Joe Nealon, Frankie Griffin, David Sheehan; Barry Coffey, Paddy O’Connell, James Murphy; Brian Murphy, Francie Nealon; Shane O’Neill, Niall Keane, Alan Hehir; Emmet Smitwick, Eanna McInerney, Aonghus Keane.
Sub: Donal Chambers for D Sheehan.

O’Callaghan’s Mills 3-18   Wolfe Tones 2-9

At the end of a low-scoring first half, when the Mills led 0-7 to 0-5, few would have predicted the final scoreline in this tie played at Kilkishen.
The second half produced a lot of scores and when the final whistle sounded, the Mills were full value for their victory.
Two early second-half goals from Cathal McKeogh put them on their way to a comfortable win, a result which keeps them very much in the hunt for promotion to the top division next season.
Jonathon Lyons was the team’s other goalscorer on the day while the Shannon side had their second-half goals from substitutes Daithí O’Connell and Gareth McPhillips.

O’Callaghan’s Mills: John Cooney; Michael McGrath, Adrian Donovan, Gerry Cooney; Kevin O’Callaghan, Pat Donnellan, Aidan Fawl; Sean O’Gorman, Jonathon Lyons; Gary Neville, Conor Cooney, Conor Cooney (Ermhill); Cathal Mckeogh, Adrian Flaherty, Eoin Pewter.
Subs: Aidan O’Gorman for McKeogh; Niall Donovan for O’Callaghan, Eoin McInerney for C Cooney; Ger Frost for C Cooney (Ermhill) and Henry Skehan for J Cooney.
Wolfe Tones: Paul Hogan; Joe McGauley, Brendan Hughes, Barry Loughnane; Gary O’Connell, Brian O’Connell, Shane Chambers; David Reidy, Kevin McCafferty; Alan Hehir, Bobby McPhillips, John Madigan; Mark Regan, Johnnie Bridges, Ronan Hehir.
Subs: Daithí O’Connell for Regan; Gareth McPhillips for Madigan; Gary Leahy for B McPhillips.

Tubber 3-21   Feakle 3-9

When Feakle struck for a brace of goals inside the opening 10 minutes of this tie, a comfortable Tubber win didn’t look likely. However, the visitors took control after those early goals and when the half-time whistle sounded, they were three clear and went on to dominate the second half.
Blain Earley (2) and Justin McMahon were the goalscorers for the winners while Feakle’s goals came from Donal O’Grady in the first half and Gary Guilfoyle, who was moved to the attack in the second period.
Overall, Tubber were the stronger outfit and deserved their victory.

Tubber: Ronan Taaffe; Mark Waters, Eoin Ruane, John O’Connor; Fergal O’Grady, Conor Earley, Mark Earley; Patrick O’Connor, Cyril Cunningham; Justin McMahon, Shane O’Connor, Clive Earley; Dara O’Connor, Eamonn Taaffe, Blain Earley.
Subs: Fergal McCormack for J O’Connor; Ger O’Connor for Clive Earley; Evan O’Donoghue for E Taaffe and Adrian Niland for P O’Connor.
Feakle: Eibhear Quilligan; Patrick Daly, Alan Hogan, Francis O’Grady; Eoin Tuohy, Gary Guilfoyle, James Noonan; Shane McGrath, Ger Hanrahan; Cillian Bane, Raymond Bane, Kenneth Collins; Donal O’Grady, Tom Moroney, Oisín Donnellan.
Subs: Peter Collins for Hanrahan; Sean O’Grady for Noonan and Trevor Collins for C Bane.