Ennis claim points in league derby clash

Ennis 19   Scariff 3

ENNIS collected valuable league points when they accounted for Scariff in this all-Clare clash in Division 2 at Ennis on Sunday.
Two second-half tries proved decisive for the winners, who have now moved onto the same points total as the East Clare outfit.
The greater experience of the Ennis side proved decisive in this tie, the first competitive clash of the clubs at junior level.
They will renew rivalry at the same venue on this Sunday when they meet in the race for the Munster Junior Cup. This week’s tie will kick off at 2pm.
Scariff, with former Clare and Galway hurling manager Mike McNamara assisting on the sideline, will hope to have learned from this outing when, in the first half in particular, they made things difficult for their more fancied opponents.
Ennis took an early lead in the league clash when Dylan Tynan O’Mahoney kicked a penalty in the fifth minute. The lead was shortlived as Scariff outhalf James Kelly converted a penalty nine minutes later to tie up the scores at 3-3. This should have put the visitors in front as Kelly had missed an easy 25m penalty in front of the posts in the eighth minute.
As the mid-point of the first half approached, Ennis came close to the game’s opening try but Conor O’Mahony was held up just short of the line.
Shortly before the break, they regained the lead when scrumhalf Dylan Tynan O’Mahony landed another penalty. This was a double blow for the visitors as Michael Madden was sin-binned when penalised for giving away the penalty.
Scariff had made a couple of very good breaks during the opening half but they just could not manage to get over the Ennis line.
The game’s first try came 13 minutes into the second half when the home side spread the ball wide and centre Niall Nevin, the team captain, got the touchdown, stretching his side’s lead to eight points, 11-3.
The visitors had a chance to cut the deficit at the mid-point of the second half but Kelly was wide with another easy penalty attempt.
Inside the final 10 minutes, Dylan Tynan O’Mahoney landed his third penalty of the afternoon to stretch his side’s lead and they finished strongly with Paul Finnucane going over for their second try, a minute from the end of normal time.
There was further good news for the home side as David Murphy joined the action in the final period, returning after injury. His brother, Bryan, is expected back from injury this week and this should further strengthen their chances of moving further up the league ladder.

Ennis: Kieran Reid, Liam Ryan, Mike McInerney; Frank Holly, Jason Considine; Enda Galvin, Conor O’Mahoney, Paul Lynch; Dylan Tynan O’Mahoney, Shane O’Connor; Frank Coffey, Niall Nevin (captain), Brandon Grant, Paul Finnucane; Saran Butler.
Subs: Joe Moloney for Ryan; Dara Killeen for Holly; David Murphy for Coffey; Joe Joe Kelly for McInerney.
Scariff: Joe McGrath, Colin Bugler, Bernard McGrath; Rory Slattery, Dara McNamara (captain), Conor Minogue, Darren McNamara, Robbie Madden; Tom Cronin, James Kelly; Michael Madden, Stephen Madden, Kenny Mason, Seamus Noonan, Conor McNamara.
Subs: Pat McTiernan, Marcus O’Neill, Joe Brady, Paul O’Sullivan, Davy Harte.

St Senan’s scuppered by Pirates in Cobh

Cobh Pirates 21   St Senan’s 14

ST Senan’s travelled to Cobh knowing that a Senan’s team had not won there in the past four visits and also knowing this was a clash that would guarantee the winning team would remain safely in division one of the Munster Junior League.
The Clare side started the game the stronger and found themselves encamped in the Pirates’ half of the pitch for the first 15 minutes but came up against a resilient and well-prepared defence. On 15 minutes, in what was a rare visit to the Senan’s half, the Pirates showed their strength in the ruck winning a penalty for a Senan’s infringement. The kick for touch gave them a line-out just five metres from Senan’s try line. They were successful in winning the lineout and moved the ball quickly across the field to run in a try out wide. With a good conversion kick they opened up a 7-0 lead.
Senan’s immediately went back on the offensive and pushed Pirates back to their own 10m line and forced them to concede a scrum. Senan’s were very strong in the scrum and after a number of infringements by the Pirates, the referee awarded a penalty try to Senan’s, which Declan Collins easily converted to bring the scores level after 25 minutes.
Both sides continued to press for a further score but neither could break through. It was the home side that eventually broke the impasse with a push-over try on 35 minutes which, when converted, restored their seven point lead at 14-7 which was the position at half-time.
The second half started at a frantic pace with both teams making good advances in attack only to be pushed back by good defensive play by the other side. Senan’s broke the Pirates’ try line on 17 minutes when a good maul allowed Pa Ryan to touch down, Declan Collins made no mistake with the conversion and once again, both sides were level at 14-14.
The play continued at a frantic pace with both sides pushing for a winning score.
On the 30th minute, Pirates put together a good passage of play, which allowed them to breach Senan’s defence for their third try and conversion to once again give them a seven-point lead at 21-14. Despite a late rally and being close to breaching the Pirate try line on a number of occasions, Senan’s could not find the score they required to level the game and had to accept the losing bonus point as reward for a hard-fought game.
This week, St Senan’s are at home against Richmond in the Munster Junior Challenge Cup.

St Senan’s: Pa Ryan, Fergal Lawlor, Tony O’Brien, Aaron Skerritt, Eamonn O’Donoghue, Jamie Keogh, Ian Fitzgerald, Mike O’Connell, Darragh McCoy, Noel Hoban, Eoghan McNeil, Neil McDonagh, Brian Collins, Barry Murphy, Declan Collins.
Replacements: Michael Cusack, David Webb, Gary Crowe, Fran Duggan, David Dunne.

First league win for Kilrush

 

Kilrush 14   Douglas 10

KILRUSH recorded their first league win of the season when they defeated Douglas at Monmore on Sunday.
A Paul Conway try, which the outhalf converted, gave the West Clare club a 7-0 lead in the opening quarter of the game. Douglas fought back with an unconverted try leaving the score at 7-5, which was the position at half-time.
Douglas continued to pile on the pressure but the home side defended well. Kilrush extended their lead when John Sexton went through for a try, which Conway converted. The home side missed a chance to go further ahead when they failed to find the target with a penalty.
Douglas continued to fight back and got through for another try.
Both sides had a try disallowed, John Sexton getting through for Kilrush, while Douglas had a try cancelled in the final minute.
The West Clare outfit, coached by Andy Jones, don’t have a fixture this weekend and their next outing will be in the Webb cup when they will travel to play Clanwilliam on February 18.

Kilrush: Patrick O’Malley, Sean Sheedy, Dara Moloney; Alan Hogan, Matthew Hehir, Ben Farrelly, Matthew Flanagan, Stuart Farrell; Ray Conway (capt) Paul Conway; John Tubridy, John Sexton, John Conway, Marcus Moran, Brian Saunders.
Subs: Dermot Moloney, Dave Smith.

St Senan’s lose O’Donoghue Cup

ST Senan’s Gleeson League side welcomed Thomond to Jimmy Slattery Park last Saturday for the annual playing of the O’Donoghue Cup. This is a trophy the two clubs compete for annually, in memory of Joe O’Donoghue, who had close ties with both clubs. Two of his sons, Jody and Mike are ex-Senan’s players and are both still actively involved in the club, coaching underage teams.
Despite some very good play by Senans in the first half, the visitors proved much too strong and ran out easy winners at the final whistle.