Fifth successive win for Kilmurry

Kilmurry Ibrickane     2-6
St Joseph’s Miltown     0-7

Kilmurry Ibrickane won their fifth Cusack Cup game in-a-row Sunday morning when they defeated neighbours Miltown in Hennessy Memorial Park.
This result overturned last year’s Cusack Cup fixture, which Miltown won in what was Kilmurry’s first Cusack Cup game after their All-Ireland club final appearance in Croke Park.
Kilmurry are already through to this year’s Cusack Cup semi-final, while Miltown are very likely to secure a place in the last four if they beat Doonbeg on Saturday evening.
The sides were tied at 1-2 to 0-5 at half-time last weekend. Noel Downes scored Kilmurry’s first-half goal, while Stephen Moloney and Ian McInerney kicked their points.
Kevin Keavey kicked three first-half points for Miltown, while Gary Egan and Micheál Malone also pointed. Miltown were, of course, playing their second game inside three days. They defeated St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield in their opening championship group game in Kilmihil on Friday evening.
Dessie Mollohan, Seán Meade, Eoin Curtin, Brian Curtin and Darragh McDonagh played championship but didn’t play Cusack Cup, which underlined Miltown’s weakened state on Sunday. They also had to replace Graham Kelly at half-time. Last Sunday’s game represented Gordon Kelly’s last game for Miltown until the second round of the championship on August 14. He will be playing football in the US in the coming months. Kilmurry weren’t at full strength either and were minus Peter O’Dwyer, Shane Hickey and Niall Hickey.
Playing into the wind, Keavey and Egan added Miltown points but that was the extent of their second-half scoring.
Stephen Moloney netted Kilmurry’s second-half goal, while Ian McInerney, Enda Coughlan, Noel Downes and Seamus Lynch added their points.

Kilmurry: Peter O’Dwyer; John Willie Sexton, Darren Hickey, Declan Callinan; Thomas Lernihan, Evan Talty, Martin McMahon; Mark McCarthy, Paul O’Connor; Ian McInerney, Michael Hogan, Stephen Moloney; Noel Downes, Enda Coughlan, Seamus Lynch.
Sub: Seamus Murrihy for Michael Hogan.
Miltown: Niall Quinn; David Cleary, Kevin Burke, Enda Malone; Gearóid Curtin, Gordon Kelly, Ian Sexton; Peter Cleary, John Meade; Graham Kelly, Micheál Malone, Gary Egan; Tommy Flynn, Kevin Keavey, David Talty.
Sub: Gerard Malone for Graham Kelly.
Referee: Tom Stackpoole (Ennistymon).

Shannon Gaels         1-13
Clondegad         0-15

Shannon Gaels scored a narrow win over Clondegad in round six of the Cusack Cup in Labasheeda last Saturday evening. John Paul O’Neill scored 1-4 of his 1-5 total in the second half and it was this contribution that swung the result the way of the home team.
At the opposite end of the field, Clondegad full-forward Gary Brennan and Podge McMahon, who lined out in the corner, kicked some superb points from play. In fact, they accounted for 14 of Clondegad’s 15 scores from play and frees. Kenneth Kelly was the only other Clondegad man to score.
The Gaels started well and led 0-4 to 0-1 after 10 minutes. However, Clondegad fought back and playing some excellent football they led 0-7 to 0-6 at half-time. Nigel Hehir made a great run for the Gaels before half-time, drawing a good save from Declan O’Loughlin.
The visitors kicked the first three points of the second half to establish a 0-10 to 0-6 lead. John Paul O’Neill then kicked 1-2 inside two minutes as the result hung in the balance.
Brennan, McMahon and Kelly re-established a 0-14 to 1-8 lead with time running out but the Gaels kicked five late points to record a good win.
Both clubs are now on four points alongside Liscannor. Shannon Gaels play Kilrush in their final league game on Saturday, while Clondegad travel to take on St Joseph’s, Doora-Barefield in Gurteen.
Francie Neylon, Gary Brennan and Podge McMahon played well for Clondegad, who were missing Shane Brennan and Cormac Murphy. John Paul O’Neill, Michael Coughlan, who kicked four points from play, Michael O’Donoghue and Seán Reynolds played well for the Gaels.

Shannon Gaels: Keith Ryan; Frank Cleary, Tomás Madigan, Fergal Kenny; John Bermingham, John Neylon, Tomás Cleary; Michael O’Donoghue, Seán Reynolds; Noel Kennedy, John Paul O’Neill, Fergal O’Neill; Michael Coughlan, Nigel Hehir, Shane Tubridy. 
Subs: Cathal O’Neill for Fergal O’Neill, Rory Norrby for Nigel Hehir, Brian O’Shea for Shane Tubridy. Clondegad: Declan O’Loughlin; Brian Murphy, Paddy O’Connell, Conor Gavin; Flan King, Kieran Browne, Francie Neylon; James Murphy, Paddy Breen; Ken Kelly, Francie O’Reilly, Kieran Donnelly; Flan Enright, Gary Brennan, Podge McMahon.
Referee: Damien Fox (Wolfe Tones).

Doonbeg         2-10
Liscannor         0-7

Doonbeg eased to a comfortable nine-point win over Liscannor in Moher last weekend. The county champions had already qualified for the semi-– final. If Liscannor had won they would have been very close to securing a place in the semi-final as well but they lost their second successive home game, having been beaten by Kilrush in their last home fixture.
Doonbeg led 1-7 to 0-3 at half-time, with Paul Dillon scoring their goal, while David Tubridy added the winners’ second goal after the interval.
Tubridy scored 1-4 in total with Paul Dillon kicking 1-2. Alan Clohessy scored five points for Liscannor from play and frees. The North Clare club play Kilmurry Ibrickane in their last game, while Doonbeg play Miltown.

Doonbeg: Nigel Dillon; Joe Blake, Padraig Gallagher, Conor Whelan; Brian Dillon, Padraic Aherne, Richie Vaughan; Colm Dillon, Enda Doyle; Conor Downes, Brian Egan, Frank O’Dea; Jamie Whelan, David Tubridy, Paul Dillon.
Subs: Jim Bob Griffin for Conor Whelan; Eamon Tubridy for Frank O’Dea; Philip Smith for Jamie Whelan.
Liscannor: Noel Kilmartin; Shane Canavan, Davy McDonagh, Dara Blake; Robbie Lucas, Ronan Slattery, Denis Murphy; Alan Flaherty, Michael Foley; David Commane, Niall Considine, Alan Clohessy; Paul Guerin, Kieran Considine, Alan McDonagh.
Subs: Johnny Considine for David Commane; Declan Fawl for Kieran Considine; Gerry Considine for Robbie Lucas; Joe Considine for Alan Flaherty.
Referee: Michael Talty (Kilmurry Ibrickane).