First-half goals too much for Éire Óg

Newmarket 4-17
Éire Óg 0-13

CLARE Champion Cup holders Newmarket moved to within a step of retaining the title when they proved too strong for Éire Óg in the first of this year’s semi-finals at Clarecastle on Sunday.

Three first-half goals sent the Blues on their way to their latest win on a day when their greater experience proved too much for the town side, who were back at this stage of the competition for the first time in a number of years.
The winners had a dream start with a David Barrett goal in the opening minute. It’s a score the Ennis side will have been disappointed to have conceded. Indeed, the Éire Óg defence must take some of the blame for the concession of the game’s goals and they will need to tighten up if they are to progress in the upcoming championship.
Their response to Barrett’s early strike was impressive as points from Shane O’Donnell, Davy O’Halloran and Danny Russell had them level by the fifth minute. The winners edged two clear but three-in-a-row from Éire Óg had them ahead for the first time by the 11th minute.
Defender Aaron Fitzgerald was helped from the field with a leg injury and the experienced Fergus Flynn came into the action. Danny Russell and David Reidy scored points and the Ennis outfit led by two with 22 minutes played.
A minute from the end of normal time in the opening half, they still led by one but disaster struck as Newmarket scored two goals in as many minutes. Michael McInerney scored the first after taking a pass from David Barrett and then Anthony Kilmartin found the net, again after Barrett had created the opening. When the half-time whistle sounded, the holders were six points clear, 3-5 to 0-8.
The sides exchanged points twice in the opening five minutes of the second half but Newmarket hit 1-3 without reply in the next five minutes and this more or less killed off any hopes Éire Óg had entertained of victory. Full-forward Anthony Kilmartin scored his side’s fourth goal.
Éire Óg made a number of changes after this but Newmarket held the upperhand and went on to record a merited win on a day when Enda and David Barrett, Anthony Kilmartin, Eoin O’Brien and the O’Connors did well. Kevin Moynihan, Mark Fitzgerald and David Reidy worked hard for the Ennis side.
In the final, Newmarket, who bridged a 37-year gap when winning the title last year, will play either Clonlara or Broadford.

Newmarket: Darren Duggan; Eoin O’Brien (0-1), James McInerney, Padraig Kilmartin; Sean O’Connor (0-1), Enda Barrett (capt), Niall O’Connor; Ronan Goode, Eoin Hayes; Noel Frawley, David Barrett (1-2), Michael McInerney (1-1); James Liddy, Anthony Kilmartin (2-2), Colin Ryan (0-8).
Subs: Stephen Kelly for J Liddy, Liam Clancy (0-2) for Frawley, Martin Frawley for E Barrett, Shane Liddy for C Ryan and Neil Ryan for Goode.
Éire Óg: Philly Walsh; Aaron Fitzgerald, Cormac O’Regan, John Mulcahy; Marc O’Donnell, Kevin Moynihan (0-1), Ciarán Hanna; Mark Fitzgerald (capt), Ronan Keane; Damian McMahon, Adrian Walsh, Danny Russell (0-7); David Reidy (0-2), Shane O’Donnell (0-1), Davy O’Halloran (0-2).
Subs: Fergus Flynn for A Fitzgerald (inj), Noel Whelan for M O’Donnell, Niall McMahon for D McMahon, John Lawlor for S O’Donnell and Thomas Downes for D O’Halloran.
Referee: Ambrose Heagney, Corofin.