Five-star performance from Clare

Roscommon   0     Clare   5
CLARE secured a place in the last 16 of the Oscar Traynor Cup when they proved too strong for Roscommon in their final group game on Saturday.

 

The match was played at Lecarrow, near Athlone, and Clare travelled in the knowledge that they needed a big win to be in with a chance as they had to make up a four-goal difference.

Limerick scored a 4-2 win over Galway in their final group game at the weekend, so Clare’s five-goal win saw them take top spot. They will now face Cork AUL at a Cork venue in January.

Knowing that they needed a big win to be in with a chance of staying in the title race, there was great urgency in Clare’s play from the outset. The game was just over 10 minutes old when Clare had their first chance. A Shane Daniels delivery found David Reidy, who forced a fine save from Roscommon goalie, Aidan Fallon.

Team captain Daryl Eade was dominating at midfield and his cross a few minutes later was headed on by David Russell but again Fallon produced the save.

The visitors continued to put pressure on and they took the lead after 19 minutes. David Reidy and Eoin Hayes combined for Hayes to have a shot, which Fallon parried but Colin Smith was following up and he found the net.

At the midpoint of the half, Clare full-back Darren Cullinan did well to deny Roscommon’s Greg Grogan. Five minutes later, goalie John Mulready did well to save from Ger Fagan. Both sides came close in the next few minutes before Clare doubled their advantage. Defender Darren Cullinan found his Newmarket Celtic clubmate Eoin Hayes, who rounded the home side’s goalie and defender Mick Lynch before shooting to an empty net. Shortly before the break, they came close to getting a third but Eoin O’Brien’s header, following a David Reidy corner, went just over the bar.

Early in the second half, David Russell’s effort, following another Reidy corner, was narrowly wide.

On the hour mark, much to Clare’s surprise, Roscommon were awarded an indirect free kick from inside the box when the referee adjudged that Mulready collected the ball from a backpass by Russell. Clare defended well and cleared the danger.

A few minutes later, they were dealt a big blow when Eoin O’Brien picked up a second yellow card, which led to his sending-off. The decision to give the Clare man a second yellow was considered harsh by most of those present.

Two minutes later, Dáithí O’Connell’s header was well saved by Fallon and the Roscommon ’keeper came to his side’s aid again shortly after this when he stopped another Reidy effort. When Cullinan’s free rebounded off the crossbar, Reidy followed up and found the net to put Clare three clear.

With 15 minutes remaining, Reidy put substitute David McCarthy through and he stretched Clare’s lead to four. McCarthy and another substitute, Alan Brigdale, came close before Lifford’s Pat Darcy completed the scoring with a powerful shot.

David Reidy was outstanding on the day and played a key role in this victory.

Clare: John Mulready (Bridge United); Darren Murphy (Bridge United), Darren Cullinan (Newmarket Celtic), David Russell (Avenue United), Shane Daniels (Ennis Town Rock);  Eoin O’Brien (Newmarket Celtic), Colin Smyth (Avenue United), Daryl Eade (Ennis Town Rock, capt), Eoin Hayes (Newmarket Celtic); David Reidy (Ennis Town Rock); Dáithí O’Connell (Newmarket Celtic).
Subs: David McCarthy (Avenue United) for Hayes, Pakie Darcy (Lifford) for O’Connell, Alan Brigdale (Newmarket Celtic) for Reidy, Ruairí Norrby (Lifford), Darragh Fitzgerald (Bridge United), David O’Grady (Newmarket Celtic), Ritchie Fitzgerald (Hermitage), Alan Kelly (Newmarket Celtic), Johnny O’Brien (Rhine Rovers) and Niall Quinn (Connolly Celtic).

Roscommon: Aidan Fallon; Cathal Dineen, Darren Clabby, Mike Lynch, Gary Egan (capt); David Cullen, Greg Grogan, Darragh Concannon, Ger Fagan; Alan Duffy, Aidan Dunney.

Last 16 draw
DUBLIN AUL, Meath and Limerick received byes when the draw for the last 16 was made.
The five games are: Inishowen v Garda/LSL; Defence Forces v TSDL/Wexford; TSDL/Wexford v Mayo; Carlow v Garda/LSL and Cork AUL v Clare.