Impressive Clare defeat Mayo

Mayo 0   Clare 4

CLARE put in an excellent performance to beat Mayo in the first round of the Inter League Youths Cup at Milebush Park in Castlebar on Saturday.

Clare dominated the first half and Nicki Twumasi gave them a deserved lead on 25 minutes after getting on the end of a through ball from Maccon Byrne. He calmly slotted home with a first-time shot to beat the advancing Mayo ’keeper.

Twumasi caused all sorts of problems for the Mayo defence throughout and on 35 minutes he combined well with Levi Howard, who made a great run and was unlucky to see his shot narrowly miss the target. Clare lost Kevin Kelly to injury and he was replaced by Brian O’Connor on 36 minutes with John Feehily going to right-back and O’Connor into right-midfield.

Conor Deasy showed great determination to win a challenge in the middle of the park on 38 minutes and burst through the heart of the Mayo defence before setting up Twumasi to score Clare’s second goal and give them a lead they fully deserved.

Mayo’s first real chance of the game came on 41 minutes when a header from a corner narrowly missed the target. Clare finished the half strongly with Twumasi again combining well with Gearóid O’Brien, who had made a great run but his shot just went to the wrong side of the post.

Mayo put Clare under some pressure early in the second half and Kaylon O’Loughlin and Brian Monaghan had to make some good interceptions to keep the Mayo attack at bay. Sean Kennedy dealt capably with anything that hit the target from distance.

Byrne forced the Mayo ’keeper into making a great save on 65 minutes as Clare started to get more and more space in attack, while Mayo pushed hard in search of a goal. Any chance Mayo had of getting back in the game disappeared on 70 minutes after their right-back was shown a red card for a mistimed tackle. O’Connor was causing a lot of problems for the Mayo defence down the right wing and another good run and cross on 78 minutes was rewarded with a great finish from inside the box by Gearóid O’Brien.

Clare introduced James McConigley on 80 minutes for Cathal Carrig, who had worked extremely hard up until that point. Jason McMahon replaced O’Brien, who had scored the goal that gave Clare an unassailable lead. In the closing stages, Monaghan was called on once more to make a good interception and Kennedy had to make a good save before McConigley wrapped up a most impressive victory for Clare in injury time with a good finish from inside the box.

Clare will now take on Galway at the County Grounds on November 24, knowing that victory will ensure a place in the knock-out stages of this season’s competition.

Clare: Sean Kennedy (Ennis Town Rock); Kevin Kelly (Bridge United), Brian Monaghan (Bridge United), Maccon Byrne (Avenue United), Kaylon O’Loughlin (Avenue United); Conor Deasy (Bridge United), Cathal Carrig (Kilrush Rangers), Gearóid O’Brien (Kilrush Rangers), Nicki Twumasi (Avenue United), John Feehily (Newmarket Celtic), Levi Howard (Avenue United).
Subs: Brian O’Connor (Bridge United) for Kelly (inj), James McConigley (Burren/Sporting) for Carrig, James McMahon (Bridge United) for O’Brien and Eoin O’Kelly (Bridge United).