Liscannor still in title hunt

Liscannor  1-9

Lissycasey  1-8

In what was the most keenly contested tie of round two of the senior championship, Liscannor picked up an invaluable win. The result means their destiny is largely in their own hands. If Liscannor beat Doonbeg on the weekend of September 3 they could qualify, although if Ennistymon defeat Lissycasey, three teams would be tied on four points. Scoring difference would then apply.

Lissycasey must now overcome Ennistymon and hope that Doonbeg beat Liscannor to have a chance of escaping the group. Having lost their opening games, Liscannor and Lissycasey needed to win last Saturday in Quilty equally as badly.
The hour of football featured some excellent points, a soft Lissycasey goal, good free taking and talk of whether Brian Considine should have been sent off on a double yellow card.
Deploying Alan Flaherty and Johnny Considine, both of whom have considerable presence, in the full-forward line, Liscannor went the direct route from the off.
Come the eighth minute they had kicked three points without reply, with both notching a point from play, while Flaherty was fouled for Alan Clohessy’s pointed free.
Over the subsequent 22 minutes Lissycasey outscored their opponents 0-5 to 0-2, leaving the teams tied 0-5 apiece at half time.
Enda Finnucane and Niall Kelly put over two frees each, while Paul Nagle, with a superb point, notched Lissycasey’s other point.
Liscannor’s Michael Foley, linking with Brian and Kieran Considine, scored the point of the half, having come forward from the back, while Clohessy added another pointed free.
Alan Flaherty placed Gerry Considine to put Liscannor a point up (0-6 to 0-5) in the first minute of the second half.
Lissycasey were given a mammoth if unexpected boost in the sixth minute when a Michael Melican kick swirled in the air, wrong footed Noel Kilmartin in the Liscannor goal and dropped into the net.
Successive points from Kelly and Paul Nagle stretched Lissycasey’s advantage, 1-7 to 0-6 and this remained the situation until 15 minutes from time.
Liscannor needed a goal if they were to stay in the championship and Alan Clohessy stepped up. Johnny Considine caught the ball and laid it off to Clohessy who fired home, surrounded by Lissycasey defenders, the game’s defining score.
Two minutes later Niall Kelly replied from a Lissycasey free but that score, 13 minutes from time, was their last.
Clohessy pointed two frees, with Kieran Considine pointing the third from a dead ball, to secure a critical win for their side.
Clohessy’s winning free two minutes from the end of normal time, was kicked from 40 yards.
Lissycasey felt aggrieved that Brian Considine hadn’t been sent off 16 minutes into the second half following a tackle on Derek McMahon. Having been yellow carded in the opening half, Considine was ticked by referee Michael Talty.
Yet they will also acknowledge that their team did relinquish a four point second half lead on a day when both sides gave it everything.
Such was the tension in the closing minutes, Lissycasey goalkeeper Joe Hayes emerged 45 yards from goals in an effort to drive his club forward. At this stage a pushing and shoving match also developed in front of the stand.
The Liscannor full-back line was solid, while Alan Clohessy kicked game winning scores in attack, where Alan Flaherty and Johnny Considine excelled in their target men roles in the full-forward line. They were involved in a least 1-5 of Liscannor’s total.
A young, emerging Lissycasey team had good displays from Paul Nagle, Martin O’Connor and Enda Finnucane.

Liscannor: Noel Kilmartin; Dara Blake, David McDonagh, Michael Foley; Shane Canavan, Ronan Slattery, Denis Murphy; Brian Considine, Niall Considine; Joe Considine, Alan Clohessy, Gerry Considine; Kieran Considine, Alan Flaherty, Johnny Considine.
Subs: Robert Lucas for Joe Considine, Paul Guerin for Johnny Considine.
Scorers: Alan Clohessy 1-4, (0-3f), Johnny Considine, Alan Flaherty, Michael Foley, Gerry Considine, Kieran Considine (f) 0-1 each.
Frees won: 20; wides: 10; 45s: 1
Yellow cards: Brian Considine, Denis Murphy.
“After giving away a very sloppy goal in the second half it didn’t look great but the lads showed good character to keep going and dig out a result.  After we got our goal, we controlled the game from then on.” Martin Guerin, Liscannor manager.
Lissycasey: Joe Hayes; Martin O’Connor, Gerry Moran, Alan Nagle; Cathal Hill, Michael Melican, Cyril Sheehan; Enda Finnucane, Danny Clohessy; Paul Nagle, Francie Hayes, Fergal Talty; Derek McMahon, Niall Kelly, Matthew O’Shea.
Subs: Martin Moran for Cyril Sheehan, Cathal Doohan for Fergal Talty, Dermot Nagle for Danny Clohessy.
Scorers: Niall Kelly 0-4, (0-3f), Michael Melican 1-0, Paul Nagle 0-2, Enda Finnucane 0-2f.
Wides: 3; Frees won: 27; 45s: 1
“We were disappointed with the result but very happy with the fact that we played very well for 50 minutes. We’re very proud of the players and hopeful that we’ll get a result in our next game.” Barry Keating, Lissycasey manager.
Referee: Michael Talty (Kilmurry Ibrickane).