Lissycasey lay foundations in opening quarter

Lissycasey 2-8
Éire Óg 1-9

A BLISTERING opening quarter, in which they scored 1-7 without reply, laid the foundations for Lissycasey’s victory over Éire Óg in the final of the U-16A Football Championship at Cusack Park on Sunday evening.

In winning the title, Lissycasey bridged a 12-year gap to their only previous win in this competition in 1999.
From the outset of this campaign these teams had been installed as the favourites to contest the final. For the past two years, the sides have produced some great contests and they didn’t disappoint on Sunday evening.
A runaway victory looked to be on the cards when Lissycasey went 1-7 to 0-0 ahead in the first quarter. They produced some outstanding football in that period and fully deserved their lead with points coming from Padraic McNamara, Ciarán Doohan (3), Conor Finnucane, Michael O’Malley and Oisín Hanrahan. O’Malley scored the goal finishing off a tremendous move in which Oisín Hanrahan made a great break from midfield.
The switch of Eimhin Courtney from corner-forward to midfield helped Éire Óg get back into contention and in the closing minutes of the half he landed a brace of points to leave the half-time score at 1-7 to 0-2.
Lissycasey had the opening score of the second half when McNamara, as he had done in the opening half, struck in the first minute. Three points from Courtney, two from frees, gave the Ennis side confidence but they were rocked 11 minutes into this half when the impressive O’Malley struck for his second goal when he rose high to fist a Brian Cahill delivery to the net.
It was to be the winner’s final score and from here to the finish, they had to work hard in defence. Fifteen scoreless minutes followed O’Malley’s goal but Éire Óg kept up the pressure. The introduction of substitutes Brian Colleran and Shane Jordan brought freshness to their attack. Each had a point before Jack Keating got a vital touch for their goal with two minutes remaining. Indeed Lissycasey’s goalie Daire Meaney made an excellent save just before that when he deflected Jordan’s snap shot over the bar. These scores cut the margin to four points and clearly gave the town side new hope.
They continued to pile on the pressure and the margin was back to three when Courtney hit his sixth of the evening converting a 13m free in the second minute of injury time. A poor kick-out saw Lissycasey under pressure again but Stephen Jordan’s effort went over the bar. It proved to be the final score as the final whistle followed the kick-out.
Killian Normoyle was outstanding at full-back for the winners who also had excellent performances from Levi Howard, team captain Oisín Hanrahan, Padraic McNamara, Ciarán Doohan and the game’s top scorer, Michael O’Malley.
Conail Ó hAinifein, Conor O’Halloran, James Woods, Jack Keating an Eimhin Courtney were the Ennis club’s best players on the evening.
After the game, Bord na nÓg chairman John Smith presented the cup to Lissycasey’s Oisín Hanrahan and Shane Keating.

Lissycasey: Daire Meaney; Ryan Griffin, Killian Normoyle, Niall McCarthy; Seamus Collins, Levi Howard, David Cleary; Oisín Hanrahan (captain, 0-1), Brian Cahill; Gary Stephens, Padraic McNamara (0-2), Ciarán Doohan (0-3); Niall Meere, Michael O’Malley (2-1), Conor Finnucane (0-1).
Subs: Daire Hanrahan for Cleary (inj); Shane Keating, Eric Griffin, Ronan Grace, David Cahill, Roy Griffin, Paul Culligan and Gary Hill. The team mentors were Michael Collins (manager), David Considine, Jamesie Meere, Denis O’Herlihy and Michael Stephens.
Éire Óg: Shane O’Connell; Conor O’Halloran, Michael Moloney, Martin Darcy; Eanna O’Connor, Conal Ó hAinifein, Pa Chesser; Dara Walsh, James Woods; Liam Lynch, Jack Keating (1-0), Brian Flanagan; Liam O’Donovan, Mark Connolly, Eimhin Courtney (0-6).
Subs: Brian Colleran (0-1) for Walsh; Stephen Jordan (0-2) for Connolly; Cathal Lynch for Flanagan.
Referee: Pat Cosgrove, Corofin.