Lissycasey 0-9
Ennistymon 0-8

A STRONG second-half performance at Cooraclare on Saturday proved decisive for Lissycasey as they pipped Ennistymon and, in the process, won a place in the quarter-final of the championship.

Beaten narrowly in their opening two games, Lissycasey knew they had to win this one and then hope that Doonbeg beat Liscannor if they were to have any chance of progressing.
It didn’t look good at half-time as Ennistymon held a three-point lead, while Doonbeg trailed against Liscannor and at this time, Lissycasey looked to be heading for the relegation play-offs for the second year in-a-row.
However, they stepped up a gear in the second half when their defence was superb, a fact illustrated by a tally of just one point for the North Clare side in this period. The winners grew in confidence as the game progressed and drew level with 10 minutes remaining.
They went in front for the first time in the game with six minutes remaining, a minute before Ennistymon were dealt a huge blow when their captain, Joe Dowling, was shown a red card for a rash challenge on Lissycasey’s Cathal Hill.
Aware of the score from the Doonbeg versus Liscannor tie, which was played at the same time in Miltown, Ennistymon knew that a draw would be enough for them to qualify and, in the closing minutes, they launched a number of attacks but the Lissycasey defence in which Michael Melican and Martin O’Connor were particularly superb, held firm.
It was all so different in the opening quarter which was dominated by Ennistymon. Danny Rouine gave them the lead in the fourth minute and while Lissycasey equalised through Derek McMahon seven minutes later, further points from John McInerney, Rouine and Michael McDonagh had Ennistymon 0-4 to 0-1 ahead at the end of the opening quarter.
Enda Finnucane kept Lissycasey in touch with a good point but like scores from Rouine (free) and Michael McDonagh, (neither were named in the starting line-up but both played from the start) had them four clear, 0-6 to 0-2 with five minutes remaining in the half.
Points from Niall Kelly (free) and Francis Hayes kept Lissycasey in contention before Rouine converted another free in the third minute of injury time to leave his side 0-7 to 0-4 ahead at the break.
At the end of the first quarter, Cathal Doohan had replaced team captain Alan Nagle in the Lissycasey defence, while five minutes later, Sean Hayes came into their attack in place of Dermot Nagle.
An excellent point from centre-back Michael Melican, two minutes into the second half, clearly boosted Lissycasey. Two minutes later, Ennistymon were dealt a blow when they lost Michael Hohey to injury. The wing-back proved to be a big loss as their ability to win breaking ball diminished greatly after injury forced him out of the game.
The gap was back to three in the 10th minute of the half when Michael McDonagh kicked his third point. It proved to be their only score of the half and within a minute, it was cancelled out as Danny Lynch, with his first touch following his introduction, landed a great score for the winners. Enda Finnucane converted a free to cut the margin to the minimum at the three-quarter stage before Niall Kelly, after great work by Sean Hayes, converted a 20m free to level the game with 10 minutes remaining.
The winners were dominating the exchanges at this stage and took the lead when Finnucane landed another free with six minutes still to play. It proved to be the vital score.
Michael Melican, Martin O’Connor, Cathal Hill, Enda Finnucane and substitutes Cathal Doohan, Sean Hayes and Danny Lynch all made valuable contributions for the winners. Ennistymon’s best were Lawrence Healy, Michael Hohey, Sean O’Driscoll, Michael McDonagh, and Danny Rouine.

Lissycasey: Joe Hayes; Alan Nagle, Gerry Moran, Martin O’Connor; Cathal Hill, Michael Melican, Martin Moran; Danny Clohessy, Enda Finnucane; Matt O’Shea, Francis Hayes, Demot Nagle; Derek McMahon, Niall Kelly, Paul Nagle.
Subs: Cathal Doohan for A Nagle (13 minutes); Sean Hayes for D Nagle (21 minutes); Danny Lynch for McMahon (40 minutes); Paudie Carmody for Clohessy (58 minutes).
Scorers: Enda Finnucane (0-3, 2 f); Niall Kelly (0-2, frees); Francis Hayes, Michael Melican Derek McMahon, Danny Lynch (0-1 each).
Frees for: 26; wides: 9; 45: 1.
Bookings: Danny Lynch (42 minutes); Niall Kelly (57 minutes).
“In the last two games, we had leads, which we lost. We were poor in the first half today but the lads stood up in the second half and showed what they can do. This is a young team and we didn’t panic. We have succeeded in our aim, which was to get to the quarter-final,” Barry Keating, Lissycasey manager

Ennistymon: Noel Sexton; Oisín Vaughan, Lawrence Healy, Michael Devitt; Willie Murphy, Sean O’Driscoll, Michael Hohey; Ronan Linnane, John McInerney; Kevin Scales, Joey Rouine, Joe Dowling; Danny Rouine, Michael McDonagh, Sean McConigley.
Subs: Wayne Griffin for Hohey (35 minutes); Michael O’Loughlin for McInerney (40 minutes); James Murphy for O’Loughlin (inj) (48 minutes); Brian Conway for McConigley (49 minutes).
Scorers: Joey Rouine (0-4, 3f); Michael McDonagh (0-3), John McInerney (0-1).
Frees for: 21; wides: 7; 45: 1.
Bookings: Danny Rouine (18 minutes); Kevin Scales (43 minutes).
Sent off: Joe Dowling (55 minutes).
“We had a good 70% possession in the first half but we were only three points up. We knew Lissycasey would come back at us. We lost our way for a spell and it went right down to the wire. In the last few minutes, we knew a draw would suffice but Lissycasey are a good team. We won a lot of the breaks around the middle in the first half but the loss of Mike Hohey was a blow. Lissycasey had momentum with them in the second half,” Brendan Rouine, Ennistymon

Referee: Damian Fox, Wolfe Tones.

 

Quarter-final double for Cratloe

Cratloe 1-10
Miltown, St Joseph’s 0-6

A FITTER and better-organised Cratloe were deserving winners over a disappointing Miltown St Joseph’s side at Cusack Park on Saturday evening. The win guarantees the South-East Clare side a quarter-final date, something their senior hurling side had achieved in their championship race a week earlier.
Those keeping statistics were kept busy during the course of this game as the result of this match together with the outcome of the meeting of St Joseph’s (Doora-Barefield) and Shannon Gaels was going to decide final positions in the group.
Cratloe went into the game in top position and, barring a huge turnaround, were going to qualify. Prior to the games, the odds favoured Shannon Gaels to fill second place and while opinions may have been divided as to who would win the game between the Gaels and St Joseph’s, few, if any, expected the margin to be eight points.
Miltown were in the running for a quarter-final place at the midway point as they were level with Cratloe and St Joseph’s were in front in their game but the Miltown men were well beaten in the second half and never really looked like they could beat the South-East Clare side.
The first half was a poor affair with defences in control. Dessie Mollohan gave Miltown the lead but like scores from Cathal McInerney (free) and Sean Collins had Cratloe in front at the mid-point of the half. Points from Gary Egan and Mollohan had Miltown back in front before another Sean Collins effort left the teams at 0-3 each at half-time.
Two minutes into the second half, Cratloe should have had a goal. Conor McGrath’s effort rebounded off the upright to Paudge Collins but his shot went over the bar. Eoin Curtin levelled for the fourth time in the fifth minute but it was clear at this stage the Miltown defence was struggling to cope with the movement of the Cratloe forwards and, in particular, the play of Conor McGrath who put his side back in front in the sixth minute. Cathal McInerney (free) and substitute Pádraig Chaplin added points before McGrath crashed home the game’s only goal. The move started with Barry Duggan who found Sean Collins and he passed to Ogie Murphy whose superb delivery put McGrath clear.
Miltown responded with points from Micheál Malone and Mollohan before the end of the third quarter but they weren’t to score again as Cratloe dictated matters from here on. Sean Collins put five between them when he landed his third point of the evening.
With St Joseph’s five-up on Shannon Gaels at this stage in Quilty, Miltown needed a goal and they almost had one seven minutes from time. Minor star Dara McDonagh, who didn’t start due to injury, broke through but his effort was turned behind by Jamie Joyce for a 45. It was their final chance and Cratloe went on to add points from Liam Markham and Cathal McInerney to seal a comfortable win.
Barry Duggan, David Ryan, Ogie Murphy, Liam Markham, Cathal McInerney and Conor McGrath were prominent throughout for the winners. Miltown, despite having Gordon Kelly back after his spell in the US, struggled in most areas. Enda O’Gorman, the Malones and Eoin Curtin tried hard.

Cratloe: Jamie Joyce; Sean Chaplin, Barry Duggan, David Ryan; Martin Ogie Murphy, Michael Hawes, Liam Markham; Conor Ryan, Brendan Bugler; Wes DeLoughrey, Sean Collins, Sean Hynan; Cathal McInerney, Conor McGrath, Paudge Collins.
Subs: Pádraig Chaplin for DeLoughrey (38 minutes); Joseph O’Connor for Hynan (50 minutes); Robert Conlon for S Collins (58 minutes).
Scorers: Conor McGrath (1-1); Sean Collins, Cathal McInerney (0-3 each); Liam Markham, Paudge Collins, Pádraig Chaplin (0-1 each).
Frees for: 14; wides: 7; 45: 1.
Bookings: Sean Hynan (33 minutes); Conor Ryan (45 minutes).
“It took us a long time to get on top as they defended well but we are a fit team and I was confident we would get on top in the second half. We had the breeze in the second half as well, which was a big help. We will have a great battle with Lissycasey now as they will be keen for revenge after the U-21 result,” Sean Collins, Cratloe

Miltown St Joseph’s: Niall Quinn; Enda O’Gorman, Kevin Burke, Enda Malone; Gearoid Curtin, Sean Meade, Sean Malone; John Meade, Gordon Kelly; Eoin Curtin, Michael Malone, Graham Kelly; Kevin Keavey, Dessie Mollohan, Gary Egan.
Subs: Michael Barry for K Burke (inj, 38 minutes); Dara McDonagh for Egan (45 minutes); David Talty for Keavey ((55 minutes).
Scorers: Dessie Mollohan (0-3), Micheál Malone, Eoin Curtin, Gary Egan (0-1 each).
Frees for: 8; wides: 9; 45: 1.
Bookings: Graham Kelly (40 minutes); Enda O’Gorman 43 minutes); Micheál Malone (50 minutes).
“We were well beaten today. We were second best in a lot of positions. We have had a problem all year of scoring just six and seven points and today, that cost us big time. We will have a battle now to stay up,” John Fennell, Miltown coach

Referee: John Hannon, Michael Cusack’s.