Majestic scoring display by Arthur

Inagh-Kilnamona   1-14   Clonlara   2-10
Both Inagh-Kilnamona and Clonlara were understrength for their Division 1A tie played in dry but bitterly cold conditions at Clonlara on Monday. It was an evenly contested tie, with the result in doubt right to the end.

 

A contribution of 1-11 from Ger Arthur was the highlight of the tie and this played a big part in the visitors managing a one-point victory.

The sides swapped points early on and by the end of the first quarter, the winners were ahead by one, 0-4 to 0-3.

A minute later, Clonlara hit the front when Darach Honan ran onto a Cathal O’Connell sideline effort to fire home the game’s opening goal.

As half-time approached, the visitors hit the front when Ger Arthur goaled after Ger O’Connell in the Clonlara goal had made an excellent save from Eoin Vaughan. This goal helped the winners to a three-point interval lead when the  score stood at 1-9 to 1-6.

Arthur made the margin four with the opening score of the second half but three Clonlara points from Cathal O’Connell and Jason Murphy (2) left the minimum between the sides at the three-quarter stage.

The visitors edged a couple ahead again thanks to Arthur’s accuracy but substitute Chris O’Kane brought the home side right back into the game when he finished to the net with two minutes remaining. However, a Ger Arthur effort from a 60m free decided the tie in the mid-Clare side’s favour.

Inagh-Kilnamona: Patrick Kelly; Sean Devitt, Milo Keane, Dermot Lynch; Damian Lafferty, Eamonn Glynn, Colm Pilkington; Tomas Kelly, Kevin Hehir; Brian Hehir, Eoin Vaughan (0-1), Shane Griffin (0-1); Gerry Coote, Ger Arthur (1-11, 10f), Conor Tierney (0-1).
Sub: Paul O’Looney for Coote.
Clonlara: Ger O’Connell; Patrick Conlon, Patrick Clancy, Thomas Gillen; Ronan Carey, John Conlon (0-1), Ger Powell; William Slattery, Michael Collins (0-1); Jason Murphy (0-2), Cathal O’Connell (0-3), James Hastings (0-1); Micheal O’Loughlin, Darach Honan (1-0) Colm Galvin (0-2).
Subs: Oisín O’Brien for Powell; Tom Begley for Galvin; Christy O’Kane (1-0) for Collins.
Referee: Johnnie Healy, Smith O’Brien’s.

Newmarket 2-8    Clooney-Quin 1-10

Title-holders Newmarket got their campaign off to a winning start when they overcame Clooney-Quin by the minimum margin at the latter’s venue. The Blues had to fight all the way for this win on a day when Clooney-Quin had chances to cause an upset.

The home side opened the scoring with a Mike Daffy point but Newmarket hit back strongly and put 1-4 on the scoreboard without reply, points coming from Martin O’Hanlon, Colin Ryan, James Liddy and Ronan Goode before Niall Enright got through for the game’s opening goal.

Shortly after this the winners lost Enda Barrett to injury and Clooney-Quin bounced back with 1-1 from Peter Duggan, which cut the winners’ lead to two points. When the half-time whistle sounded, the winners were in front by the minimum margin, 1-5 to 1-4, before levelling early in the second half.

At the three-quarter stage, the teams were still level at 1-7 each. Martin O’Hanlon and Ronan Goode combined for the winner’s second goal, with O’Hanlon getting the final touch.

The home team came storming back and three converted frees by Peter Duggan had the teams level again with time ticking away.

Half-back Alan Barrett fired over what proved to be the winning score when his effort from midfield sailed between the uprights. There was still time for Clooney-Quin to level but Duggan’s injury-time free from 65m drifted wide of the posts.

Newmarket: Darren Duggan; Eoin O’Brien, James McInerney, Sean O’Connor; Niall O’Connor, Enda Barrett, Alan Barrett; Eoin Hayes, Martin O’Hanlon; David Barrett, Shane O’Brien, Ronan Goode; James Liddy, Niall Enright, Colin Ryan.
Subs: Shane Kelleher for E Barrett (inj), Shane Liddy for J Liddy, Pádraig Kilmartin for Enright.
Scorers: Martin O’Hanlon (1-1), Niall Enright (1-0), Colin Ryan (0-2), Alan Barrett, Eoin Hayes, David Barrett, Ronan Goode, James Liddy (0-1) each.
Clooney-Quin: Damian O’Halloran; Brian McInerney, Joe O’Loughlin, Pádraig Ward; Conor Harisson, Shane McNamara, Adrian Fleming; John Earls, Donnacda Murphy; Peter Duggan, Ruairí McNamara, Fergal Lynch; Ritchie Hennessy, Mike Daffy, Derek Ryan.
Subs: Cathal Egan for R McNamara, Gary Hogan for Ryan, Enda Harrisson for Fleming.
Scorers: Peter Duggan (1-7), John Earls, Ritchie Hennessy, Mike Daffy (0-1) each.
Referee: Ger Hoey, Killanena.

Crusheen 1-11   Clarecastle  0-9

John Carmody got his term as Crusheen manager off to a winning start with this victory over Clarecastle at the latter’s venue.

A strong second quarter showing proved decisive and helped the winners to lead at the break on a score of 1-7 to 0-5.

Fergus Kennedy was the game’s goalscorer and he also added a point, while other points for the winners in the first half came from Dara (3) and Ciaran O’Doherty (2), Conor O’Donnell and Kennedy, while Clarecastle had points from Eamonn Callinan, Adam Healy and three from Conor Plunkett.

At the start of the final quarter, Crusheen goalie Donal Tuohy made an excellent save from Derek Quinn, which proved decisive.

Four unanswered points early in the second half saw the winners extend their lead.
Clarecastle will be disappointed with their tally of 15 wides, a dozen more than their opponents.

Crusheen: Donal Tuohy; John Brigdale, Cronan Dillon, Briain Dillon; Cathal Dillon, Ciaran O’Doherty (0-2), Conor O’Loughlin; Alan Brigdale (0-1), Alan Tuohy; Joseph Meaney, Gearóid O’Donnell, Gerard O’Grady; Darragh O’Doherty (0-5), Fergus Kennedy (1-1), Conor O’Donnell (0-1).
Subs: Sean Weir (O-1) for C O’Donnell, Niall Fitzgibbon for O’Grady, Youen Horner for B Dillon.
Clarecastle: Donogh Murphy; Seanie Moloney, Stephen O’Halloran Kevin Clohessy; Danny Scanlan (0-1), Eric Flynn, Jamie O’Connor; Jonathon Clancy, Gareth Barry; Derek Quinn (0-2), Conor Plunkett (0-4), Adam Healy (0-1); Eamonn Callinan (0-1), David Greene, Fergus Ryan.
Subs: John Reidy for Barry (inj), Brian Lynch for Greene, Conor Clancy for Ryan.
Referee: Ambrose Heagney

Éire Óg 4-21    Broadford 3-11

Éire Óg got their Division 1 campaign off to an impressive start with a 13-point win over fellow promoted side, Broadford. The winners struck a vital blow as early as the second minute when Marc O’Donnell found the net following a pass from David Reidy.

Graham Glynn, Shane O’Donnell and Reidy, with two, followed with points to put the winners seven points clear in as many minutes.

A brace of Broadford goals from full-forward Ciarán Corcoran brought the East Clare side right back into contention. Davy O’Halloran had a goal for the home side and they went on to lead at the break by 2-9 to 2-4, having played against the wind.

A goal and a point from Graham Glynn in the early minutes of the second half stretched the town side’s lead but a similar return from Broadford substitute Declan Teefy kept the East Clare side’s hopes of victory alive and, as the end of the third quarter approached, the score was 2-10 to 3-5 in Éire Óg’s favour.

The Ennis side dominated the remainder of the game and David Reidy added their fourth goal. A total of 10 players shared in the Ennis side’s impressive tally.

Éire Óg: Kevin Brennan; Ronan Cooney, Mark Fitzgerald, Ciaran Hanna; Ciaran Russell, Aaron Fitzgerald (0-1), Kevin Moynihan (0-1); Marc O’Donnell (1-0), Niall McMahon (0-2); Ronan Keane (0-1), Tadhg MacNamara (0-1), Graham Glynn (1-3); David Reidy (1-7 ), Shane O’Donnell (0-2), David O’Halloran (1-4).
Subs: John Mulcahy for Cooney and Barry Nugent for S O’Donnell.
Broadford: Cian O’Brien; James Gunning, Kieran O’Connell, Brian Taylor; Stephen Gunning, Cathal Chaplin, Craig Chaplin; Mark Moloney, Caolan Cox; Pádraig Taylor, Aonghus O’Brien, Donie Whelan; Damien Keniry, Kieran Corcoran (2-0), Diarmuid Moloney
Sub: Declan Teefy for Molloney, Danny Reddan for Craig Chaplin and Cian O’Brien for Whelan.
Referee: Jim Hickey, Cratloe.

Cratloe 1-15   Sixmilebridge 2-11

A Sean Chaplin goal three minutes from the end proved crucial as Cratloe inflicted a one-point win over their neighbours at O’Garney Park on Monday.

Before a good-sized attendance, the game produced some fine hurling. Danny Morey and Paudge Collins exchanged early scores before Cratloe opened a three-point lead. Scores were exchanged a few times before the visitors went five clear thanks to points from Cathal McInerney and Damian Browne.

The home team finished the half strongly. Kevin Lynch raised a white flag before a high ball in from Niall Gilligan wasn’t dealt with and Declan Morey struck the game’s first goal. Liam Markham had a point for Cratloe, who went in at the break 0-10 to 1-5 ahead, with wind advantage to come.

Niall Gilligan had an early score for the ’Bridge on the turnover before Cathal McInerney, with an impressive effort from the wing, had the score of the game.

The ’Bridge came storming back helped by some good points from veteran Gilligan before a Caimin Morey score put the home side ahead early in the final quarter.

Inside the final 10 minutes, Conor Ryan levelled for Cratloe. Sean Chaplin’s goal was followed by a Paudge Collins’ point and Cratloe were four clear.

Gilligan found the net from a penalty in injury time to put Cratloe ahead by the minimum margin.

Cratloe: Sean Hayes; John O’Gorman, Barry Duggan, Martin ‘Óige’ Murphy; David Ryan, Conor Ryan (0-1), Michael Hawes; Enda Boyce (0-1), Liam Markham (0-2); Conor McGrath, Paudge Collins (0-4), Sean Chaplin (1-1); Gearóid Ryan, Cathal McInerney (0-3), Damien Browne (0-3).
Subs: Aidan Browne for G Ryan (inj) and David Collins for McInerney.
Sixmilebridge: Derek Fahy; Brian Carey, Paidí Fitzpatrick, Trevor Purcell; Noel Purcell, Caimin Morey (0-1), Paul Fitzpatrick; Pa Sheehan (0-1), Shane Golden; Niall Gilligan (1-6), Kevin Lynch (0-2), Rory Shanahan; Danny Morey (0-1), Declan Morey (1-0), Alan Mulready.
Subs: Ronan Mullane for Shanahan (inj) and Seadna Morey for Mulready.
Referee: Seanie McMahon, Newmarket-on-Fergus.