McGrath hat-trick too much for Clonlara

Cratloe 3-10   Clonlara 1-10

CONOR McGrath scored a hat-trick of goals as Cratloe returned to winning ways in the Clare Champion Cup (Division 1A) campaign at Clonlara on Thursday evening.

Cratloe’s win was fully merited but it was achieved against an under-strength Clonlara, who were without the services of the O’Donovan twins, Domhnaill and Cormac, Nicky O’Connell, Colm Galvin, Cillian Fennessy and current county minors, the Downey brothers and Ian Galvin.

The winners took the lead in the second minute when McGrath pointed but John Conlon quickly cancelled this score when he converted a 50m free.

The game’s first goal arrived in the 12th minute when McGrath and Cathal McInerney combined before the former found the net to make the score 1-2 to 0-1, which was the position at the end of the opening quarter.

The winners played with the aid of the breeze in the opening half and had added three more points before McGrath had the game’s second goal, with six minutes remaining.

Clonlara’s second and only other score of the half came on the stroke of half-time, when James Hastings pointed, leaving it 2-7 to 0-2.

Clonlara’s John Conlon had the opening score of the second half but Cratloe hit back with points from Damian Browne (2) and his brother, Aidan, to go 2-10 to 0-3 ahead on 10 minutes.

A brace of points from John Conlon kept Clonlara’s hopes alive but, at the turn of the final quarter, their task was made all the greater when McGrath and McInerney combined again for McGrath to complete his hat-trick.
Cratloe didn’t score after this, while the home side hit 1-5. Clonlara’s goal came from James Hastings, who had moved to the forward line from midfield, while Conlon hit four of their last five points.

Barry Duggan, Michael Hawes, Enda Boyce, Cathal McInerney and McGrath were always prominent for the winners. Clonlara’s best were Shane and Oisin O’Brien and their top scorer, John Conlon.

Cratloe: Gearóid Ryan; John O’Gorman, Barry Duggan, David Ryan; Philip Gleeson, Michael Hawes, Martin ‘Óige’ Murphy; Sean Collins, Enda Boyce (0-1); Podge Collins, David O’Gorman, Damian Browne (0-6); Aidan Browne (0-1), Cathal McInerney (0-1), Conor McGrath (3-1).
Subs: Michael Carey for P Gleeson and Barry Gleeson for McGrath.
Clonlara: Ger O’Connell; Shane O’Brien, Oisín O’Brien, Patrick Conlon; Ger Powell, Eoin Meehan, Ronan Carey; Neil Ryan, James Hastings (1-1); Patrick Moloney, John Conlon (0-8), Tommy Begley (0-1); Micheál O’Loughlin, Darach Honan, Cathal O’Connell.
Subs: Patrick Clancy for R Carey, Jason Murphy for Moloney and Chris O’Kane for Honan.
Referee: Seánie McMahon, Newmarket.

 

Clooney-Quin 0-18   Clarecastle 2-10

APPROACHING the final 10 minutes at Clooney, the home side were eight points ahead and looking good for victory. However, a strong finish from Clarecastle ended with a Jonathon Clancy goal in the first minute of injury time to draw the game. Clooney-Quin let victory slip away by conceding 1-5 without reply in the final 10 minutes.

The sides were level five times in the first half before a Michael Casey goal, two minutes from the break, gave the Magpies a one-point lead, 1-6 to 0-8. Having played with the aid of the wind, this slender lead didn’t look to be enough and when Clooney-Quin hit 10 unanswered points in the second half, things certainly did not look good for a Clarecastle side that was without the services of a number of players due to this weekend’s U-21 semi-final replay with St Joseph’s.

The crucial score of the half was a goal from Michael Casey, two minutes before the break. Casey won possession from a Danny Scanlan free and he fired a low shot past Damian O’Halloran.

Danny Scanlan hit the opening point of the second half but then the home side took control and points from Mike Daffy and Seamus Conroy brought the sides level. Peter Duggan put Clooney-Quin ahead from a 40m free and he followed with three more converted frees to open a four-point lead by the 12th minute. Ritchie Hennessy followed with another before Jamie Coughlan in the Clarecastle goal did well to save from James Casey at the expense of a 65’, which Duggan converted.

Duggan, from a free and then from play, made it 0-18 to 1-7 with 12 minutes to play and Clooney-Quin looked to have their second win of the campaign secured.

After a 20-minute gap, Jonathon Clancy had a Clarecastle point and Patrick Kelly followed with one from a free to leave the score 0-18 to 1-9 with five minutes to play. Three more from Casey, two frees and a 65’, had the margin down to three as the game went into injury time.

A Jamie O’Connor delivery found Jonathon Clancy some 30m from goal and he soloed to the 20m line, before crashing a bullet-like drive to the net.

Seánie Moloney, Danny Scanlan, Jonathon Clancy and Michael Casey were prominent for Clarecastle, while Clooney-Quin had impressive displays from Conor Harrison, Donnacda Murphy James Casey, Seamus Conroy and top scorer, Peter Duggan.

Clooney-Quin: Damian O’Halloran; Brian McInerney, Shane McNamara, Joe O’Loughlin; Adrian Fleming, Donnacda Murphy, Conor Harrison; Paudie Ward, Peter Duggan (0-11, 10f); Ritchie Hennessy (0-1), James Casey (0-1), John Earls (0-1); Mike Daffy (0-1), Fergal Lynch, Seamus Conroy (0-3).
Subs: Cathal Egan for Hennessy, Enda Harrison for Fleming, Gary Hogan for Ward and Derek Ryan for Daffy.
Clarecastle: Jamie Coughlan; Jamie O’Connor, Seánie Moloney, Kevin Clohessy; Danny Scanlan (0-1), Eric Flynn, Patrick Kelly (0-1f); Jonathon Clancy (1-1), Gareth Barry (0-1); Michael Casey (1-6, 5f), David Greene, Derek Quinn (0-1); Eamonn Callinan (0-1), Conor O’Gorman, John Reidy.
Subs: Andrew Page for Barry and Aaron Considine for Quinn (inj).
Referee: Fergus McDonagh, St Joseph’s.

Sixmilebridge 0-15   Newmarket-on-Fergus 1-15

IN the Clare Champion Cup in recent seasons, Sixmilebridge have managed to produce their better displays when they come up against neighbours and great rivals Newmarket and they did so again on Saturday.
Competition holders Newmarket went into the tie with full points, while the home side were pointless and propping up the table.

Before a big attendance, the home side produced a committed and much improved performance that helped them to a merited win over the Blues.

Newmarket made the better start and took the lead when sharpshooter Colin Ryan was on target. With five minutes remaining in the half, they were 0-5 to 0-2 in front.

From here to the break, the home side had the better of matters and outscored the visitors 0-4 to 0-1, to leave matters at 0-6 apiece.

Newmarket went back in front with two Colin Ryan efforts early in the second half, before the ’Bridge had their best spell. Veteran Niall Gilligan had a brace of points to tie up the game, while Alan Mulready and Danny Morey added points before Gilligan scored another.

After 10 minutes without a score, James Liddy had a Newmarket point but the home side replied with like scores from Shane Golden, Kevin Lynch, Danny Morey and Pa Sheehan to take a six-point lead with five minutes remaining.

Colin Ryan pulled one back for Newmarket before James Liddy goaled to ensure a grandstand finish. In injury time, Colin Ryan floated a free into the Sixmilebridge square, where the home side’s goalkeeper, Derek Fahy, secured possession and cleared to safety as the final whistle signalled.

Among those to impress for the winners were Caimin Morey, Tadhg Keogh, Shane Golden, Niall Gilligan and Pa Sheehan. Newmarket’s best were the O’Connor brothers, Seánie and Niall, Alan Barrett, Eoin Hayes, Colin Ryan and James Liddy.

Sixmilebridge: Derek Fahy; Brian Carey, Páidí Fitzpatrick, Tadhg Keogh; Noel Purcell, Caimin Morey, Sam O’Sullivan; Shane Golden (0-1), Trevor Purcell; Rory Shanahan, Alan Mulready (0-2), Danny Morey (0-2); Niall Gilligan (0-5, 2f), Kevin Lynch (0-1), Pa Sheehan (0-4).
Sub: Declan Morey for Shanahan (47 mins).
Newmarket: Darren Duggan; Eoin O’Brien, Sean O’Connor, Pádraig Kilmartin; Niall O’Connor, Enda Barrett, Alan Barrett; Colin Ryan (0-6, 2f, 2 65s), Eoin Hayes (0-2); David Barrett, Shane O’Brien Snr, Liam Clancy; Shane Liddy Jnr, Niall Enright, Ronan Goode (0-1).
Subs: James Liddy (1-1) for Enright, Sean Arthur for Liddy and Noel Frawley for Clancy.
Referee: Fergal Gray, Feakle.

Inagh-Kilnamona 2-18   Broadford 0-17

INAGH-Kilnamona laid the foundations for victory against Broadford in the opening half, at the end of which they were 2-11 to 0-6 ahead. They hit the first three points of the second half to stretch their advantage to 14 points, leaving the visitors with a mountain to climb.

The winners got off to a great start, racing into a 1-3 to 0-0 lead, all scores coming from Ger Arthur, who finished with a tally of 1-7. Eamonn Glynn was the scorer of their second goal when his long-range free slipped through the hands of Broadford goalie Eoin O’Brien. A haul of six points from full-forward Niall Arthur brought the combined tally for the brothers, Ger and Niall, to 1-13.

Cathal Chaplin was Broadford’s main scorer and he finished the game with a tally of 0-8, while substitute Donie Whelan accounted for three points.

Overall, however, Inagh-Kilnamona were more evenly balanced and this proved decisive. The result sees the winners in joint leadership of the group, while Broadford prop up the rear, without a win from their four outings to date.

Inagh-Kilnamona: Patrick Kelly; Sean Devitt, Damian Lafferty, Dermot Lynch; Brian Hehir, Eamonn Glynn (1-1), Colm Pilkington; Kevin Hehir, Haulie Vaughan; Conor Tierney (0-2), Ger Arthur (1-7), Eoin Vaughan (0-1); Gerry Coote, Niall Arthur (0-6), Shane Griffin (0-1).
Subs: Paul O’Looney for Pilkington and Gary Lafferty for Tierney.
Broadford: Eoin O’Brien; John Corcoran, Ciarán Corcoran, Kieran O’Connell; Niall Moloney, James Gunning, Damian Keniry; Caolan Cox, Cathal Chaplin (0-8); Diarmuid Moloney, Aonghus O’Brien (0-1), Pádraig Taylor (0-1); Danny Reddan (0-1), Shane Taylor (0-1), Declan Teefy (0-2).
Subs: Donie Whelan (0-3) for Cox and Cian O’Brien for J Corcoran.
Referee: Ger Hoey, Killanena.

Éire Óg 1-17   Crusheen 2-11

ÉIRE Óg caused a surprise when they defeated previously unbeaten Crusheen at Crusheen on Saturday. While the outcome may have been a surprise, the town side’s victory was well merited.

The foundation for Éire Óg’s win was laid in the opening half, at the end of which they led 0-9 to 0-7, having played against the breeze.

They continued to do well when play resumed and opened up a good lead when Shane O’Donnell struck a superb goal after he was put through by Graham Glynn 10 minutes into the new period.

Crusheen, to their credit, fought back and a goal from substitute Patrick O’Grady cut the lead to six points. A further goal from Gerry O’Grady had the margin down to three but try as they did, they failed to get any closer.

The home side had a goal chance five minutes from time but Éire Óg goalie Kevin Brennan advanced smartly to deny Darragh O’Doherty.

Kevin Moynihan impressed at centre-back for the winners and David Reidy, Shane O’Donnell and substitute Liam Corry were prominent.

Éire Óg: Kevin Brennan; Ronan Cooney, John Mulcahy, Ciarán Hanna; Ciarán Russell, Kevin Moynihan, Aaron Fitzgerald; Ronan Keane, Marc O’Donnell; Barry Nugent, Tadhg McNamara (0-1), Graham Glynn (0-2); David Reidy (0-10), Shane O’Donnell (1-2), Davy O’Halloran (0-2).
Sub: Liam Corry for Cooney.
Crusheen: Donal Tuohy; John Brigdale, Cathal Dillon, Briain Dillon; Joe Meaney (0-1), Ciarán O’Doherty, Sean Bhoeir; Alan Brigdale (0-1), Alan Tuohy; Gerry O’Grady (1-1), Jamie Fitzgibbon (0-2), Gearóid O’Donnell; Conor O’Donnell (0-2), Fergus Kennedy, Dara O’Doherty (0-4).
Sub: Patrick O’Grady (1-0) for Kennedy and Niall Fitzgibbon for G O’Donnell.
Referee: Joe Mullins, Clonlara.