Meelick have enough against Kilmihil

Meelick 1-7 Kilmihil 0-7
A goal from substitute James Duffy seven minutes from the end decided the Division 5 football league final in favour of Meelick at Gurteen on Saturday evening.

At the time, the sides were level and given that they had been tied on six occasions during the match, everything pointed to a replay until Duffy’s effort from 25m nestled in the top right-hand corner of the net defended by Christopher Donnelly in the second half.
There had been little between the sides throughout on an evening when Meelick appeared to get their scores that bit easier than their opponents. The South East Clare outfit finished the tie with 14 men after corner-forward Brian O’Neill was sent off following an off-the-ball incident in the final minute.
Both sides were forced to make late changes to their line-ups due to injuries while, for a number of the Kilmihil players, it was their second game in 24 hours. On the previous evening, they lost to St Breckan’s in the semi-final of the U-21B championship.
Kilmihil will rue a number of missed chances, particularly in the first half, when they had a couple of bad wides. The half ended with Meelick ahead four points to three.
Meelick’s captain Kevin Hartnett led by example and he caused a lot of problems for Kilmihil throughout. He was the game’s top scorer with 0-4 to his credit, with three of the points coming in the opening half.
When the hugely impressive Eanna Mulvihill came up from wing-back to kick a fine point at the start of the second half, it looked like the winners might pull away but this score was the signal for Kilmihil to pile on the pressure.
They dominated the remainder of this quarter and three points from corner-forward Michael Darcy saw them take the lead as the three-quarter stage approached.
An excellent effort from Meelick captain Hartnett tied up the scores before Kilmihil captain Damian O’Grady put his side back in front when he converted a 25m free. But the lead was shortlived however, as Gary Moloney finished off a fine Meelick move when he took a pass from Ger Finnucane before landing the leveller with 11 minutes still to play.
Substitute Duffy struck for the game’s only goal four minutes later and this proved to be the decisive score. Kilmihil tried hard to get back into contention but the winner’s defence, in which Eanna Mulvihil, Mickey Kelly and Barry Hartnett stood out, held firm.
Kevin Hartnett and Gary Moloney were others to impress for the winners on an evening when Kilmihil had good performances from Sean O’Leary, Stan Lineen, Damian O’Grady, Keith Considine and Michael Darcy.
Meelick: Gerry Markham; Shane Daly, Sean Cooney, Mickey Kelly; Brian Barrett, Barry Hartnett, Eanna Mulvihill; Gary Moloney, Stephen Hayes; Luke Davis, Kevin Hartnett (capt), Sean O’Connor; Brian O’Neill, Gerard Finnucane, William O’Shaughnessy.
Scorers: Kevin Hartnett (0-4, 2f); James Duffy (1-0); Gary Moloney (0-2); Eanna Mulvihill (0-1).
Sub: James Duffy for O’Connor.
Kilmihil: Christopher Donnelly; Alan McGuane, Dermot Haugh, Sean O’Leary; Pádraig O’Halloran, Stan Lineen, Joe O’Halloran; Daniel Blake, Damian O’Grady (capt); Noel Considine, Paul Finnucane, Michael Haugh; Michael Darcy, Keith Considine, Brendan Egan.
Scorers: Michael Darcy (0-3, 2f); Damian O’Grady (0-2, 1f); Paul Finnucane, Daniel Blake (0-1) each.
Subs: Colm Callinan for Ml Haugh; Enda O’Halloran for N Considine; Barry Normoyle for Callinan.
Referee: Tom Stackpool, Ennistymon.

Éire Óg 1-8 Crusheen 0-5
Éire Óg captured the Division 6 football league title last Wednesday when they accounted for Crusheen at Clareabbey.
Despite the fact that Crusheen were short a number of players due to hurling commitments, they made the favourites battle all the way for this win.
The town side led at half-time, with the score standing at 0-4 to 0-3.
The game’s only goal proved to be a decisive score and it came from substitute Gary Flynn in the second half. It gave the Ennis outfit a lead which they held to the finish.
Apart from the opening minutes when Crusheen had the first score of the game, the winners led all the way.
Graham Glynn was the game’s top scorer with 0-7 to his credit. Their remaining point came from centre-back Davy Ryan.
After the game Clare GAA assistant secretary Des Crowe presented the trophy to the winning captain, Robbie Malone.
Éire Óg: Eoin Slattery; Cormac O’Regan, Robbie Malone, Cathal Whelan; Mark Fitzgerald, Davy Ryan, Rhys Phillips; Robert Ford, Robert Dunne; Cormac O’Neill, Martin Reidy, Brian McMahon; Fergal Brennan, Graham Glynn, Paul Crehan.
Subs: James McInerney for Ford (inj); Rory Gallagher for O’Neill; Gary Flynn for Reidy;
Crusheen: Diarmuid O’Doherty; Donal Dillon, Darren O’Connor, Tony McMahon; Brendan Keehan, Brendan McMahon, Kevin O’Regan; Thomas Vaughan, Raymond Hassett; Gearóid O’Doherty (0-1), Niall McMahon (0-1) Ciaran Vaughan; Jim Fogarty, John Punch(0-1), Trevor Corbett (0-1).
Sub: Darren Murphy (0-1) for Fogarty;
Referee: John Hannon, Michael Cusack’s.

O’Curry’s 1-7 Kilkee 0-7
Inspired by an excellent ­performance from centre-forward Mark Roche, O’Curry’s captured the Division 7 football league title in Cross last Saturday evening.
Fielding players ranging from the very youthful Jack Scanlon, Lee Myers, Shane Keane and Eoin Brew to Dinny McMahon and Gerry Keane, who have racked up decades of combined experience in the O’Curry’s jersey, the ­Carrigaholt, Doonaha and ­Querrin men led 1-4 to 0-3 at half time.
Roche buried the winner’s goal from the penalty spot in the 16th minute after Jack Scanlon had been fouled by Ronan Browne, thus establishing a 1-3 to 0-1 lead for the wind-backed O’Curry’s team.
Roche had already kicked two frees. Jack Scanlon pointed twice for O’Curry’s in the first half, while Brian Comyns, John Garvey and Diarmuid Keane, from a free, replied for the Blues.
With Ger Crotty in their second half line-up, Kilkee took the game to O’Curry’s on the restart. Darren Clarke and Garvey kicked successive scores before Roche replied for the winners.
Ger Crotty and Clarke then reduced the deficit to a point, 1-5 to 0-7, 11 minutes from full time. Lee Myers shot an inspirational point for O’Curry’s, however, before Ian Roche kicked the game’s final score.
Mark Roche was the best player on the field, while Eoin Brew, Jack Scanlon and Ryan McMahon at centre-back excelled for O’Curry’s.
Wing-back Eugene O’Meara gave his last drop for Kilkee, while John Garvey and Darren Clarke, going forward from centre-back, also gave it everything.
O’Curry’s: Ronan Clohessy; Neil McMahon, Dinny McMahon, Cathal McMahon; Eoin Brew, Tom Roche, Ian Roche; Alan Mahoney, Damien Clohessy; Shane Keane, Mark Roche, Bernie Mahoney; Jack Scanlon, Ryan McMahon, Lee Myers.
Subs: Gerry Keane for Tom Roche (injured); Eoin Murray for Cathal McMahon.
Scorers: Mark Roche 1-3, (0-2f); Jack Scanlon 0-2; Lee Myers, Ian Roche 0-1 each.
Kilkee: Eoin Fitzgerald; Alan Russell, Robert Fitzpatrick, Ronan Browne; Eugene O’Meara, Darren Clarke, Trevor Clancy; Seán Bermingham, John Hickey; Diarmuid Keane, Brian Harte, Brian Comyns; Kevin Cunningham, Kieran DeLoughrey, John Garvey.
Subs: Ger Crotty for Kevin Cunningham, Thomas McGrath for Brian Comyns, Seán O’Gorman for Diarmuid Keane.
Scorers: John Garvey, Darren Clarke, 0-2 each; Brian Comyns, Diarmuid Keane (f), Ger Crotty 0-1 each.
Referee: Brian Keniry (Killimer).