Minor B title still up for grabs

Lissycasey 2-7  MI Cusack’s-Liscannor-Kilfenora 2-7

In a game in which the sides were level on five occasions and in which the lead changed hands on a couple of occasions, a draw was probably the fairest result when Lissycasey and the North Clare amalgamation of Michael Cusack’s-Liscannor-Kilfenora clashed in the final of the Minor B Football Championship at Hennessy Park in Miltown on Saturday.

With the sides level at 0-1 each, Lissycasey struck the first major blow when, in the 11th minute, team captain Colm O’Rourke found the net after David Talty’s delivery caused problems for the amalgamation’s defence.
That goal separated the sides as the half-time whistle approached but then the combination outfit struck and full-forward Michael Duffy finished superbly to tie up the game at 1-3 each, which was the position at the interval.
Both sides made changes for the second half, with Lissycasey bringing in Niall Meere to their attack in place of Dara Gregan while their opponents introduced Cameron Fahy in place of centre-forward Aaron Greene.
Lissycasey made a lively start and hit two early points by midfielder David Talty before Duffy replied, all three points coming from easy frees.
Twenty scoreless minutes followed in which both sides had chances. The introduction of Brian Cahill boosted Lissycasey’s performance and they put an impressive move together, which ended with a powerful David Talty goal six minutes from the end of normal time.
Four points in front at this stage, Lissycasey looked set for victory but back came the North Clare boys and when Lissycasey spilled possession at midfield, they launched a counter-attack that ended with a Cian O’Dea goal. Duffy quickly kicked the equaliser from a free and with a minute of the regulation 60 to go, they hit the front.
Six minutes of injury time were signalled – there had been a stoppage for an injury early in the final quarter – and in the second of these Conor Finnucane kicked the equaliser from an acute angle.
When Lissycasey were awarded a free on the 45m line, they called on goalkeeper Killian Normoyle and he made no mistake when converting. Again, it looked like the title was on the way to Lissycasey but it wasn’t to be and Duffy kicked the leveller again, in the eighth minute of added time, to set up a replay, which will take place on Sunday, November 4.
Killian Normoyle, Oisín Hanrahan, David Talty and Barry Lynch were always prominent for Lissycasey while the North Clare side’s best were Rohan Raftery, Alan Canavan, Darren Nagle, Robbie Cassidy and Michael Duffy.

Lissycasey: Killian Normoyle; Seamus Collins, Padraic Neylon, Levi Howard; Conor Talty, Oisín Hanrahan, Mikey Nagle; David Talty, Darragh McMahon; Conor Finnucane, Darragh Gregan, Colm O’Rourke; Eoghan O’Leary, Barry Lynch, Niall McCarthy.
Subs: Niall Meere for Gregan, Brian Cahill for O’Rourke and Ciaran Doohan for O’Leary.
Michael Cusack’s-Liscannor-Kilfenora: John Fawl (Michael Cusack’s); Gearóid Leyden (Liscannor), Alan Canavan (Liscannor), James Considine (Liscannor); Rohan Raftery (Michael Cusack’s), Paul Carkill (Kilfenora), David McNamara (Kilfenora); Darren Nagle (Liscannor), Jack O’Dea (Kilfenora); Cillian Droney (Michael Cusack’s), Aaron Greene (Liscannor), Robbie Cassidy (Michael Cusack’s); Cian O’Dea (Kilfenora), Michael Duffy (Kilfenora), Donal McMahon (Michael Cusack’s).
Subs: Cameron Fahy (Michael Cusack’s) for Greene and  Lorcan O’Grady (Michael Cusack’s) for Droney.
Referee: Michael Rock, Ennistymon.