Missed chances costly for St Flannan’s

Chorca Dhuibhne 0-10   St Flannan’s 1-3

A tally of 13 wides and a failure to convert two first half goal opportunities proved costly for St Flannan’s footballers at Rathkeale on Wednesday and were a huge contributing factor to their loss to last year’s beaten finalists, Chorca Dhuibhne, in the quarter-final of the Corn Ui Mhuirí, Munster Colleges Senior A Football Championship.
Originally scheduled for Croagh, the game was switched to Abbeyfeale on Tuesday. However, a pitch inspection ten minutes before the scheduled 1.30 throw-in time led referee Richard Moloney to declare the venue unplayable. A hurried search for an alternative saw Moloney quickly secure the use of a pitch in Rathkeale and the match got underway over an hour after the appointed time.
St Flannan’s played with the wind in the first half and took the lead after four minutes when captain Conor Cleary converted a 30m free. Despite having the majority of play, they had to wait until the 18th minute for their next score, a point from Martin O’Leary, whose effort went over the bar when it might have been a goal.
A minute later Tadhg Lynch race through the Dingle defence but as the winner’s goalkeeper Gavin O’Currain advanced, Lynch saw his effort go narrowly wide. Clearly the West Kerry players were relieved not to have been seven points down instead of two.
Another Conor Cleary point stretched the Clare side’s lead to three after 20 minutes but, from here to the half-time whistle, Dingle scored five times to lead by two at the interval. The writing was on the wall by now as St Flannan’s would have to face the breeze that was getting stronger all the time.
Dingle had two early second half points from free taker Dara Ó Sé but, in the seventh minute, St Flannan’s were given a huge boost when they struck for the game’s only goal, team captain Conor Cleary getting a touch to a high delivery to direct the ball to the net. They piled on the pressure but just could not break down the winners’ defence.
Overall, Dingle’s ability to convert chances proved decisive on the day when a lack of match practice proved a problem for the Clare side.
Gearóid Ryan, Jack Browne, Tony Kelly, Conor Cleary, Martin O’Leary and Barry Lynch worked hard throughout for St Flannan’s while Dingle had imperessive performers in Cathal O’Luing, Padraig Ó Sé, son of former Kerry star Páidi who was an interested spectator at the game, Dara Ó Sé, Brian O’Raoll and Tomas O’Ciobhain.

St Flannan’s: Killian Normoyle (Lissycasey); Aidan McGuane (Kilmaley), Gearóid Ryan (Clarecastle), Rowan Raftery (Michael Cusack’s); Stephen Ward (Clarecastle), Jack Browne (Ballyea), Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg); Tony Kelly (Ballyea), Sean Corry (Éire Óg); David Nealon (Éire Óg), Tadhg Lynch (Ballyea), Conor Cleary (Miltown) capt; Martin O’Leary (Kilmihil), David Courtney (Doora-Barefield), Barry Lynch (Lissycasey).
Subs: Kieran Malone (Éire Óg) for Corry; Eimhin Courtney (Éire Óg) for Nealon.

Frewan Cup

On Wednesday next, February 1, West Clare Colleges will face St Flannan’s in the opening round of the Frewan Cup, Munster Colleges Junior A Football. The game will be played at Hennessy Park in Miltown at 1.30pm.
West Clare Schools panel in this competition is: Gary Meaney and Dylan Cahill (St John Bosco School Kildysart); Conor Downes, Cathal downes, Steven Mcguire, Niall Bonfil, Sean Murphy, Cillian Blake (Kilkee Community School); Seamus Collins, Levi Howard, Eoin Callinan, David Kelly, David Killeen, Shane O’Connor, Conor Flaherty, Darragh Haugh, Eamonn O’Dea, Anthony King, David Egan (St Michael’s Kilmihil); Colin Crowley, Liam Madigan, Davy Downes, Keelan Cunningham, Robbie Hall, Colm Pyne, Pierce Lillis, Fergal Pyne, Jack Browne, Caoimhin Donnellan (Kilrush Community School).
North Clare colleges will make their debut in the competition when they play Dingle and this game will take place a week later.
The North Clare preliminary squad is: Kieran Killeen, Darragh Pender (Spanish Point); Macken Byrne, Liam Tierney, Aidan Davidson (Mary Immaculate, Lisdoonvarna); Jack Fitzgerald, Cian O’Dea, Gearóid Leyden, James Considine, Sean Malone, Aaron McNulty, John Dillon (Ennistymon Voc School); Adam Ralph, Simon Ralph, Cathal Nagle, Cathal Frawley, Shane Doyle, Kieran Vaughan, Kevin Hehir, Barry Keating, Aaron Murrihy, Keith Sexton, Keelan Sexton, Michael Duffy, Darren Nagle, Seamie Parra, Darragh Crowe (Ennistymon CBS).

Senior C hurling

Scariff Community College will travel to Golden next Wednesday to play St Declan’s from Kilmacthomas in Waterford in the semi-final of the Munster Colleges Senior C Hurling Championship (Corn Mhic Ruairí).