Mixed results for Clare hurlers

Thirty-five players saw action as Clare continued their preparations for the upcoming competitive hurling season with games against Westmeath and Galway at the weekend.
In front of about 200 spectators at Corofin on Saturday, the home side were 2-22 to 1-12 winners over Westmeath while, before a similar attendance at Clarecastle on Sunday morning, Galway won on a 2-19 to 1-18 scoreline.
Clare continued with the tactic of playing a short passing game and, in both matches, opted for a two-man full-forward line for most of the game.

Clare 2-22 Westmeath 1-12

Two Cathal McInerney goals in the third quarter gave Clare the upper hand in a hard-fought tie at Corofin on Saturday. After playing against the breeze, Clare held a two-point advantage, 0-10 to 0-8, at half-time but a strong third quarter during which they scored 2-5 without reply put them in the driving seat.
The sides were level five times in the first half before the home side finished strongly and points from Caimin Morey (65) and Sean Collins saw them go in at the break leading 0-10 to 0-8.
With the aid of the breeze on the changeover, Clare took control and they had stretched their lead to 13 points after 15 minutes.
The game threatened to get out of hand shortly after the resumption when all players bar Clare goalkeeper Donal Tuohy were involved in a melee.
Eleven players shared in Clare’s final tally with Conor McGrath leading the way with 0-7 followed by his Cratloe clubmate Cathal McInerney, who scored 2-0.

Clare: Donal Tuohy; Eamonn Glynn, Brian Glynn, Mark Earley (0-1); Ciaran O’Doherty, Cian Dillon, Stephen O’Halloran; Brendan Bugler (0-1), Shane Golden (0-2); Danny Russell (0-2), Caimin Morey (0-3, 1f, 1 65), Sean Collins (0-2); Cathal McInerney (2-0), Conor McGrath (0-7, 5f), Ger Arthur (0-1).
Subs: John Conlon (0-1) for Russell (half-time), Nicky O’Connell (0-2f), for Dillon (half-time); Aaron Cunningham for Morey; Andrew Fahy for Tuohy; Seadna Morey for Cunningham (inj).
Westmeath: Cathal Scully; Paul Fennell, Conor Jordan, John Gilligan; David Fennell, Paddy Dowdall, Philip Gilsenan (0-1); Cormac Boyle (0-1), Eoin Price (0-1), Brendan Murtagh (0-8, 6f, 1 line ball); Paul Greville, Frank Boyle (1-0); Alan Aughey, John Shaw (0-1), Andy Dermody.
Subs: Alan Clarke for Dermody; David McCormack for P Fennell; David Higgins for Shaw; Eamonn Clarke for Jordan; Seamus Savage for Gilligan.
Referee: Ambrose Heagney, Corofin.

Galway 2-19  Clare 1-18

The concession of 1-3 in a three-minute spell at the start of the final quarter turned this game in Galway’s favour at Clarecastle on Sunday morning.
Clare were 1-15 to 1-10 in front as the game entered the last quarter but the concession of a few soft frees handed Galway some easy scores while the visitors’ second goal came following an error by goalkeeper Derek Fahy, who had just been introduced.
The opening half was evenly contested and, at the break, the teams were level at 0-9 for Clare to 1-6. Galway’s opening goal came after 20 minutes when Cyril Donnellan made a great run from midfield before passing to Niall Burke, whose low shot beat Patrick Kelly.
Centre-forward Burke was in sparkling form for the visitors and he finished the game with a tally of 1-13, 0-10 from frees. He had moved to the full-forward line for the final quarter of the game.
Clare moved into a three-point lead early in the second half and extended their advantage as the third quarter drew to a close when Colin Ryan found the net after a great Liam Markham run through the middle.
However, Galway showed greater fitness in the final quarter and three pointed frees by Burke and a goal from John Coen saw them take a one-point point lead. Clare levelled through Fergal Lynch but it was short lived as three unanswered points saw the visitors go back in front and they went on to hold the edge for the remainder of the tie.
On the day, Clare struggled to make an impression in attack except for Colin Ryan and, to a lesser extent, his Newmarket clubmate, Eoin Hayes.

Clare: Patrick Kelly; Domhnaill O’Donovan, Cian Dillon, Conor Cooney; Seadna Morey, James McInerney, Patrick Donnellan; Liam Markham, Nicky O’Connell (0-5, 2f); Cathal Chaplin, Daire Keane, Fergal Lynch (0-1); Caimin Morey, Colin Ryan (1-10, 7f), Eoin Hayes (0-2).
Subs: Enda Barrett for Dillon (half-time); John Conlon for C  Morey (half-time); Derek Fahy for Kelly; Brendan Bugler for Chaplin.
Galway: James Skehill; Declan Connolly, David Collins, Ger O’Halloran; Paul Hoban, Tony Óg Regan, Fergal Moore (0-1); Andy Smith, Joe Cooney; David Burke (0-1) Niall Burke (1-13), 0-10 frees, Cyril Donnellan (0-1); James Regan, John Coen (1-1), Damian Hayes.
Subs: Brian Flaherty for Donnellan; John Ryan for Skehill; Tadhg Haran (0-1) for Smith; Conor Cooney (0-1) for Regan; Eanna Ryan for J Cooney.
Referee: John Sexton, Cork.