Newmarket on top in poor contest

Newmarket 1-14
Clooney-Quin 1-7

APART from the beautiful weather conditions, there was little to cheer about at Fr Murphy Park in Newmarket on Thursday evening as the home side continued their march towards the play-offs in this season’s Clare Champion Cup with a merited win over Clooney-Quin.

In a game of missed chances, the standard of play was poor. Newmarket, who were never behind, always looked the likely winners but they made hard work of it.
Lining out without quite a number of regulars, including the Newmarket Celtic soccer contingent of Stephen and Enda Kelly, Eoin Hayes and Eoin O’Brien, who presumably were released because of the Clare Soccer Cup final 24 hours later, Newmarket gave game time to a number of their intermediate team.
They led by two points at half-time when the score was 0-7 to 0-5 after both sides had been guilty of missed opportunities from play and placed balls. That trend continued early in the second half when there were bad misses by both sides but three unanswered points for the home outfit from Michael McInerney (2) and Noel Frawley put them 0-10 to 0-5 in front as the three-quarter stage of the game approached.
A fine goal from Shane O’Brien junior helped them go eight points ahead entering the final quarter and while Clooney-Quin battled on, a goal from substitute James Casey three minutes from time came too late to prevent Newmarket from claiming victory.
Newmarket: Ian Mulcahy; Sean O’Connor, Pádraig Kilmartin, Alan Barrett; Niall O’Connor, Enda Barrett, Darren O’Connor; Noel Frawley (0-2), Ronan Goode; Liam Clancy (0-1), Colin Ryan (0-7), Mike McInerney (0-3); Darren Duggan (0-1), Jim McInerney, Shane O’Brien Junior (1-0).
Subs: Brian McMahon for J McInerney; Martin Frawley for O’Brien and Shane Liddy for Clancy.
Clooney-Quin: Damian O’Halloran; Brian McInerney, Shane McNamara, Seamus Conroy; Paudie Ward, Donnacda Murphy, Enda Harrisson; Conor Harrison, John Reynolds (0-1); Fergal Lynch (0-1), Mike McNamara, Cathal Egan; Derek Ryan, Peter Duggan (0-5), Mike Daffy.
Subs: James Casey (1-0) for Egan, Ritchie Hennessy for M McNamara and Aidan Daffy for Ryan
Referee: Jim Hickey, Cratloe.

Inagh-Kilnamona 3-15
Clonlara  1-10

With their inter-county contingent of Domhnaill O’Donovan, Nicky O’Connell, John Conlon and Colm Galvin unavailable due to Clare training, Clonlara travelled to Inagh for this Division 1A clash struggling to have a team.
In addition to the Clare players, Darach Honan is injured and Cormac O’Donovan was unavailable due to exam commitments. The home side were also without county panellists Patrick Kelly and the Glynn brothers, Brian and Eamonn, although Eamonn would not have been able to play in this tie as he is currently serving a suspension.
It was very much one-way traffic in the opening half as the home side, playing with the aid of a fresh wind, dictated matters and raced into a 2-11 to 0-1 interval lead.
Early points from Conor Tierney, Tomás Kelly, Shane Griffin and Damian Lafferty were followed, in the 13th minute, by a Cathal Lafferty goal. After adding five more unanswered points, Conor Tierney had their second goal. Clonlara’s only score of the first half was a Thomas Begley pointed free in the seventh minute.
Points were exchanged twice early in the second half before the visitors were given somewhat of a boost when Paul Nihill crashed a 20m free to the net. They followed with three points and at the three-quarter stage the score stood at 2-12 to 1-6.
However, they were unable to build on that mini revival and when Ronan O’Looney’s delivery from 70m deceived the Clonlara defence and ended up in the net, the home side had the points secure.
Shortly before that goal, Inagh-Kilnamona had forward Niall Arthur dismissed on a straight red card, following a clash with Oisín O’Brien.
Dermot Lynch, Ronan O’Looney, Gary Lafferty and Shane Griffin were prominent throughout for the winners while best for Clonlara were Paul Nihill, Cillian Fennessy, and Thomas Begley.
Inagh-Kilnamona: Christopher O’Looney; Milo Keane, Jamie Davin, Dermot Lynch; Gary Lafferty, Ronan O’Looney (1-0), Colm Pilkington; Tomás Kelly (0-1), Brian Foudy; Damian Lafferty (0-2), Cathal Lafferty (1-1), Shane Griffin (0-1); Niall Arthur (0-4), Conor Tierney (1-4), Haulie Vaughan (0-1).
Subs: Eoin Vaughan (0-1) for H Vaughan; Stephen Twomey for Tierney; Thomas McConigley for C Lafferty and Cathal McConigley for Pilkington (inj).
Clonlara: Ger O’Connell; Pat O’Hare, Paul Nihill (1-1), Oisín O’Brien; Ronan Carey, Patrick Clancy, Cillian Fennessy; William Slattery (0-1), Thomas Gillen; Neil Ryan, Jason Murphy (0-1), Tomas O’Donovan; Tomas Begley (0-6), James Hastings, Michael Collins.
Subs: Patrick Conlon for Ryan, Cathal O’Connell (0-1) for Collins and Collins for Hastings.
Referee: Ger Lyons, Ruan

Tulla  1-13 
Whitegate  0-13

Tulla recorded their first victory of the campaign when they overcame Whitegate at the latter’s venue on Saturday afternoon.
A first-half goal, following a goalmouth scramble, from Mark Lynch proved to be the difference between the sides on a day when Whitegate held a three-point lead at half-time, 0-10 to 1-4.
On the plus side for Whitegate, Ian Fahy returned to action for the first time in this campaign having been ruled out due to an ankle injury. He replaced Enda Durack during the game and managed to get his name on the scoresheet in the second half.
Goalkeeper Andrew Fahy was, not for the first time this season, the side’s top scorer with 0-3 to his credit, all scored in the opening half.
David McInerney and Philip Brennan scored some good points for the winners on a day when veteran Brian Quinn returned to action. However, he was forced to retire due to injury and was replaced by Michael Murphy early in the second half
The win gets Tulla off the bottom of the league table but relegation still looms for both of these sides.
Tulla: Aidan Leamy; Colm Halpin, Sean Torpey, Eugene Cooney; John Fahy, Brian Lynch, Paul Lynch; David McInerney, Cathal Dinan; Patrick Minogue, Philip Brennan, Trevor Vaughan; Mark Lynch, Brian Quinn, Cathal Bolton.
Subs: Michael Murphy for Quinn (inj), John Brennan for Minogue, Damian Noonan for Cooney and Shane McNamara for Bolton.
Whitegate: Andrew Fahy; Tomás McNamara, John Bugler, Paul O’Rourke; Colin Burke, Jason Malone, Trevor Kelly; Michael Dooley, Patrick Minogue; Patrick Burke, John Minogue, Niall Hayes; Colin Bleach, Ger Muggivan, Enda Durack.
Subs: Ian Fahy for Durack and Gary McClearn for Bleach.

Sixmilebridge 0-16 
Cratloe  0-9

In a championship first-round dress rehearsal at Cratloe on Saturday evening, the visitors turned in a strong second half showing to take the honours.
The team line-ups on Saturday are expected to show a lot of changes for the upcoming championship clash, as both were short a lot of first-choice players last week due to a variety of reasons such as injury, exams and commitments to the Clare senior squad, who were away on a training weekend.
The first half was evenly contested and at the break the sides were level at 0-7 each. Sixmilebridge, who had a more experienced outfit on duty, got the upperhand in the second half and emerged deserving winners.
Substitute Tommy Liddy landed three points for the winners, who also had scores from Danny Morey, John Reddan, Noel Purcell and Niall Gilligan.
Sixmilebridge: Stephen Fleming; Ger Quilligan, Tadhg Keogh, Paul Fitzpatrick; Noel Purcell, Kevin Lynch, Paudi Fitzpatrick; Robert Conlon, Pa Sheehan; Anthony Liddane, Niall Gilligan, John Reddan; Alan Mulready, Danny Morey, David O’Connor.
Subs: Tommy Liddy for Liddane; Eanna Burns for Quilligan and Jonathon Downes for Purcell.
Cratloe: Dean De Loughrey; Sean Hynan, Barry Duggan, David Nolan; Enda Boyce, Patrick O’Gorman, Kevin Browne; Conor Ryan, Shane Gleeson; Padráig Chaplin, David O’Gorman, Thomas O’Connor; Barry Gleeson, John Reidy, Aidan Browne.
Subs: Sean Ryan for Duggan (inj); Wes De Loughrey for O’Connor and Tomás Ryan for Reidy.

 

 

Crusheen 1-11
Clarecastle 2-8

CRUSHEEN came from behind to earn a share of the spoils with Clarecastle in this Clare Champion Cup Division 1A tie at Crusheen on Tuesday evening.
The home side scored seven of the last eight points to get this draw, the equaliser coming from Shaun Dillon in the final minute. Playing at centre-back, he burst out of defence to send over a powerful shot.
Two first-half goals from Dara Moloney helped the Magpies to lead at half time, 2-4 to 1-4, with Crusheen’s goal coming from Fergus Kennedy, the game’s top scorer with 1-4 to his credit.
Crusheen welcomed backPat Vaughan for his first game of the campaign while Gerry O’Grady, captain of their championship winning teams in the past two years, also returned to action in the second half. Another player to make his first appearance of the season was David Forde, who was introduced at half time.
A goal ahead at half time, Clarecastle stretched their lead to six points early in the second half and looked to be on their way. Crusheen, however, put in a power last quarter to earn them a point.
Crusheen: Donal Tuohy; John Brigdale, Cian Dillon, Jason Greene; Ciaran O’Doherty, Shaun Dillon, Cathal Dillon, Tony Meaney, Pat Vaughan; Fergus Kennedy, Joe Meaney, Gearóid O’Donnell; Conor O’Donnell, Patrick O’Grady, Sean Weir.
Subs: David Forde for Weir; Gerry O’Grady for C O’Donnell.
Clarecastle: Donogh Murophy; Seanie Moloney, Mark McNamara, Kevin Clohessy; Jamie O’Connor, Danny Sanlan, Patrick Kelly; Garrett Barry, Adam Healy; Kieran O’Dwyer, Eric Flynn, Jonathon Clancy; Eamonn Callinan, Daire Maloney, Sean Talty.

 

Broadford 0-19
Smith O’Brien’s 3-9

BROADFORD had to fight all the way to earn a one-point win over Smith O’Brien’s in this Division 1B tie played at Killaloe on Tuesday evening.
The visitors raced into a six-point lead, 0-7 to 0-1, in the opening quarter but goals from Dean Sinnott and Jonathon Hayes helped the home side to take the lead. Broadford hit back and the sides went to the break on level terms at 0-10 to 2-4.
On the resumption, Broadford edged three ahead before a Kevin McCarthy goal brought the Killaloe outfit back on terms. From here to the finish it was point for point. Cathal Chaplin hit the winning score for the visitors shortly before the finish to keep their promotion hopes alive.
Broadford: Kevin Ryan; Aidan O’Brien, Alan Kilcoyne, Brian Taylor; James Gunning, Aonghus O’Brien, Kieran O’Connell; Cathal Chaplin, Caolan Cox; Niall Moloney, Mark Moloney, Padraic Taylor; Padraig Hickey, Shane Taylor, Diarmuid Moloney.
Subs: Ciaran Corcoran for Cox; John Corcoran for Aonghus O’Brien (inj).
Smith O’Brien’s: Mark McInerney; Brian McInerney, Paul McKeogh, Kevin McEvoy; Micheal Ryan, Pa Vaughan, David Gough; Trevor Howard, Anthony Sullivan; Shane O’Brien, Dean Sinnott, Kevin Walsh; Liam Walsh, Jonathon Hayes, Keith Stritch.
Sub: Kevin McCarthy for B McInerney.