No major shocks as last eight decided

There were no major surprises as the race for the Clare Cup continued on Sunday, when all eight quarter-finalists were decided.

There were no major surprises as the race for the Clare Cup continued on Sunday, when all eight quarter-finalists were decided.

Extra-time was needed in two of the games, with one going all the way to a penalty shoot-out.

Strong winds made things difficult for the players and, as the result, the standard of play was disappointing all round.

Newmarket Celtic A 3   Bridge United A  1

Clare Cup title holders Newmarket Celtic booked a place in the quarter-finals they overcame the challenge of Bridge United A at McDonogh Park on Sunday.

The champions put down a marker from the start and they dominated the early exchanges.

Eoin O’Brien scored the opening goal and he made it two a short time later when he converted a penalty.

The home side went three goals in front when Daithí O’Connell scored and this was the position at half-time.

The visitors came a little more into the game in the second half and pulled one back through Mike McNamara.

However, they failed to match the experience of the title holders and when the final whistle sounded, Newmarket were safely through to the last eight.

Newmarket Celtic A: Patrick McCoy; Paudie Hayes, Eoin O’Brien, Mark Donlon Darren Cullinan, Michael Devitt, Eoin Hayes, Michael Crosby, Ronan McCormack; Alan Brigdale, Daithí O’Connell
Sub: Diarmuid Nash for Brigdale.
Bridge United A: John Mulready; Brian Monaghan Alan Mulready, Darren Murphy, Jason White; Trevor Maxwell, Eric Carr, Christy Griffin, Adrian White; Mike McNamara, Kieran Quinlan.
Sub: Alex Cole for Mulready (inj). 

Lifford A  5   Ennis Town Rock A  4
(after extra-time)

The meeting of premier league sides and Ennis rivals produced the highest-scoring tie of the round at a windy Cassidy Park on Sunday.

Extra time was needed to separate the teams and at the end of play, it was the home outfit that progressed to the last eight. The visitors scored first through Gary Collins but Lifford levelled through Ruairí Norrby, who hit a hat-trick on the day.

Ennis Town Rock went back in front through Daryl Eade but Lifford hit back again and Darren O’Neill levelled, leaving the teams at 2-2 at the break. When play resumed, Ruairí Norrby scored twice in a short space of time to make it 4-2 for the home side. A Darren O’Neill own-goal brought Ennis Town Rock back into contention and substitute Mikey Dinan then hit the leveller, which led to extra-time.

The first period was scoreless but in the early stages of the second period Mickey Joe Sullivan struck for what proved to be the winning goal for Lifford. The visitors threw all they had into their search for another equaliser and they came very close to getting this but Niall McNevin’s effort rebounded off the crossbar.

Liford A: Paudie Hickey; Finn O’Reilly, TJ Ajisomo, Hamad Kuku, Michael J Sullivan, Pat Darcy, Rackman Zequiri, Ryan Boyle, Ruairí Norrby, Darren O’Neill Lunga Ballman.
Subs: Anthony White for Boyle, Sean McDonald for Norrby and Roberto Pinto for Zequiri.
Ennis Town Rock A: Stephen Loftus; Gary Walsh, Ritchie Neylon, Joe Lynch, Jacko White, Francis Daniels Adrian Walsh, Daryl Eade, Joe Collins, Dean Gardiner, Gary Collins.
Subs: Mikey Dinan for  Eade and Niall McNevin for Lynch.

Avenue United A  2   Bridge Celtic 0

League leaders, Avenue United safely progressed to the quarter-finals when they proved too strong for an understrength Bridge Celtic side at Lees Road on Sunday.

Both goals came in the opening half, with Scott Hennessy on target both times. Their lead could have been doubled by the break but they failed to convert two penalties, Dave McCarthy shooting wide while Hennessy, going for his hat-trick, had his effort saved by Paul O’Connell.

Hennessy scored the opener midway through the opening half and he doubled his side’s advantage just before the break.

Conditions were difficult, with the strong swirling wind causing a lot of problems for the players.

Avenue United: John Healy; David Herlihy, Simon Cuddy, Eamonn O’Reilly, David Russell, Mark Roche, Nicki Twumasai, Colin Smith, David McCarthy; Barry Nugent, Scott Hennessy.
Subs: John Waters for McCarthy and Mattie Nugent for Hennessy.
Bridge Celtic: Paul O’Connell; Johnnie Howard, William Slattery, Luke Turner Ollie Phillips, Paul McEvoy, Daniel Aherne, Seamus Gleeson, Shane Byrnes, Ian Smith Alan Conway.
Sub: James Nolan for Paul McEvoy (inj).

Kilkishen Celtic 1   Connolly Celtic 2

All three goals in this tie played at Kilkishen were scored in the opening half. Connolly Celtic A went in front through an own-goal after Luke Coote’s shot was deflected by a Kilkishen defender to his own net. Kilkishen levelled when Stevie Donnellan found the net with a strong header. Connolly hit back to got ahead again and Kieran Dillon converted from the penalty spot for what proved to be the winner.

Kilkishen Celtic: Brian Culbert; Colm Gleeson, Mattie Holmes, Micheal Fleming, James Hook, Stevie Donnellan, Flan McMahon, Patrick McMahon, John Cooney, Fergus Donovan Noel Kierce.
Subs: Damian O’Connell for Hook, Ray McInerney for Fleming, Colm Fitzsimons for Kierce and Gary Murnane for P McMahon.
Connolly Celtic A: Bernard Field; Alan Markham Luke Coote, Ian Hassett, Ronnie Meere, Brendan Dillon, Ken Kennedy, Kieran Dillon, Brian Connellan, Mickey Byrnes, Tommy Leahy.

Manus Celtic 0   Mountshannon Celtic 0
(after extra-time Mountshannon won 3-2 on penalties)

There were few chances created in this tie played at the Fairgreen and it took a penalty shoot-out to decide who would progress to the last eight.

There were few opportunities in the opening half of this even contest. Early in the second half, Manus had their best chance but Colm Kavanagh in the Mountshannon goal saved well from Michael Geraghty.

Ten minutes from the end of normal time Brian Keogh in the Manus goal produced a fine stop from Paul Dooley.

Extra-time failed to produce a winner, which resulted in a penalty shoot-out.

Manus were first up and Donogh Murphy gave them the lead before Paul Dooley hit the equaliser for the East Clare side. Adam Healy saw his effort saved by Kavanagh before the eventual winners took the lead when Michael Scanlan scored. Conor Plunkett scored penalty number three for Manus and the sides were level shortly after this when Niall Deere saw his effort rebound of the crossbar.

Shane Considine’s effort for Manus was saved by Kavanagh before Martin McNamara converted for Mountshannon. This meant that Manus had to convert their fifth penalty to stay in the contest. It didn’t happen, as Brian Keogh’s effort hit the upright, leaving Mountshannon Celtic winners and safely through to the quarter-finals.

Manus Celtic: Brian Keogh; Donogh Murphy Michael McDonagh; Adam Healy, Barry Malone; Shane Considine, Conor Plunkett, Danny Scanlan, John Molloy; Michael Geraghty, Anthony Griffey.
Mountshannon Celtic: Colm Kavanagh; John O’Brien, Martin McNamara, Pádraig Brody, John Moloney, Michael Dooley, Michael Barrett, Paul Dooley, Michael Scanlan, Keelan McNamara, Martin Cunningham.
Subs: Niall Deere, John Scanlan and Liam Corry.

Rhine Rovers  0   Tulla United A  2

Tulla United A took the lead in this game after five minutes. Tommy McKeown won possession on the right before being fouled about 25m from goal. He took the kick himself and managed to float it over the wall and into the net.

McKeogh was again involved in the move that led to their second goal  when his corner from the left was headed home by Andy McMahon midway through the first half.

At the start of the second half, Rhine Rovers piled on the pressure but they failed to break down a strong Tulla defence.

Tulla came close to a third 15 minutes from the end when a Shane Mason cross was headed back across the goal to substitute Cillian Bane, whose effort struck the post.

Donnacda McNamara was in tremendous form for the winners.

Tulla United A: Darragh Kelly; Shane Mason, Padraic O’Malley, Niall  Whelan, Denis Murphy; Donnacda McNamara, John Brigdale, Sunny Jay, Tommy McKeown, Brian McInerney, Andy McMahon.
Subs: Cillian Bane for McInerney and Dermot O’Keeffe for Jay.
Rhine Rovers: Martin McInerney; Kevin Johnson, Paul Johnson, Enda Malone, Conor Hanrahan, Barry Ryan, Mark Hanrahan, Davy O’Brien, Johnny O’Brien, Christy O’Brien, Hamid Mahmodi. 
Subs: Gary Hogan and Joe Brigdale.

Ruan United 2   Ennis Town Rock B  0

There were few chances in this tie played at the Fairgreen and, for a long time, extra-time looked likely.

The deadlock was broken entering the final quarter when Barry Cusack scored and Ruan sealed victory when Karl Mahoney hit their second.

Ruan United: Gavin Dinan; Willie Treacy, Leon Quirke, John Clohessy, Fergus Casey, Conor Reeves, Barry Cusack, Damian Quirke, Dean Lee, Mark Gleeson, Karl Mahoney.
Subs: Hugh O’Donnell for Gleeson and Paul Dinan for Reeeves.
Ennis Town Rock B: Darragh Murphy; Declan Ensko, Stephen Murphy, Cody Fitzgerald, Ultan Shields, Shane Daly, John Mulcahy, Noel Frawley, Darlington Overserh, Gary Greene, Adam Mullins.
Subs: Ali Ahmed for Ovenserh, Eoin Keenan for Mulcahy, Mark Reilly for Adam Mullins and Alan Considine for Greene.

Corofin Harps 1   Hermitage B  0

A hard-fought contest resulted when Corofin Harps entertained Hermitage B on Sunday. The game produced few chances and could well have gone all the way to a penalty shoot-out.

Ten minutes before half-time the home side got the break that proved decisive. Dean Ryan won possession at midfield and he found Mike Daly, whose return pass to Ryan put him through and he slotted home what proved to be the all-important goal.

As was the case with a lot of the other games, the strong wind caused a lot of problems for the players.

Corofin Harps: Michael Concannon; Stephen Quinn, Brendan Keane, Eamonn Malone, Daryl Bane, Dean Ryan, Brian McGahern, Jason Tierney, Michael Daly, James Keane, Damian Crowe.
Subs: Diarmuid O’Loughlin for Crowe.
Harmitage B: David Cahill; Eoin Cahill, Cyril Casey, Neil Mulqueen, Mick Culligan, Craig McNamara, Cathal Keane, Chris O’Riordan, Mick O’Ceallaigh, Tony Greene, Brian McMahon.
Subs: Vinny Bell for O’Ceallaigh and Eric Moore for Greene.