Ruan take lead from start

Ruan 2-17   Feakle 1-10

IT might yet be third time lucky for Ruan as they reached another intermediate final with a deserved and ultimately comprehensive victory over Feakle on Sunday.

The decisive score arrived midway through the second half after Caimin Howard mishit the ball towards goal. Although his effort dropped short, it fell nicely for John Punch, who caught it and drove it to the net, sealing his former club’s fate.

The goal put Ruan seven points ahead and it was very hard to see any way back into the game for the East Clare side.

Ruan always looked the better side and were never less than three points ahead after the 14th minute. Their defence was comfortable throughout, while further forward, they had good performances from Patrick Keegan, Michael Vaughan and particularly Aidan Lynch, who was the best player on view.

While Feakle were the poorer side, Shane McGrath, Colin Nelson and Gary Guilfoyle had their moments.
Ruan manager Pat Meaney felt that getting on top early had been crucial. “The most important thing was to get the start, which we needed. I’ve known Feakle for years and they’ll dog it out and if you’re not leading by five or six points, they’ll come back and catch you.”

He paid tribute to his side’s defence, who he said were “super”, while he was also effusive in his praise of sub, Caimin Howard, and of Lynch. “We lost Colin Donoghue and Caimin came on and won a lot of ball which was vital but there’s no doubt Aidan Lynch was the man of the match.”

Feakle were hit by the loss of goalkeeper Eibhear Quilligan before the game, with Stephen Moloney filling in between the posts.

Patrick Keegan got Ruan off to a great start with a fine point after just 33 seconds, while he fed Aidan Lynch for their second point in the third minute.

Gary Guilfoyle was the only scorer for Feakle in the first 30 minutes, hitting six points. They were clearly short of other scoring options and this was exacerbated when defender Ger Hanrahan was given a straight red for a striking offence after 20 minutes, which forced a reshuffling of the pack.

With Lynch the scorer in chief, the winners had a three-point lead, 0-09 to 0-6, at the break.
When the second period began, Lynch pointed a free after 55 seconds, while Colin Nelson became the second Feakle player to score a point, with a good score in the third minute.

Ruan were moving along nicely and had stretched their lead to five points when a lifeline was thrown to Feakle in the 43rd minute. Referee Jim Hickey had no choice but to dismiss Tadhg Hanrahan on a second yellow, after a foul on Shane McGrath, who had been going well for the East Clare side.

With Ruan’s numerical advantage gone, there was some hope of Feakle clawing back the five-point deficit but there was no real fightback.

Although Colin Nelson cut the gap to four, after 17 minutes, Punch had the ball in the net at the other end seconds later.

Sub Caimin Howard, who got on a lot of ball and grew in confidence throughout the half, had a point in the 24th minute, while Eoin Tuohy make it 1-16 to 0-10 with five and half minutes to go.
Some confusion in the Ruan defence was exploited by Killian Bane in the 58th minute as he tapped the ball to the net for his side’s goal.

However, Lynch replied with a point almost immediately and in injury time, he capped a fine display with a goal after a powerful run through the Feakle defence.

Feakle: Stephen Moloney; Francis O’Grady, Henry Hayes, Alan Hogan; Ger Hanrahan, Colm Naughton, Colin Nelson; Killian Bane, Shane McGrath; Cathal Collins, Raymond Bane, Tomas Moroney; Oisín Donnellan, Gary Guilfoyle, Kenneth Collins.
Subs: Eoin Tuohy for Colin Nelson (21 mins), Pádraig Hogan for Oisín Donnellan (half-time).
Scorers: Gary Guilfoyle (0-7, 6f), Killian Bane (1-0), Colin Nelson (0-2), Raymond Bane (0-1).
Wides: 9; frees for:10; 65s:1.
Yellow cards: Killian Bane; red cards: Ger Hanrahan.
Ruan: Pakie Roughan; Gary Bell, Niall O’Connor, Leon Quirke; Killian Ryan, Jonathan Clohessy, Darragh Roughan; Tadhg Hanrahan, Owen Hanrahan; John Punch, Colin Donoghue, Michael Vaughan; Patrick Keegan, Aidan Lynch, Brendan Lyons.
Subs: Caimin Howard for Colin Donoghue (half-time), Damien Brohan for Owen Hanrahan (57 mins), Declan O’Regan for Niall O’Connor (60 mins).
Wides: 8; frees for: 10; 65s: 1.
Scorers: Aidan Lynch (1-10, 7f), Patrick Keegan (0-3), John Punch (1-0), Jonathan Clohessy (0-1, 1 65), Brendan Lyons, Caimin Howard, Michael Vaughan (0-1).
Yellow cards: Tadhg Hanrahan (2), Patrick Keegan; red card: Tadhg Hanrahan.
Referee: Jim Hickey.