Ryan’s last-minute goal snatches victory for Corofin

Corofin 1-14   Ennistymon 0-16

A goal from a 20m free in the last minute gave Corofin a one-point win over Ennistymon in a North Clare derby clash in the opening round of the Intermediate Hurling Championship at Clarecastle on Sunday evening.

With Division 2 League points also at stake, things were looking good for Ennistymon as they led by two points going into the final minute.

Corofin won a 20m free and with almost all of the Ennistymon team on the goal line defending, Damian Ryan managed to find the roof of the net and break their hearts.

Corofin had taken an early lead but Ennistymon fought back and when the half-time whistle sounded, they were three points ahead.

They held the lead throughout the second half and looked to be about to maintain their unbeaten run until the late Ryan strike.

Ennistymon will rue the fact they only managed three points from play over the hour. Cathal Malone was their scorer in chief, hitting 0-14, 13 of which came from placed balls.

In addition to the goal, Damian Ryan had three points while the Heagney brothers and Gearóid Kelly also picked off points for the winners.

Corofin: Liam Corbett; Manus Malone, Paudie Barry, Keith O’Loughlin; Jamie Malone, Luke O’Loughlin, Martin Tierney; Eamonn Dunne, Fergus Killeen; Kevin Heagney, Jason Tierney, Stephen Heagney; Killian Neylon, Gearóid Kelly, Damian Ryan.
Subs: Michael Kelly for J Tierney and Neil Killeen for F Killeen.
Ennistymon: Cathal McDonagh; Michael Devitt, David Davenport, Patrick Looney; Eoin Curtin, Robbie McDonagh, Liam Driscoll; Brian McDonagh, Dave Kenneally; Aaron McNulty, Kevin Scales, Cathal Malone; Aidan Slattery, Brendan Hogan, Tadhg Malone.
Subs: Liam Tierney for B Hogan; Tommy Hogan for McNulty.

Sixmilebridge 1-15   Whitegate 1-15

Sixmilebridge and Whitegate shared the spoils in what was a tight affair played in perfect conditions in Gurteen.

The ’Bridge got off to a great start and led by four points to one, with three frees from full-forward David O’Connor and a fine point from play from Tommy Liddy. Whitegate fought back strongly, with points from Colin Burke, George Waterstone and a long-range free from goalkeeper Andrew Fahy leaving the sides level halfway through the first half.

Conor Deasy finished to the net with his boot to give the ’Bridge a five-point lead at half-time.
The second half began with both teams trading scores before a superb goal from Ian Fahy left two points between the sides. A great point from midfielder Cathal O’Connor was cancelled out by Burke with his second point of the game.

Whitegate fought back strongly in the closing 10 minutes and hit six points in eight minutes. With minutes remaining, Whitegate drew level, with Waterstone scoring a brace. Christy Griffin looked to have won the match for the ’Bridge, with a fine score from midfield. However, the resultant puck-out was worked up the field and Waterstone scored to earn his side a share of the spoils.

Sixmilebridge: Pa Freeman; Cathal Walsh, Rory Liddane, Eanna Burns; Jonathan Downes, Anthony Liddane, Barry Fitzpatrick; Christy Griffin (0-1), Cathal O’Connor (0-1); Evan McInerney, Ronan Mullane (0-1), Stiofan FitzPatrick (0-1); Tommy Liddy (0-1), David O’Connor (0-10, 9f), Conor Deasy (1-0).
Subs: Darragh Fitzgerald for McInerney and Barry O’Connor for Downes.
Whitegate: Andrew Fahy (0-5); Paul O’Rourke, John Bugler, Eric Minogue; Christopher Jones, Brendan Bugler, Colin Burke (0-2); Michael Dooley, Patrick Burke; Ian Fahy (1-0), Jason Malone, Niall Hayes (0-1); Patrick Minogue (0-1), George Waterstone (0-5), Michael O’Brien.
Subs: Colin Bleach for J Malone, Ray Cahill for Hayes and Thomas Madden (0-1) for O’Brien.

Meelick 2-16   Clarecastle 1-18

Sean O’Connor converted a long-range free in the final minute of this tie to give Meelick victory over the Magpies at Whitegate on Sunday evening.

Centre-forward O’Connor, a member of the club’s U-21 team that suffered defeat against Whitegate in the recent C final, had earlier blasted a 20m free to the Clarecastle net. He was the game’s top scorer with 1-9 to his credit, all but three points of which came from placed balls.

Meelick had the better of matters in the first half and led by five points at half-time.

Pakie Healy was Clarecastle’s best player, with eight points to his credit. Substitute Aaron Considine was their goalscorer.

Meelick: Roy Duffy; Stephen Hayes, Bobby Sherlock, Sean Cooney; Gary Callinan, Damian Moloney, Eanna Mulvihill; Jim White, Adam Sherlock (0-1); Christopher Coughlan (0-2), Sean O’Connor (1-9), Lee Ryan; Oisin Hickey (0-2), Gerry Markham (1-2), Colin Ryan.
Subs: Cathal Sherlock for L Ryan.
Clarecastle: John Casey (0-1); John Reidy, Joe Barry, Ciarán Lynch; Pa Tuohy, Patrick Casey (0-1), Andrew Page; Gareth Barry (0-1), Tommy Howard (0-1); Conor Galvin (0-2), John Pyne (0-1), Pakie Healy (0-8); Briain Lynch (0-2), David Greene (0-1) Mark Foley.
Subs: Aaron Considine (1-0) for Greene (inj), Aaron Greene for Foley and Barry Lyons for B Lynch (inj).

Feakle 3-17   Parteen 3-12

Three first-half goals sent Feakle on the road to victory at Ogonnelloe on Sunday evening. The goals came from Oisín Donnellan, Colin Nelson and Raymond Bane and left Feakle 3-9 to 1-10 in front at the break.

Parteen tried hard to get back on terms in the second half and while they closed the gap, they were unable to make up the leeway and Feakle deservingly won.

Parteen’s goals came from Martin Moroney, Noel Bridgeman and the game’s top scorer, David Small.

Feakle: Eibhear Quilligan; Donal O’Grady, James Noonan, Francis O’Grady; Cillian Bane, Eoin Tuohy (0-1), Ger Hanrahan; Shane McGrath (0-4), Henry Hayes; Raymond Bane (1-5), Gary Guilfoyle, Con Smith (0-2); Tom Moroney (0-1), Colin Nelson (1-1), Oisin Donnellan (1-1).
Subs: Stephen Moloney (0-2) for Moroney; Colm Naughton for G Guilfoyle.
Parteen: Alan Murnane (0-1); Jason Smyth, Donal Prendergast, Kevin McGleenan; Phil Lavin, Colm O’Connell, Paul O’Dwyer; Darragh Yelverton, Joe O’Connor; Martin Moroney (1-0), David Small (1-10), Paidi O’Connor (0-1); Cian McCarthy, Brian McSweeney, Ronan Conlon.
Subs: Jeff Nugent for D Prendergast, Prendergast for McSweeney, Noel Bridgeman (1-0) for R Conlon.

Newmarket 4-21   Killanena 1-5

Newmarket were never troubled as they scored a runaway win over Killanena at Tulla on Sunday afternoon.

Sixteen points in front at half-time, they continued to dominate against a Killanena outfit that has been badly hit by emigration in recent times, while they were also down a few players due to injury.

Dominick McMahon (2), Seanie Arthur and Alan McInerney were the goalscorers for the winners while Liam Clancy, for the second time in as many weeks, contributed a dozen points.

Mark Flaherty was the Killanena goalscorer.

Newmarket: Ian Mulcahy; Eoin McInerney, Brian Clancy, Patrick McCormack; Martin Frawley, Frank Melody, Alan McInerney; Noel Frawley, Donogh Keogh; Liam Clancy, Paul McInerney, Neil Ryan; Martin Murphy, Seanie Arthur, Dominick McMahon.
Sub: Paudie Collins for Murphy (inj).
Killanena: David Noone; Andrew Flaherty, Joe Clancy, Barry Noone; Michael Noonan, Martin Glynn, Padraic Brady; John Noonan, Michael Noone; Todd Kelsey, Declan Noonan, Alan McNamara; Eoin McMahon, Mark Flaherty, Paddy McNamara.
Subs: John O’Meara for J Clancy and Evan McNamara for Michael Noonan.

Ogonnelloe 0-14   Crusheen 0-8

The switch of Peter O’Brien from defence to attack played a big part in Ogonnelloe’s six-point win over Crusheen at Dr Daly Park on Sunday.

The first half was evenly fought and the teams went to the break on level terms at 0-6 each.

In the second half, O’Brien’s presence in attack caused problems for last year’s beaten finalists and the East Clare side went on to record a merited win.

O’Brien was the game’s top scorer with six points to his credit while Barry Kiely contributed four.

Ogonnelloe: Eoin Sheedy; Michael Costello, Colm Forde, Eoin Collins; John O’Brien, Peter O’Brien (0-6), Sean Kikkers; Ozer McMahon (0-2), Robert Dreelin; Tom Condon, Patrick Barton, Daniel Cunnane (0-1); Barry Kiely (0-4), Rory Skelly (0-1), Aaron Bradley.
Subs: Patrick Mooney for Barton and Kieran Forde for Dreelin.
Crusheen: David McMahon; Donal Dillon, Youen Horner, Mark Perill; Eddie Fogarty, Brendan McMahon (0-1), Conor Hayes; Briain Dillon (0-1), Rory Halpin (0-1); Luke Hayes, Niall Fitzgibbon (0-1), Sean Mhaoir (0-1); Rory Malone (0-1), Patrick O’Grady, Niall Kearney (0-2).
Sub: Thomas Vaughan for Fitzgibbon.