Semi-final line-up complete but Corofin and Meelick face drop

THE stakes were high last weekend when Round 3 of the Intermediate Football Championship took place. For a number of teams, the results would determine whether they would continue in the title race or drop out of the grade.

In the new competition format introduced this year, two teams will be relegated from intermediate to junior A. The bottom team in each of the two groups will be playing junior next season and following the weekend’s games, Corofin and Meelick find themselves facing life in the lower level in 2013.

Both went into their games at the weekend knowing a victory would see them through to the semi-finals. Meelick were pipped by O’Callaghan’s Mills, losing by the minimum margin, while Corofin went down by two points to O’Curry’s.

Following the final round of games, O’Curry’s have topped their group ahead of Kilmihil, while Kilmurry-Ibrickane topped the second group ahead of Kilfenora.

The semi-finals are set for Saturday week at Doonbeg when the pairings will be Kilmihil v Kilmurry-Ibrickane and O’Curry’s v Kilfenora.

 

Kilmihil 1-12   Kildysart 0-10

KILMIHIL laid the foundations for this win in the opening half when they raced into a 1-10 to 0-1 lead. They had the assistance of the wind in this half when minor Martin O’Leary excelled at full-forward causing huge problems for the Kildysart defence. He received great assistance from Paul Reidy and between them on the day, they accounted for 1-7 of their team’s total.

Kilmihil went into this game on the back of a disappointing performance against Corofin on the previous Tuesday night when they suffered a five-point loss, a result which left them facing relegation.

With the wind to their backs in the second half, Kildysart came much more into the game and some good points from Ger Kelly helped them narrow the gap. However, the Kilmihil defence held firm and when the final whistle sounded, they were five clear and through to the semi-final.

Shortly before the full-time whistle, Kildysart was reduced to 14 men when Dermot Clancy was sent off on a straight red card.

Kilmihil: Keith Considine; Conor Crowley, Jonathon O’Sullivan, Lawrence Murray; Derek O’Connell, Mark O’Connell, Alan McGuane; Timmy Ryan, David Ryan; Allyn Dalton, Mark Coughlan, Enda O’Halloran;  Paul Reidy, Martin O’Leary, Niall Pender.
Subs: Noel McGuane for M O’Connell; Declan Downes for E O’Halloran; Colm Callinan for Dalton; Shane Egan for Pender.
Kildysart: John Murtagh; Kieran Leahy, Shane McNeilis, Brian Ayers; Damian Hill, Neil O’Connor, Michael Eustace; Keith O’Connor, John Clancy, Christy Clancy, Brian O’Sullivan, Niall Guinnane; Ger Kelly, Keith Murphy, Damian Murtagh.
Subs: Brendan Frawley for B Ayers (inj); Dermot Clancy for D Murtagh (inj).

O’Curry’s 2-6   Corofin 2-4

IN a hard-fought contest at Miltown on Saturday, O’Curry’s scored a narrow win to maintain their place at the top of the table and secure a semi-final spot.

A contribution of 2-2 from Brian Troy proved vital for the West Clare side who led 1-3 to 1-1 at half-time, Corofin’s goal coming from Jason Tierney.

Both sides were reduced to 14 in the first half when Michael Carmody (O’Curry’s) and Ollie O’Loughlin (Corofin) were dismissed after a goal-mouth melee.

The second half was similar with the teams evenly matched but O’Curry’s managed to keep their noses in front to the end.

Paul Roche, Tom Downes, Michael Foran, Derek and Eoin Troy impressed for the winners.

O’Curry’s: PJ Greene; Ollie Quinlan, Michael O’Shea, Paul Roche; Tom Downes, Sean Haugh, Brian Troy; Derek Troy, Ger Quinlan; Eoin Brew, Damian Clohessy, Michael Foran; Eoin Troy, Michael Carmody, Damian Carmody.
Subs: Jack Scanlan for E Brew; Jim Downes for D Clohessy.
Corofin: Kieran Carkill; Ollie O’Loughlin, Keith O’Loughlin, Donnacda Kelleher; Brendan Keane, Eamonn Malone, Diarmuid Daly; John Keane, Damian Ryan; Jack Campbell, Kevin Heagney, Fergal Neylon; Gearóid Kelly, Killian Neylon, Jason Tierney.
Subs: Matthew Shannon for Kelleher; Stephen Heagney for F Neylon; Fionn Clancy for K Neylon; Brian Halpin for Campbell.

Kilmurry-Ibrickane 2-6   Kilfenora 0-9

KILMURRY-Ibrickane moved to the top of the table as a result of this win over Kilfenora who have also made it through to the play-offs.

The experience of Odran O’Dwyer proved a key ingredient in this latest victory for last year’s finalists. He was the game’s top scorer with 1-5 to his credit.

The winners led by the minimum at half-time, 1-4 to 0-6 with the goal proving to be the decisive score on the day.

Kilfenora finished the game with 13 men after having Cathal Nagle and Pat Connole dismissed in separate incidents and on second yellow cards inside the last quarter.

Kilmurry-Ibrickane: Darragh Pender; Pádraig Lynch, John Sexton, Eamonn Dunne; Mark Moloney, Brendan O’Neill, John McNamara; Gary Donnellan, Pat Sexton; Brian Callinan, Martin O’Connor, Thomas Greene; Aaron Murrihy, Odran O’Dwyer, Colm Donnellan
Subs: Seamus Lynch, John Talty.
Kilfenora: Liam Keane; Jack O’Dea, Diarmuid Nagle, Kevin Theasby; James Keane, Paudie Ireland, Cathal Nagle; Pat Connole, Sean O’Gorman; Jason Connole, Jonathon O’Gorman, Paul Reddan; Austin Kelly, Killian Malone, Michael James Malone.
Subs: Paul Carkill for Jonathon O’Gorman; Michael Theasby for K Theasby.

O’Callaghan’s Mills 1-10   Meelick 2-6

AHEAD by seven points with just over five minutes to go, there didn’t seem to be any danger for O’Callaghan’s Mills in this tie played at Shannon on Sunday evening.

Two Meelick goals, one from the penalty spot, cut the winners’ lead to the minimum but time wasn’t on their side and the Mills held on for a win that ensures them of intermediate status for the coming season. This result consigns Meelick to junior A football for 2013.

Helped by a goal from Ian Donnellan, the Mills were 1-4 to 0-2 ahead at half-time, Bryan Donnellan having kicked their points. They took up where they had left off when the second half got underway and they went on to lead 1-8 to 0-2 before Meelick started their fight-back.

Pat Donnellan kicked some impressive points for the winners, while substitute Fergus Donovan kicked what proved to be the winning point.

O’Callaghan’s Mills: Ger Kennedy; Michael McGrath, Niall Donovan, Gerry Cooney; Kevin O’Callaghan, John Cooney, John Lyons; Pat Donnellan, Conor Cooney (Ermhill); Sean O’Gorman, Bryan Donnellan, Eoin McGrath; Brendan Hannon, Ian Donnellan, Conor McMahon.
Sub: Fergus Donovan for C McMahon.
Meelick: Shane Daly; Stephen Hayes, Philip Lavin, Mickey Kelly; Dara Yelverton, Niall Mullen, Eanna Mulvihill; Barry Hartnett, James Long; Gary Callinan, Kevin Hartnett, Andy White; Padraic O’Connor, Brian O’Neill, Sean Lyons.
Subs: Oisín Hickey for White; Liam Davis for Lyons.