Semi-Final Line Ups Completed In Clare Minor Hurling Championships

Clare Minor A Hurling Quarter Finals

Clooney-Quin 2-14 Clarecastle 0-19

An early goal blitz ultimatley proved crucial as Clooney-Quin edged out Clarecastle in this entertaining tussle in Gurteen.

It was a dramatic start and a dramatic finish, with Dylan Cunningham’s late free eventually settling the contest. Clarecastle had a chance to send the game to extra-time but Cian Galvin saw his free drop just wide of the posts in the dying moments.

Clooney-Quin struck for a brace of goals inside the opening quarter through Cunningham and John Conneally to lead 2-5 to 0-4 at the opening water break, and it was that strong start which would give them the cushion to eventually see out the win.

Colm Cassidy and Cunningham were in fine scoring form for the winners, who built a 2-14 to 0-11 lead by half-time.

Clarecastle regrouped well in the third quarter to cut that gap to four, and Conor Halpins’s trio of points in the final period helped level the contest to set up a nervy finish as Clooney-Quin struggled to stem the tide.

Cunningham kept his nerve to fire over what would prove to be the winner, but there was still that late intake of breath as Galvin’s free dropped just wide.

Feakle-Killanena 1-16 Ogonnelloe-Scariff 2-10

Feakle-Killanena edged this East Clare derby to book their spot in the last four draw in what was a tight contest throughout.

Keith Smyth’s accuracy from placed balls was a major factor in the contest as he accounted for 0-13 of his sides total on the day.

Just two points separated the sides at the final water break with Feakle-Killanena in front, but their opponents had suffered a hammer blow just before that break as star man Patrick Ryan picked up his second yellow card.

A strong start from Feakle-Killanena saw them build a 0-6 to 0-1 lead in the opening quarter with Smyth firing 0-4 in that period.

Ogonnelloe-Scariff came roaring back into the contest in the second quarter as they outscored their opponents 1-4 to 0-3 to leave just the minimum between them at the half-time whistle.

A brace of Shane Kavanagh frees edged Ogonnelloe-Scariff in front early in the second period, but a big score arrived when Darren McMahon scrambled home to the net to wrest back the advantage for Feakle-Killanena.

Kavanagh had a big influence on the game for Ogonnelloe-Scariff and he responded with a classy goal soon after to ensure the game would have to be decided in the final quarter.

It was Feakle-Killanena who finished stronger with Smyth adding another brace of frees and while Kavanagh notched two more points for his side, it was not enough to get them back on level terms as Feakle-Killanena saw out the victory.

Clare Minor B Quarter-Finals

Banner GAA 3-17 Crusheen-Tubber 4-11

1-12 from Shane Meehan was instrumental in seeing the Banner through a cracking contest.

The momentum of this game was constantly changing hands with Crusheen-Tubber looking like they were in a match winning position as they held a four point lead midway through the third quarter.

It was a flying start to this tie with the sides level after the opening 20 minutes. Meehan and Thomas Meenaghan combined for Meenaghan to finish to the net for the opening goal of the game. Oisín O’Donnell, Murrough McMahon and Eoghan McMahon responded with the next three points to level the tie once more. Five in a row for the Banner shared between Meehan and Meenaghan put them back into control, but Eoghan McMahon found the net for Crusheen-Tubber to ensure they were within touching distance at the break as they trailed 1-9 to 1-6.

The third quarter belonged to Crusheen-Tubber with goals from Calvin Butler and Diarmuid Mulling putting them in the driving seat to lead by five points. The momentum shifted once more as an excellent long distance free from Niall Walsh was followed by a brilliant goal from Aaron Kelly to put the game right back into the melting pot with just a point between the sides.

That gap did not last long as Crusheen-Tubber responded in the best possible manner as Mullins fired his second goal of the contest. Meehan (3) and Murrough McMahon (2) traded frees before Meehan showed his class as he was first to react to a breaking ball and whipped it home to level the tie inside the closing five minutes.

It would prove to be a defining score as the last three points of the contest went to the men from the Shanaway Road after a brilliant battle.

Tulla 1-18 Broadford 0-13

Harty Cup stars Sean Withycombe and Andrew Conheady shared 1-13 between them as Tulla saw off the challenge of Broadford to move into the last four of the Clare Minor B hurling championship.

It was a game they were always in control of as they built a 0-8 to 0-2 lead at the opening water break. Broadford fought back well in the second quarter with top scorer Paul McNamara, who finished with 0-8, leading the way as they narrowed that gap to four by the half time break.

Tulla continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over and had much depth of scoring threat than their opponents, with six different scorers over the course of the contest. They led 0-16 to 1-10 at the final water break, and any thoughts of a comeback were firmly put to bed when Withycombe fired home a penalty in the closing stages to put the game well beyond Broadford’s reach.