The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield added the Under 15A Academy football final to their U15 Division 1 crown with a 5-6 to 3-8 defeat of Éire Óg
GOING back decades there are few derbies in the county that excite the two clubs more than when the Parish meet the Townies.
Far more important finals have been played over the decades between the two clubs yet in Gurteen on Thursday as the summer light began to decline this Under 15 academy final gave the large crowd so much to enjoy.
Some 48 hours earlier St Joseph’s captured the County A title but there was no doubting that they wanted the double and a capable and confident Éire Óg side stood in their way. Over the course of the hour the home side played 31 players.
Yet, whilst all the hype was around St Joseph’s it was Michael Considine’s crew that made the home side look quite ordinary for the first half.
The searing pace of Danny Lyne was central to this positive showing, and he sent over the opening score and within five minutes Éire Óg had their first goal with Rian Clohessy making no mistake.
St Josephs’ were unable to get out past their own half of the field and were shellshocked by this aggressive fast paced play.
The intense nature of the challenges allied to the support offered to both sides gave much to the game over the duration of proceedings. Oran Considine whose uncle Joe was a leading light for St Joseph’s in their glory years pointed for Éire Óg before Paddy O’ Reilly and Lyne once more saw their side surge (1-4) to (0-0) ahead.
The admirable defensive efforts of Éire Óg stifled any efforts of the home side to create scores with Dylan Nugent, Jack O’ Halloran and Andrew Carmody to the fore.
Lyne with his third and fourth scores and Éire Óg wing forward Joseph Jallon increased what was now appearing to be an unassailable lead for the visitors to Gurteen as they now led (1-7) to (0-0) after 20 minutes.
The supporters of St Joseph’s had been silenced by the skills of Éire Óg but all changed dramatically in the final ten minutes of the first half.
Graham Ball in the 21st minute finally had St Joseph’s on the scoreboard as his side started to bring on replacements.
Two minutes later Jack McAllister lifted the Éire Óg net with a finish deserving of a senior footballer. Éire Óg were now being pinned into their own third of the pitch. Leo Boyle added a second St Joseph’s goal and the equalising goal that drew a huge cheer from the stand that saw parity (1-7) to (3-1) at the interval.
St Joseph’s attacked straight after the break with three wides and on another occasion would have hit the net but in their first foray upfield Jamie Lyne hit the Barefield net once more to restore a three-point lead. Adam Tariq and Graham Ball hit back immediately with points to leave just the minimum between the sides.
Barefield substitute Leo Boyle gave his side the lead with a 40th minute goal only for Lewis O’ Dwyer to respond minutes later with a like score and Éire Óg regained a (3-7) to (4-3) lead.
It did appear that perhaps the Ennis boys had repelled the best that Barefield threw at them and when Lyne kicked another outstanding long range free it was now a two-point lead.
Unfortunately, for Éire Óg it was their last score as Barefield had one last rally that dominated the final minutes of the game especially when team captain Rory Lynam gave them a lead with a well taken goal that they never surrendered. Jack McAllister, Robbie Whelan and Lynam to round it off with the insurance point to seal a deserved four-point win.
St Joseph’s were served well in victory by Adam Tariq, Graham Ball, Jack McAllister, Rory Lynam, Cillian Thornton, Rhys Murphy, Darragh Fahy, Martin Daly and Matthew Corey.
Éire Óg were the better side for most of the first half but the three-goal salvo by St Joseph’s proved their undoing. Their best included the impressive Danny Lyne, Oran Considine, Aidan O’ Connell, Dylan Nugent, Andrew Carmody, Joseph Jallon and Paddy O’ Reilly.
Following the game Anne Hayes PRO of Clare GAA and secretary of Bord na nOg Peil presented the trophy to winning captain Rory Lynam.
St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield: Brian Corkery, Tom O’ Halloran, Darragh Fahy, Martin Daly, Liam McAllister, Rhys Murphy, Matthew Corey, Dean Fitzpatrick, Cillian Thornton, Charlie Lenihan, Jack McAllister, Leon Guerin, Conor Price, Robbie Whelan, Rory Lynam. Subs: Oscar O’ Gara, Graham Ball, Conor Byrne, Leo Boyle, Joe Mannion, Tom O’ Halloran, Leon Guerin, James Raftery, Alex Dunne, TJ Moore, Sean McMahon, Robbie Clarke, Oisin O’ Sullivan, Adam Tariq, Finbarr Corry, Oisin Ryan, Colin Frawley, Matthew Cooney. St Joseph’s scorers: Rory Lynam (2-1), Leo Boyle (2-0), Jack McAllister (1-1), Graham Ball (0-2), Adam Tariq, Robbie Whelan (0-1) each
Éire Óg: Andrew Carmody, Tadhg Conway, Dylan Nugent, Jack O’ Halloran, Jamie Brehony, Aidan O’ Connell, Rian Clohessy, Kieran Doyle, Oran Considine, Joseph Jalloh, Danny Lyne, Cormac Mann, Paddy O’ Reilly, Brian Lynch, Kallum Daniels. Subs: Lewis O’ Dwyer, Rian Mahony, David Keating, Evan Linnane. Scorers: Danny Lyne (1-5), Lewis O’ Dwyer, Rian Clohessy (1-0) each, Paddy O’ Reilly, Joseph Jalloh, Oran Considine (0-1) each.
Referee: Feargal O’ Brien (Broadford)
