Tag Archives: Munster Minor Football Championship

Clare 5-11 Waterford 0-6 THE Clare minor footballers eased to a 20-point victory over Waterford in Cusack Park on Wednesday evening in a Munster championship play-off. The Seamus Clancy-managed team will play Tipperary on Wednesday evening next in their second play-off, to determine who will advance to the provincial semi-final. Clare were lethargic for large parts of the first half but they exploded into life once Ross O’Doherty goaled 17 minutes from time. He picked up a break off Diarmuid Ryan and finished clinically. O’Doherty netted again in injury time while, in the interim, Corofin’s Gearóid Cahill completed a superbly executed hat-trick of goals. Playing in front of an attendance of 389, Clare started with impressive intent. They had 1-2 on the board inside four minutes and Waterford looked out of their depth, even at that early stage. The home county won the throw-in and attacked immediately, with Seán Rouine pointing after a mere 22 seconds. Ross O’Doherty followed shortly …

Kerry 1-13  Clare 1-6 ALTHOUGH not lacking effort or desire, the Clare minor footballers were comfortably beaten by two-in-a-row All-Ireland champions Kerry in Wednesday’s Munster semi-final, which was played in perfect conditions in Miltown Malbay. An attendance of 808 people saw Clare give it a decent shot against their opponents from across the estuary but, ultimately, Kerry were too slick and found it easier to create and take scores across the hour. Kerry led 1-7 to 1-3 at half-time and, at one stage, the reigning Munster and All-Ireland champions were six points up. They led 1-5 to 0-1 after 16 minutes, largely thanks to a soft fourth-minute goal from corner-forward Brian Friel. The Rathmore clubman picked up a break from a David Clifford shot, which was spilled by Clare goalkeeper Mark Lillis. Ferdia O’Brien had already pointed from play for the Peter Keane-managed Kingdom and shortly after their goal, Clifford added a point from a free. It wasn’t looking great …

Clare secured a provincial minor football semi-final date against title-holders Kerry on May 11, when they overcame Limerick in the opening round of the Munster Minor Football Championship at Hennessy Park in Miltown on Wednesday evening. Unlucky not to have been more than two points ahead at half-time, Clare were under pressure for much of a second half, in which Limerick hit 12 wides, bringing their total for the evening to 15. It was fitting that Clare full-forward, Joseph McGann should kick what proved to be the winning point. The St Breckan’s player caused a lot of problems for Limerick all evening and he finished as joint top-scorer for the winners, alongside his clubmate, Padraig Kelly. Clare had the better of matters in the opening 20 minutes, at the end of which they held a four-point advantage and their lead could have been greater. Indeed, there were calls for a penalty for the home side in the very first minute, …

Tipperary 0-16  Clare 2-9   CLARE football suffered one of its most devastating defeats in many years when the minors lost out to Tipperary by a single point in a pulsating semi-final in Thurles on Wednesday. Playing heroically and with savage commitment, Clare led by two points, 2-9 to 0-13, with just two minutes left in normal time. However, a couple of mis-timed passes led to Tipperary kicking three late points to secure a dramatic win. The Clare players and management were left distraught afterwards, having given so much and failed so narrowly to qualify for the county’s first Munster minor football final since 1994. When Keelan Sexton put away a sublimely executed left-footed goal, less than two minutes into the second half, the scene looked set for Clare to score an era-defining win. Despite an array of excellent scores from Seán Malone, who put over two magnificent points, Sexton and Cillian Brennan, Clare did not put away Tipperary. The …

Clare 2-11   Limerick 0-5 THE Clare minor footballers made very light work of an exceptionally poor Limerick team in Cusack Park on Wednesday evening. Playing with plenty of fire and putting some exceptional attacking play together, Clare were fully deserving of their 12-point win and restored their pride after their 11-point defeat to Kerry in the opening round in Tralee. Clare will now play Tipperary in the Munster semi-final in Thurles on May 13.  [doptg id=”66″] Although they led 1-7 to 0-3 at half-time, Clare were relatively slow to settle in the opening half and, in fact, they were 0-3 to 0-1 behind after nine minutes. However, Limerick stuck to their ploy of keeping players behind the ball and didn’t appear to have any inside players whom they could locate with direct ball. Seán Malone, who had an outsanding first half, put over the game’s opening score in the sixth minute. It was a portent of things to come from …

By Seamus Hayes AN improved performance from a much-changed team earned Clare a merited win over Limerick in the Munster Minor Football Championship at NewcastleWest on Wednesday. It sets them up for a meeting with Waterford next week, in Waterford, for a place in the semi-final. While Clare supporters in the official attendance of just 353 will be pleased with the result, there will be some concern at the concession of 3-5 in the second half. It would have been greater but Killian Normoyle made a fine save from a Shane Stack penalty six minutes from the end. Overall, Clare were the better-balanced side and picked off some good scores. They were well on their way to the next round at the halfway stage when they held a 14-point lead. A brilliant start to the second half, when they added 1-2 in the opening minutes, killed off Limerick’s chances of a win. To their credit, however, the Shannonsiders battled to …