U-21 champions take on Tones

Champions Ennistymon take on Wolfe Tones at Éire Óg on Sunday at 1pm in the U-21A Football Championship.
This will be the first game of the championship for both clubs. Many of the players who featured in their clubs’ respective senior championship wins over Liscannor and Kilrush will backbone both teams.
Wolfe Tones will look to Daniel Gallery and Seán Brennan while Ennistymon will have Micheál O’Loughlin, Ronan Linnane, Seán O’Driscoll, Oisín Vaughan and Seán McGonigley to inspire them. 
Clondegad, fresh from their one-point win over Doora-Barefield last weekend, take on Cratloe in Gurteen at 7pm on Sunday evening. Cratloe had five starters on the Clare U-21 team this year in Jamie Joyce, Liam Markham, Conor Ryan, Podge Collins and Cathal McInerney, while Wes de Loughrey was also on the panel.
Conor McGrath, Cathal McInerney and Liam Markham will be part of the Clare senior hurling panel on Saturday evening in the first round of the All-Ireland Championship.
Clondegad were without Shane Brennan last weekend against Doora-Barefield and he is likely to still be sidelined this weekend with a hamstring injury. However, Clondegad still have quality players in Podge McMahon, Brian Murphy, James Murphy, Conor Gavin and Tony Kelly, who will captain Clare in the Munster minor hurling final on Sunday week.
In what could be the game of the round, St Breckan’s will meet Miltown on Saturday at 2.30pm in Ennistymon. Both scored impressive wins last weekend.
Meanwhile, Doonbeg defeated Kilkee 1-12 to 0-14 in their U-21B quarter-final meeting in Kilrush last Sunday. They will play Shannon Gaels in the semi-final.
In the same championship, Kildysart-Coolmeen defeated Kilmihil 3-10 to 2-8 in Labasheeda. They will take on Corofin in the other semi-final. Corofin scored a resounding 2-12 to 0-6 win over Cooraclare last weekend.

St Breckan’s         1-14    Kilmurry Ibrickane     0-5
St Breckan’s scored a comprehensive win over Kilmurry Ibrickane in the opening round of the U-21A football championship in Ennistymon last Sunday. The winners led 1-6 to 0-2 at half-time having played with the wind. Mark O’Donnell scored the St Breckan’s goal. Kilmurry were dealt a serious blow inside 15 minutes when Seamus Lynch was sent off, on a second yellow card.
The winners continued to dominate the second period to win. They now play St Joseph’s Miltown in the quarter-final in Ennistymon at 2.30pm on Saturday. However, they will be without Michael Hogan who is recovering from a knee injury.
St Breckan’s: Craig Flanagan; Sean Howley, Michael Reddan, Dale Masterson; Noel McDonagh, Stephen Tierney, Adrian Nilan; John Paul Keating, Seán Cormican; John Stack, Conor Cormican, Cormac Hehir; John Mooney, Michael Hogan, Mark O’Donnell.
Kilmurry: Michael O’Kelly; Micheál O’Halloran, John Willie Sexton, Pádraig Lynch; John McNamara, Thomas Lernihan, Thomas Greene; Colm Donnellan, Darragh Sexton; Paul Lynch, Seamus Lynch, Shane Cavanagh; Darren Sexton, Niall Hickey, John O’Kelly.
Subs: Robbie Power for Micheál O’Halloran.
Referee: Tom Stackpoole (Ennistymon).

Miltown         2-17    Kilrush         3-4
Miltown’s impressive first-half display paved the way for their first-round win over Kilrush in Doonbeg last Saturday evening. They led 1-10 to 1-1 at half-time with Joe Curtin scoring from the penalty spot before half-time. Thomas Flynn added their second goal.
Eoin Tarrant scored two of Kilrush’s goals from the penalty spot, while he also added four points. Seán Madigan scored the remaining goal. Miltown now take on St Breckan’s in Saturday’s quarter-final.
Miltown: Pádraig Queally; Eoin O’Brien, David Cleary, Colin McGuane; Tiernán O’Friel, Gearóid Curtin, Donal Keane; Daragh McDonagh, Peter Cleary; Thomas Flynn, Micheál Malone, Conor Cleary; Eoin Cleary, Joe Curtin, David Talty.
Subs: Damien Lafferty, Eoin McDonagh, John Grey.
Kilrush: Ross Cullinan; Niall Brennan, Niall Gilbride, Shane Carey; Seamus Bolton, Conor Downes, Donal Madigan; Calum Bond, Seán Madigan; Cian Murray, Eoin Tarrant, Pádraig Browne; David Moran, Darragh Bolton, Seán Downes.
Subs: Craig Fenlon, Anthony Lillis, Thomas Moloney, Con Prendeville.
Referee: Michael Talty (Kilmurry Ibrickane).

Lissycasey         2-15    Éire Óg         1-9
A superb start to the second half, which saw them score 1-5 without reply, helped Lissycasey lay the foundations for this victory over Éire Óg in the quarter-final of the U-21A football championship at Ballyea on Sunday.
Trailing 0-7 to 1-6 at half-time after playing with the assistance of the breeze, things didn’t look good for Lissycasey. They made a blistering start to the second half and an excellent goal from Eoin Fitzgerald put them in the driving seat.
They started the game well and took an early two-point lead with a brace of points from Sean Hayes. With Dean Ryan dominating at midfield, Éire Óg fought back and after a fine move, Kevin Moynihan crashed home the game’s first goal.
Darren O’Meara converted four frees, while Jack Walsh also got on the scoresheet as Éire Óg went on to lead 1-6 to 0-7 at the interval.
It was a different story on the changeover as Enda Finnucane and Danny Clohessy took control at midfield and with excellent support from wing-backs Cathal Doohan and Martin O’Connor, Lissycasey went on the attack. Points from Eoin Fitzgerald, Danny Clohessy, Finnucane and Sean Hayes followed together with a goal from Eoin Fitzgerald and Lissycasey opened a five-point lead. They continued to dominate to the end and deservingly booked a place in the semi-final.
O’Connor, Doohan, Finnucane, Clohessy, Sean Hayes and Eoin Fitzgerald were prominent for the winners. Dean Ryan, Ciarán Russell and Kevin Moynihan did best for the town side who were without the injured Darren O’Neill.
Lissycasey: Kevin Moran; Cyril Sheehan, Kevin Hanrahan (0-1), Tom Collins; Martin O’Connor, Matt O’Shea, Cathal Doohan; Enda Finnucane (0-4f), Danny Clohessy (0-1); Michael O’Neill, Francis Hayes, Eoin Fitzgerald (1-1); Sean Hayes (0-4), Niall Kelly (0-2), frees, Dermot Nagle (0-1).
Subs: Ronan McCarthy (1-0) for O’Neill; Cillian McNamara (0-1) for Nagle.
Éire Óg: Niall O’Connor; Fiachra Connellan, Cathal Whelan, Shane Browne; Kevin Hally, Ciarán Russell, David Smith; Dean Ryan, Colin Smith (0-1); Kevin Brennan, Kevin Moynihan (1-2), Niall McMahon; Jack Walsh (0-2), Sean Crotty, Darren O’Meara (0-4f).
Subs: James Sweeney for Brennan; Aidan McGrath for Sweeney (inj).

Clondegad         2-8    St Joseph’s         3-4
Clondegad booked a date with Cratloe in the quarter-final of the U-21 A football championship when they recorded a one point win over St Joseph’s, Doora-Barefield at Éire Óg on Sunday.
There was little between the sides throughout the game but Clondegad deserved their victory in a game in which they were never behind. The winning point came a minute from the end from full-forward Eoin Donlon from a free, his fourth of the day.
Paudge McMahon scored both of the team’s goals while Clare minor hurling captain Tony Kelly kicked two points. Goalscorers for the Doora-Barefield side were Conor O’Reilly, PG O’Donnell and Cathal Nolan.

Clondegad: Declan O’Loughlin; Conor Gavin, Brian Murphy, Cormac Ryan; Declan Keane, Paul Flanagan, Kevin Donnelly; David Sheehan, James Murphy; Joe Nealon, Paudge McMahon, Robert Pender; Liam Meaney, Eoin Donlon, Tony Kelly.
Subs: Pádraig Glynn for Meaney.
St Joseph’s: Shane Collins; Padraic Nugent, Eamonn Clohessy, Jarlath Colleran  John Kennedy, Stephen Collins, John Heavey; Conor O’Reilly Alan O’Neill; Shane O’Connor, Niall De Loughrey, Ian Lyons; Cathal Nolan, PG O’Donnell, Cathal Duggan.

Shannon Gaels         0-11   Clarecastle         1-6
A full-length, injury-time save from Shannon Gaels goalkeeper David Foley helped his side into the semi-final of the U-21B championship, where they will play Doonbeg.
With Seán Reynolds and Michael O’Donoghue giving the winners the edge in midfield and Mark Bohannon flying at centre forward, the winners led 0-5 to 0-3 approaching half-time.
However Clarecastle struck for the game’s only goal just before the interval, when Fergus Ryan netted. Ruairí Norby, Bohannon, Reynolds and O’Donoghue had scored the Gaels first-half points.
The second half was very evenly balanced as the sides traded scores. Michael O’Donoghue and Mark Bohannon completed the Gaels scoring but Clarecastle could have won it in injury time if Shane Galvin had scored with that late goal chance. Wing-back Conor Clancy scored the Magpies best score of the second half with an excellent point from play.
Shannon Gaels: David Foley; Jack Browne, Declan Pyne, Micheál Lorigan; Senan McMahon, Tomás Cleary, Brian Grogan; Michael O’Donoghue, Sean Reynolds; Cillian McMahon, Mark Bohannon, Eoin Grogan; Mark Hehir, Nigel Hehir, Ruairí Norrby.
Subs: Camin McMahon for Eoin Grogan, Kevin Killeen for Mark Hehir.
Clarecastle: Jamie Coughlan; Austin Guckian, Eamon O’Connor, Gearóid Ryan; Timmy Bergin, Aaron Considine, Conor Clancy; Fergus Ryan, John Reidy; Pakie Healy, Shane Galvin, Ethan McCarthy; Jonathan Griffey, Niall Quinn, Patrick Galbraith.
Subs: David Green for Ethan McCarthy, Aaron Greene for Jonathan Griffey.
Referee: Damien Fox (Wolfe Tones).