Win keeps Cratloe hopes alive

Cratloe  2-10   Lissycasey  0-6
CRATLOE bounced back into contention for a place in the knock-out stages of the senior championship when they recorded a comprehensive win over Lissycasey at Cusack Park on Saturday.

While Lissycasey have reason to bemoan a number of missed scoring opportunities in the opening half, there can be no argument as to the merit of the South-East Clare side’s victory, as they dictated matters in the second half.
Both sides went into the tie knowing victory was essential if they were to have a chance of making it to the play-offs. Cratloe were first to score when Sean Collins pointed inside the opening minute but Lissycasey had the better of the exchanges in the next quarter. However, they missed a number of clear-cut chances with Paul Nagle, Francis Hayes and Ger Murphy failing to find the target. Murphy’s was a goal chance but he lost possession at the vital time.
Anthony Kelly had Lissycasey’s opening score in the ninth minute, before Collins and Colin Lynch exchanged points. Inside the last 10 minutes of the half, Paudie Collins and Francis Hayes swapped points before Dermot Nagle landed a free to give Lissycasey the lead for the only time in the game. It was a short-lived advantage as Cratloe replied with a pointed free from Liam Markham before Collins landed his third point to leave the winners ahead by 0-5 to 0-4 when the half-time whistle sounded.
The second half was three minutes old when Cratloe recorded their first wide of the game and a further four minutes went by before Liam Markham extended their lead when he landed his second free of the game.
Lissycasey were dealt a huge blow in the ninth minute when full-back Sean Hill, a doubtful starter due to an ankle injury, suffered a recurrance of the injury, which forced him to retire. Two minutes later, the winners got through for their opening goal, which came from Cathal McInerney and it sparked off their best spell.
Conor McGrath added a point, after Joe Hayes denied him a goal with a fine save. Another goal followed shortly after this from substitute Robert Conlon, after Sean Collins had created the opportunity.
The half was 23 minutes old before Alan Nagle had Lissycasey’s first score of the half but by now Cratloe were well on their way to victory. In the last five minutes they added three points to Lissycasey’s one to seal a comfortable win on an afternoon when Barry Duggan, David Ryan, Sean and Paudge Collins and Conor McGrath did well.
For a disappointing Lissycasey side, Michael Melican, Cathal Hill, Colin Lynch and Anthony Kelly did best.
Cratloe: Jamie Joyce; Barry Gleeson, Barry Duggan, David Ryan; Sean Chaplin, Michael Hawes, Liam Markham; Martin ‘Ogie’ Murphy, Conor Ryan; Wesley De Loughrey, Sean Collins, Sean Hynan; Cathal McInerney, Conor McGrath, Paudge Collins.
Subs: Robert Conlon for Gleeson (38 minutes), Damian Browne for De Loughrey (45 minutes), Padraig Chaplin for P Collins (51 minutes), Joseph O’Connor for McInerney (51 minutes) and Dean De Loughrey for Hynan (55 minutes).
Scorers: Sean Collins (0-3), Cathal McInerney and Robert Conlon (1-0) each; Liam Markham (0-2f), Paudge Collins, Conor McGrath, Ogie Murphy, Padraig Chaplin and Joseph O’Connor (0-1) each.
Frees for: 18; Wides: 5; 45s: 1
Bookings: None.
“We played some good football today and we didn’t give the ball away like we did in the last round. There are a lot of lads there who have played a lot of football but if Lissycasey had taken their scores, it could have been different. They had a couple of easy chances. The difference was that we got the goals and Lissycasey didn’t.” Colm Collins, Cratloe.
Lissycasey: Joe Hayes; Niall Kelly, Sean Hill, Martin O’Connor; Cathal Hill, Colin Lynch, Michael Melican; Anthony Kelly, Matt O’Shea; Gerard Murphy, Danny Lynch, Alan Nagle; Paul Nagle, Dermot Nagle, Francis Hayes.
Subs: David Considine for Paul Nagle (36 minutes), Cathal Doohan for Sean Hill (inj, 39 minutes), Paudie Carmody for O’Shea (45 minutes) and Oisín Talty for F Hayes (54 minutes).
Scorers: Colin Lynch (0-2), Anthony Kelly, Alan Nagle, Francis Hayes and Dermot Nagle (0-1) each.
Frees for: 18; Wides: 8
Bookings: Joe Hayes (30 minutes) and Alan Nagle (50 minutes).
“Our failure to convert good scoring opportunities in the first half proved costly. Once Cratloe got through for the goals, they drove on and there was no way back for us.” Declan Conway, Lissycasey manager.
Referee: Barry Kelly, Miltown.

Ennistymon  0-9   St Joseph’s  1-6
FROM an early stage in this tie at Corofin on Sunday, it was clear there would be little between the sides. Level on seven occasions, it didn’t come as any great surprise that the spoils were shared.
That said, St Joseph’s will probably be the happier of the two teams with the draw as they played second fiddle to their opponents for much of the second half and had to rely on an equalising point in the second minute of injury time.
They then had a chance to snatch victory but goalkeeper Declan O’Keeffe’s free from 40m drifted wide of the target and seconds later, it was all over. It leaves both teams needing something from their final round games in two weeks time if they are to be in with a shout of getting to the quarter-finals.
The teams exchanged points three times in the opening 20 minutes before St Joseph’s put a fine move together that ended with lively corner-forward Eoin Kane crashing the ball to the net in the 25th minute. Enda Lyons added a point and then Ennistymon were fortunate not to concede a second goal. The danger was averted when corner-back Oisín Vaughan got back to clear off the goal line after goalkeeper Shane Keane had been beaten.
It was 1-4 to 0-4 in the Doora-Barefield side’s favour at the interval and it looked like Kane’s goal might prove the decisive score.
Ennistymon returned for the second half with Ronan Linnane and Wayne Griffin in their side and both made a difference. The North Clare men took control from the start and by the three-quarter stage, they had drawn level thanks to points from Joe Dowling, Sean McConigley and Danny Rouine.
Rouine then put his side into the lead for the first time since the 10th minute but it was short lived as St Joseph’s substitute Christy O’Brien, with his first touch, found the target to level the game with 10 minutes to play.
Four minutes from the end, wing-back Wayne Griffin made a great run up field and beat a number of St Joseph’s opponents before kicking a great point to put his side back in front. This was still the position with the game in the second minute of injury time when Ivor White, who had been re-introduced a few minutes earlier, kicked the equaliser. In the fourth minute of added time, O’Keeffe was called up from the goal line to kick a 40m free as free taker Colm Mullen had just been replaced but the Kerryman’s effort was wide of the target.
David Murphy, Danny Rouine, Lawrence Healy, Brian McDonagh, David McInerney and Joe Dowling got through some good work for Ennistymon, while Keith Whelan, Kevin Dilleen, Colm Mullen and Eoin Kane were prominent for the Doora-Barefield men.
Ennistymon: Shane Keane; Oisin Vaughan, Brian McDonagh, James Murphy; Michael O’Loughlin, David McInerney, Michael O’Loughlin; David Murphy, Lawrence Healy; Michael McDonagh, Kevin Scales, Joe Dowling; Danny Rouine, John McInerney, Sean McConigley.
Subs: Ronan Linnane for Scales (half-time), Wayne Griffin for M O’Loughlin (half-time), Sean O’Driscoll for J McInerney (45 minutes) and Brian Sexton for M McDonagh (53 minutes).
Scorers: Danny Rouine (0-5, all frees), Joe Dowling (0-2), Sean McConigley and Wayne Griffin (0-1) each.
Frees for: 17; Wides: 9; 45s: 1
Bookings: David McInerney (45 minutes).
“We were a couple of points down at half-time and we felt we had to freshen it up. We brought on subs we knew would give us a lift and they did. Win or lose today, we felt we would have to win the last game and that hasn’t changed. The next game is a totally different ball game against Cratloe.” Brendan Rouine, Ennistymon manager.
St Joseph’s: Declan O’Keeffe; Ger Fannin, Kevin Dilleen, Sean Flynn; Stephen Collins, Damian Kennedy, Keith Whelan; Mark Hallinan, Mark Raftery; Paul Dullaghan, Colm Mullen, Ivor Whyte; Enda Lyons, Cathal O’Sullivan, Eoin Kane.
Subs: Greg Lyons for White (half-time), Christy O’Brien for C O’Sullivan (45 minutes), Gavin O’Sullivan for Kane (55 minutes), Ivor White for Raftery (57 minutes) and Caimin O’Connor for Mullen (62 minutes).
Scorers: Eoin Kane (1-0), Colm Mullen (0-2f), Keith Whelan, Enda Lyons, Christy O’Brien and Ivor White (0-1) each.
Frees for: 28; Wides: 12; 45s: 2
Bookings: Ivor White (21 minutes) and Keith Whelan (37 minutes).
“It was a strange game. We seemed to be on top in the first half but we lost our way a bit in the second half. We are both sitting pretty in the group now. We need another point. Ennistymon would appear to have the tougher game in the last round. It’s all to play for.” John Halpin, St Joseph’s manager.
Referee: John Brew, Kilmurry Ibrickane.