Month: May 2011

Cork 2-14 – Clare 0-06 at Pairc Uí Chaoimh, Cork

WHEN APPROACHING a game more in hope than confidence, the last thing one needs to hear from a Corkman in the know is that ‘it’s a fair strong Cork team.’ For anyone that isn’t fluent in Cork speak, that phrase alone would have sent shivers down the Clare squad’s spines as the visitors were ill-prepared and realistically little more than lambs to the slaughter.

That old chestnut of whether the Banner should either provide proper preparation for a junior panel or alternatively withdraw from the competition altogether inevitably came to the fore as it’s simply not sufficient to assemble players at the last minute just to fulfil a fixture.

That’s not to take away anything from those who both made and answered the call to arms because they gave it their all, and it’s also not to say that Clare would have beaten Cork had they trained together since January but surely the hour long procession that followed was of little or no benefit for either side.

That said, there was a brief reprieve as wind-assisted Clare did surprisingly open up a 0-3 to 0-1 advantage, all through Mark McCarthy before the home side finally settled. An early warning sign when a Mark Cronin shot rebounded off the butt of the post wasn’t heeded as a slick 12th minute move involving Seamus O’Sullivan and Kevin O’Driscoll ended with Cathrach Keane who turned marker Conor Marrinan and found the net. From that point on, Cork never looked back, adding six of the last seven points of the half to hold a comfortable 1-7 to 0-4 halftime lead.

Clare rang the changes at the break, most notably with Podge Collins fulfilling his usual roaming role and interacting with brother Sean and Mark McCarthy to good effect. Aside from those cameos though, Cork simply shifted through the gears and hit six more unanswered points with all the front eight eventually getting in on the scoring action.

Clare did produce a glorious goal chance starting with a Podge Collins dispossession and ending with Mark McCarthy whose shot was smothered by goalkeeper Tom O’Connor in the 38th minute.

They also finally broke their 23 minute scoring drought with another brace from McCarthy but it was only a mere distraction as Cork finished strongly, with Cathrach Keane grabbing his second goal of the afternoon with only minutes remaining.

He was right. It was a fair strong Cork team. Champions elect maybe.

Cratloe 3-09 – Corofin 1-08 at Clarecastle

CRATLOE CAPTURED their first Under 16 title in six years and their first ever at Division 2 level on Thursday evening in gusty Clarecastle.

The seven point winning margin tells little of the gutsy second half endeavours of opponents Corofin however who used the conditions to topple a ten point half-time deficit to just a kick of a ball before a late Cratloe rally cemented victory.

The game of two halves saw Cratloe hold the advantage in the first half but it took them a while to firmly take control as a Mark Quinn goalbound shot was saved off the line by Diarmaid Cleary as was Conor Deasy’s late effort while a Shane Gleeson shot drifted just wide of the post.

However, through key forwards Conor Deasy and Shane Gleeson, Cratloe eventually pulled clear just before the break with a defensive error allowing Shane Gleeson to gather and goal while two minutes later, a second hammer blow came by way of a Pat McMahon bullet that billowed the top of the net for a 2-7 to 0-3 interval lead.

Even the large north Clare following could not have envisaged the stirring fightback from their side on the turnover though as the Liam Corbett led Corofin took the game to their opponents from the outset.

It started withCorbett’s 34th minute goal that came after Eoin Davoren had rattled the crossbar and the chief marksman would add four of the next six points to cut the deficit to only a goal by the 54th minute.

With only a Conor Deasy pointed free to show for their second half efforts, Cratloe found it difficult to stop the rot but Corofin failed to take further advantage as time drifted by and the tension heightened.

Corofin would eventually lament their nine second half wides, especially when in the final minute, Cratloe finished the game as a contest with Gleeson and Deasy combining to set up substitute Sean Moloney for the deciding goal, much to their relief.

Clooney/Quin 2-18 – Wolfe Tones 3-11 at Shannon

BEING THE only Division 1 game played this weekend, Clooney/Quin took advantage to move to the top of the table when they recorded their third successive victory in the league over a Wolfe Tones side that has yet to register a win in five on Thursday evening. However, far from being a routine victory for the visitors, Wolfe Tones made them work all the way before an injury-time flurry put some gloss on the final scoreline.

After Martin Duggan found the net after only ten seconds, it seemed as if it would be a comfortable for Clooney/Quin. That claim was made even stronger after Padraig Ward (3f), Mike Daffy (2), Cathal Egan and Duggan had them 1-7 to 0-4 clear early in the opening quarter.

However, Wolfe Tones would pull level by the break after the game opened up with three goals, two of them crucially going the home side’s way. Gareth McPhillips snatched the first, an effort that was cancelled out by Mike Daffy’s 25th minute goal, only for Mark Regan to lift his side to a 2-7 to 2-7 interval stalemate.

Clooney/Quin pushed clear once more on the resumption, with five points without reply from Ward, Daffy, Duggan, Fergal Lynch and Ronan Gallagher but try as they might, they were unable to shake off a stubborn Shannon side.

Daithi O’Connell’s goal allied to a Gareth McPhillips point cut the deficit to only the bare minimum entering injury-time before Cathal Egan (2) and substitute John Earls made the points safe for the new table-top- pers.

Clooney/ Quin
Damien O’Halloran, Joe O’Loughlin, Conor Harrison, Shane McNamara, Mike McNamara, Cillian Duggan, Enda Harrison, Padraig Ward (0-5 4f), Sean Conheady, Ronan Gallagher (0-2), Cathal Egan (0-3), Martin Duggan (1-3), Mike Daffy (1-3), Fergal Lynch (0-1), Daire Hannon

Subs
Adrian Fleming for Lynch, John Earls (0-1) for Conheady, Derek Ryan for E. Harrison, Peter Duggan for Hannon, Patrick Cunninghamfor O’Halloran

Wolfe Tones
Paul Hogan, Niall Murphy, Patsy Keyes, Joe McAuley, Brendan Hughes, Bobby McPhilips (0-1), Barry Loughnane, Daithi O’Connell (1-0), Shane Chambers,Aaron Cunningham(0-3), Declan O’Rourke 0-1), Mark Regan (1-2), Ronan Hehir, Gareth McPhilips (1-4, 4f), Paul Walsh

Subs
John Guilfoyle for Murphy,Alan Hehir for Walsh, John Madigan for Guilfoyle, Eamon O’Neill for Chambers

Referee
JimHickey (Cratloe)

Sixmilebridge 0-14 – Ogonnelloe 0-07 at Sixmilebridge

SIXMILEBRIDGE’S bid to avoid a second successive relegation from Division 2B received a massive boost on Sunday as they comfortably held off fellow struglers Ogonnelloe in this low scoring tie. The home side played against a strong wind in the first half but still made the better start with four early points from Tomas Liddy (2) and one each from Earol Touhy and Sam O Sullivan. Ogonnelloe kept in touch with points from John McKenna, Barry Kiely and Peter English but two late frees from Sam O’Sullivan gave Sixmilebridge a 0-10 to 0-6 half-time lead. Ogonnelloe were guilty of some bad wides in the second half with their only score coming from Kieran Forde while points from Sam O’Sullivan and Rory Liddane kept Sixmilebrige in control as they ran out easy winners in the end to keep winless Ogonnelloe rooted to the bottom of the table.

Ogonnelloe
Tomas McKenna, John O’Brien, Michael Costelloe, Eoin Sheedy, Pascal Sheedy, Patrick Barton,Tomas Condon, Eoghan Collins, Barry Kiely, Ozer McMahon, Henry Mooney, Kieran Forde, Peter English, John McKenna, Michael O’Brien

Subs
Paul Healy for M. O’Brien, Patrick Mooney for English

Sixmilebridge

Corofin 3-15 – O’Callaghan’s Mills 1-13 at Corofin

A MUCH needed win for intermediate side Corofin who took the scalp of an understrength Mills side on Saturday. The home side, boosted by the championship first round victory over Ennistymon, were in contrasting mood to a wounded O’Callaghan’s Mills side who still appeared to be picking through the bones of their disappointing championship derby defeat to Tulla. Only a point separated the sides at the break at 0-10 to 1-06 with Corofin coming to life after conceding a soft Gary Neville goal from distance at the turn of the opening quarter. That goal put the Mills five points clear but they would only score one more point until the break as Corofin rallied, led by centre-forward Declan Lee who picked off three eyecatching points on their way to the slenderest of half-time margins.

The game however was eventually decided in the third quarter after two quickfire Corofin goals through a Stephen Heagney free followed by one from full-forward Eamonn Malone. The Mills heads subsequently dropped and Corofin punished fruther in injury time when an Eamonn Malone shot was initially repelled and Stephen Heagney was on hand to steer the rebound to the net and push Corofin up the table.

Corofin
Patrick Burke, Darren Malone, Luke O’Loughlin, Keith O’Loughlin, MartinTierney (0-1), Gerry Quinn, Damien Ryan, John Keane, Fionn Clancy, Kevin Heagney (0-4), Declan Lee (0-3), Neil Killeen, Stephen Heagney (2-5 1-4f), Eamonn Malone (1-1), Killian Neylon (0-1)

Subs
Killian O’Loughlin for Neylon, Killian Malone for Keane

O’Callaghan’s Mills
James Hook, Sean O’Gorman, Ger Frost, Gerry Cooney, Damien Noonan, Conor Cooney, Bryan Donnellan, John McGrath, Gary Neville (1-3),Adrian Flaherty (0-4 3f), Patrick Donnellan (0-2),Aidan Fawl (0-1),Alan Duggan (0-1), Fergus Donovan, Eoin Pewter (0-2)

Subs
Michael McGrath for O’Gorman, Conor Cooney for Fawl, Ian Donnellan for Pewter

Referee
Damian Fox (WolfeTones)

Kilmaley 0-07 – Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-05 at Clareabbey

THE BIGGEST rivalry in Clare camogie took another turn on Sunday as Kilmaley overcame Newmarket and the extreme weather conditions to secure back-to-back league titles. The current kingpins of the domestic game have met in five out of the last major deciders, with Kilmaley exacting revenge for last October’s county final defeat at the hands of Newmarket who were denied a famous threein-a-row.

Arguably, that final defeat only sharpened Kilmaley’s hunger to get back to the top of the pile as unquestionably, they showed the greatest hunger for victory on Saturday despite an incessant downpour that threatened to wreck this showpiece event. Central to that appetite was a hardworking team ethic that never allowed Newmarket to get into their stride as was not the case in the drier sod of Cusack Park for the county final.

In addition, there was considerable leadership shown from their more experienced members, notably the McMahon sisters, Helen and Claire who were seemingly everywhere over the hour while Shonagh Enright also had an influential second half showing when the pressure was on.

Newmarket didn’t have such luxu- ries in that department although Joanne Walsh and Erica Minogue did their upmost to stem the tide while Niki Kaiser wasn’t supplied with enough ball in the forward division.

Therefore, with the conditions ensuring a low scoring affair and little separating the sides, it was all about which side wanted it more and was prepared to fight for the crown.

With the wind favouring Newmarket in the opening half, they dominated the early stages but allied to a greasy ball, they found the Kilmaley defence in stubborn form. Three early wides along with three potential goal chances went abegging and it was Kilmaley who literally weathered the storm to put up the first two scores of the half through Ashling Darcy and a Denise Lynch free.

A frustrated Newmarket slowly got into their stride in the second quarter however and in their best period of the game, they hit five points without reply in a nine minute spell, three from the stick of Aine O’Brien while Jenny Kelly and Sharon McMahon benefitted from breaking balls.

However, with Denise Lynch scoring the final point of the half to leave just two between the sides at the break (0-5 to 0-3), it didn’t seem enough for Newmarket to hold out against the breeze.

And so it proved as Kilmaley came out fighting on the restart and managed to keep their opponents scoreless for the latter half while just doing enough to secure victory at the other end. Claire McMahon got them started in the 32nd minute with a ’45 while she almost added a goal only minutes later only for goalkeeper Carol Toomey to pull off a stunning reflex save that was subsequently aided by the crossbar.

The equalising score came in the 36th minute when Aida Griffey fed Emma O’Driscoll and while Sharon McMahon roamed deep as an extra midfielder for Newmarket, the mo mentum was now firmly with the defending champions who took the lead in emphatic style when Shonagh Enright soloed down the left wing before firing an accurate shot between the uprights in the 45th minute.

That advantage was doubled when Emma O’Driscoll fired her second point of the afternoon but while Kilmaley were now evidently on top, they were unable to get the scores to make the game comfortable. Claire McMahon hit two frees wide while substitute Ailish Considine hit the side netting with a powerful shot and while the expected Newmarket fightback never materialsed, Kilmaley were still glad to hear the final whistle that maintained their impressive haul of silverware and reaffirms their championship credentials.

IT was stormy, at times bad tempered but nearly always predictable. A gale blasted across the County Grounds and the teams both finished with ten men after the second half dismissals of David Smyth and Dominic Murphy.

Such turbulence can often create the conditions for an upset, especially on cup final day.

But not here. Enjoying a near monopoly of possession ensured that Avenue United were always the more likely to retain the trophy they won against the same opponents last year. It wasn’t quite the clinical performance of 2010 but it was enough.

The disruptive force of the wind and the bloody-minded defiance of Bridge goalkeeper Barry Deasy and centre back Albert Finnin mitigated against making this a stroll in the park for Avenue.

But while Bridge battled gamely they lacked the wit and invention to create problems for their opponents. Avenue suffered no such deficiencies. David McCarthy sparkled in midfield, crafting and expertly dispatching his side’s crucial first goal.

Making it to half time just a goal behind represented a victory of sorts for Bridge. Avenue, having started with three at the back, reverted to a more orthodox 4-4-2 after the break.

Bridge committed Jamie O’Gorman further forward in support of the hard working Gavin Downes. Alan Mulready looked capable of unlocking Avenue’s tightly marshalled defence. When Smyth was sent off you sensed this was Bridge’s opportunity. The moment passed as soon as Dominic Murphy grounded Mickey Mahoney. Avenue immediately got back to business. Wilson’s measured delivery found the unmarked Con Collins. The former Bunratty man headed to the top corner. Lights out. Game over.

Mahoney was replaced soon after but he was prominent throughout. Not quite the goal threat of his match winning turn in the 2007 cup final but a more rounded danger, running with the ball from deep. The Smyth brothers, Colin and David, continue to impress. The flicks and trick apart the pair, watched by father and Avenue coach Coley, caught the eye mainly for their ability to make the game look easy. The Galway born brothers weren’t the only products of Avenue’s schoolboy talent factory to get a look in. Irish international Dylan Casey, Jack Walshe and Alan Roche also got a chance to savour the feeling of a cup winning moment. With such well coached, grounded and skillful footballers teeming through their ranks, you wouldn’t back against Avenue making it three in a row next year.

Avenue United 2 – Bridge United B 0 at The County Grounds, Doora

GERRY Sexton, who was the resident County Grounds DJ for the day cranked up the volume of ‘Gonna Fly’ – the famous Rocky theme tune as the teams paraded out onto the field.

The precursor for the knockout blow, no doubt, but unlike the first instalment of the Rocky series it wasn’t delivered by the underdog – never looked likely either.

Yes, heavyweights Avenue United bossed this game from the word go, cruising to their landmark tenth Clare Cup success, delivering two knockout blows along the way to put a game, but limited Bridge team out of their misery.

Two goals, but it could have been more from a rampant Avenue side that used the central midfield dominance carved out by David McCarthy and Pa Wilson in the first half to take the initiative that they never looked like surrendering.

The goals, a thundering drive from McCarthy after 26 minutes and a brilliantly angled header into the top corner by Con Collins after 64 minutes, gave Avenue that comfortable cushion, but truth is that it was even easier than the scoreline suggests.

It wasn’t until the 91st minute that Bridge forced their first corner – Avenue alone had seven in the first half as they laid siege on Barry Deasy’s goal.

Bridge never managed a shot on John Healy in the Avenue goal – they were too busy defending their own where only the heroics of Albert Finnan at the centre of the defence prevented more goals.

The repeat of last year’s decider was a tetchy affair at times, with the verbals and some tough tackling on the field also moving to the sideline where fourth official Frankie Coote had words with management and supporters alike.

Red cards were shown to Avenue’s David Smythe and Bridge’s Dominic Murphy – Smythe for a dive in the penalty area and then dissent after 59 minutes; Murphy for taking down Mikey Mahoney as he tore down the right flank in the 63rd minute.

Mahoney hobbled off with an ankle injury a few minutes later, but his work was done. The centre-forward was central to both goals, providing the final flick pass to David McCarthy for the first, while the second came directly from the free awarded after the Dominic Murphy tackle on Mahoney.

Avenue had goals on their mind from the opening minutes of this final – the club’s 17th final appearance between draws and replays in the last 25 years.

That’s tradition; that’s a club in a Clare Cup class of their own; that’s what they were on this day as they piled the misery on Bridge United for the second successive year.

Con Collins had a half chance as early as the second minute when he flashed a left-footed effort wide. Corner after corner then came Avenue’s way, but a combination of poor deliveries and a well-marshalled Bridge defence ensured they came to nothing.

However, the problems were further out the field for Bridge. David McCarthy was conducting things for Avenue and Pa Wilson was his able lieutenant, while David Herlihy and Colin Smythe looked dangerous down the flanks.

The constant pressure yielded the inevitable goal and when it came it was worthy of winning a cup final. David McCarthy picked up possession just inside the Bridge have and with space and time he darted forward ten yards, slipped a ground pass to Mikey Mahoney on the edge of the area, took the return pass and then flashed a low drive into the bottom right corner of the net.

That’s how it remained at the break, after Avenue spurned a number of chances, the best of which fell to Mikey Mahoney on 34 minutes when he got in behind the defence from a Pa Wilson ball, but was foiled at point blank range by Barry Deasy.

David McCarthy could have had a hat-trick in the half, going close on 36 minutes when he got on the end of a Mattie Nugent cross, while only a brilliant block from Albert Fin- nan prevented a goal on the stroke of half-time.

Bridge did have wind assistance in the second half, but any notion that Avenue might be put under the cosh was dispelled as early as the tenth second when opportunity knocked for McCarthy once more after David Smythe threaded the ball into his path in the area.

McCarthy’s shot was deflected wide, but in a sense Bridge were only delaying the inevitable, with Con Collins, a cup winner with Bunratty seven years ago, deciding the issue when he brilliantly headed home Pa Wilson’s free-kick in the 64th mintue.

By then Bridge were emptying their bench in a effort to turn things around; Avenue soon followed as this largely disappointing final ground down to its inevitable conclusion.

Gerry Sexton could have livened things up by cranking up the volume long before the end.

Avenue United
John Healy (7), Simon Cuddihy (7), Colin Smyth (8), Matty Nugent (7), David Russell (7), David Herlihy (7), Pa Wilson (7), David McCarthy (9), Con Collin (7), David Smyth (7), Mkey Mahoney (8)

Subs
Alan Roche (7) for Herlihy, Barry Nugent (7) for Mahoney, Gary Flynn for McCarthy, Dylan Casey (6) for Wilson, Jack Walshe (6) for Cuddihy

Bridge United
Barry Deasy (7), Kevin Meehan (6), Dan Larkin (6),Albert Finnin (7), Dominic Murphy (6),Alan Mulready (6), Damien Murphy (6), Robert Conlon (6), Brendan Murphy (6), Gavin Downes (6), Jamie O’Gorman (6)

Subs
Paul Corbett (6) for O’Gorman, Mark Lonergan (6) for Larkin, Padraig Flannery (6) for Murphy, Darragh Fitzgerald (6) for Meehan,

Man of the Match
Albert Finnan (Bridge United)

THERE WAS success for Clare handballers recently in the final major 40×20 event of the year. At the prestigous Irish Nationals in Wexford, Shannon’s John Cawley claimed the Golden Masters B title while Diarmaid Nash of Tuamgraney reached the final of the Mens Open section.

Cawley had a 21-11, 21-18 final win over Meath man James Kelly to be crowned champion while Nash was very unlucky to go down 15-21, 2118, 2-11 in the Open decider against Westmeath’s Robbie McCarthy, one of the top senior players in both big and small alley. Nash had already knocked out some real big guns in Dominic Lynch, Joe McCann and top-seed Charly Shanks. The Ladies Open Singles was won by Fiona Shannon (Antrim) when she easily overcame Kerry’s Maria Daly.

With the arrival of long evenings and the sound of the cuckoo, so the handball focus switches from small to big alley over the summer months and a number of Banner County handballers are preparing for this year’s 60×30 Munster Championships. At Junior B grade, Tuamgraney Handball Club are hosting the O’Neill Cup Singles competition. The Michael O’Neill Perpetual Cup was donated to the club in recent years by the O’Neill family to honour the memory of the late Michael O’Neill who was one of the real stal- warts of Tuamgraney Handball Club in times past and will be remembered in the club for the tireless work he did for underage handball in the area.

This year, the Tuamgraney club have put forward the O’Neill Cup to be played as a Clare Junior B Singles Championship. There are 12 entries in total from across the county and quarter-finals are down for decision this week.