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Kilkishen Celtic 1 – Manus Celtic A 1 (AET) Manus won 4-3 on penalties at Kilkishen

A JUICY TIE against first division promotion hopefuls Burren Utd is Manus Celtic’s reward for the slenderest of victories over Kilkishen Celtic on Sunday.

There is never much between the teams when they clash as can be seen from their 1-1 league draw earlier in the season and true to form, this encounter went all the way to penalties before substitute John Molloy squeezed the Clarecastle side through to the next round.

Kilkishen dominated the opening 20 minutes of the game and Manus can thank goalkeeper Jeff Healy for keeping them in the tie after two point blank saves.

However, Manus eventually found their feet and after Adrian McDonagh had two opportunities denied, he finally opened his Manus Celtic account in the 38th minute when put through by a combination of brothers Mikey and Stephen Geragthy.

Mattie Holmes should have equalised only seconds later but blazed over from close range but equally, Mikey Geragthy should have doubled Manus’ advantage only seconds after the restart when his shot rebounded off the post.

Similarly, a Mikey McDonagh lob was repelled for Manus as was Fer- gus Donovan’s point blank shot that was also saved by goalkeeper Healy.

However, with time running out, Kilkishen finally breached Manus’ goalline through Derek Canny who masterfully executed a freekick from the edge of the box into the corner of the net.

Extra-time drew a further stalemate but with the sides at three apiece, it was subsitute John Molloy who became the hero when he converted Manus’ final penalty to book their second round place.

Kilkishen Celtic
Damian O’Connell, Flan McMahon, James Hook, Derek Canny, Mattie Holmes, Shane McInerney, Steve Donnellan, Eoin Pewter, Fergus Donovan,Alan McInerney, Paul Hogan (Brian Culbert)

Manus Celtic A
Jeff Healy,Aidan McCarthy, Ian Considine, Kevin Clohessy, Barry Guinnane, SeanieTravers,AdamHealy (Tola Crowe), Stevie Geragthy,Adrian McDonagh (Mikey McDonagh), Mikey Geragthy (John Molloy), Pa Casey

ON Saturday evening medals were presented to the winning Corofin GAA teams in different grades in 2010. Following with the success of the camogie team, 2010 was a wonderful sporting year for Corofin.

THE CLARE U14 Ladies Football panel provided the half-time entertainment last Saturday in Miltown Malbay when they gave an exhibition of football at the men’s Senior League meeting between Clare and Kilkenny. With less than three weeks until their Munster Championship first round meeting away to Waterford, the girls have been putting in the time and effort, meeting twice weekly to work on fitness and skills. Training continues this Tuesday, February 15 in Kilrush GAA Grounds and all players are asked to be in the dressing rooms at 5:50pm sharp. The following players have been selected for the 2011 Clare U14 Ladies Football Panel.

Elaine Casey, Laura Chesser, Eve Copley, Aoibheann Malone, Aoife Keane, Grainne Nolan, Eva O’Dea, Emma Neylon (Banner Ladies); Blainead Sheedy (Burren Gaels); Chloe Normoyle, Gillian Finucane (Coolmeen); Nicole Downes, Aine Looney (Cooraclare); Nicole Golden (Doonbeg); Michaela Fitzpatrick, Sara Jane O’Connell, Aisling McMahon (Doorabarefield); Elana Bradley, Amy Hayes (Eire Og); Lauren Griffin, Shauna Hill (Fergus Rovers); Chloe Moloney (Kilmurry Ibrickane); Kate Coughlan, Rebecca Mahon, Ciara Coughlan (Kilmihil); Aoife Carraig, Kayla Crowley, Jessica Gilligan, Michelle Downes (Kilrush); Clionadh Egan (Liscannor); Megan Maguire, Ann Marie Hayes (Newmarket on Fergus); Ronya Baumann (Shannon Gaels); Amy Keane, Rachel Muldoon (West Clare Gaels), Danah King (Wolfe Tones).

MILTOWN Malbay GAA Grounds played host to a series of challenge games last Saturday between the Clare Ladies Football U16 and Minor panels.

As both teams prepare for their respective Munster A competitions against Cork and Kerry, (the Minors additionally have Tipperary in their group), it was clear both grades were eager to compete after four weeks of trials.

With some clever selection by Managers Kieran Harvey U16 and James Lafferty Minor both grades got an opportunity to display some very fast paced football over the three challenge games.

The well attended event showed the commitment and effort being poured into juvenile Ladies Football in Clare by players and mentors alike.

The Minors continue their training with a session in Quilty next Friday 18th February at 8pm.

The U16s will assemble again this Saturday, February 19, players will be notified of details by text, and they will then travel to Tipperary on February 26 to compete in a one day blitz against Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford and Galway in prepara tion for their opening Munster A Championship game against Cork on March 26.

The 2011 U16 panel will be selected after the blitz on the 26th February.

Clare 5-17 – Kilkenny 1-01 at Hennessy Memorial Park, Miltown Malbay

WHERE there’s football there’s hope – that has to be the mission statement of Kilkenny teams whenever they take to the field for the big ball game, but such is life that being the whipping boys of the National League is their sad lot.

This fact of football life was never about to change in Miltown on Saturday afternoon as Clare got the disappointment of their opening round defeat out of their system with a facile 28-point win.

And, it was every bit as easy as the scoreline suggests, while the halftime cameo served up by the three Kilkenny subs that bothered to have a kick-around between themselves showing up the whole futility of this exercise.

They passed the ball between one another for ten minutes – on the ground, in the air with their heads. All soccer in other words – they might have been training for a Kilkenny Junior Soccer League game on Sunday morning.

By that stage Clare were home to the two league points, having built up an interval lead of 3-6 to 0-1. A goal inside a minute from full-forward Cathal O’Connor had them on their way and from there it was one-way traffic towards the dressing room end.

Kilkenny just rolled over as Clare scored at will for the rest of the half, even though they kicked seven wides. Indeed the opening goal was a portent of things to come when a mistake in the Kilkenny defence gifted the ball to Alan Clohessy, who then fed O’Connor before he blasted to the net.

O’Connor’s second bullet to the net came in the 19th minute to put Clare 2-3 to no score ahead, while the third on the stroke of half-time from Shane Brennan came after good work in the build-up from Gary Brennan and Alan Clohessy.

Graham Lawlor did land a point from a free in the 32nd minute, but it was Kilkenny’s only reprieve as Clare racked up plenty of point-taking practice in the half, with Alan Clohessy helping himself to three and Enda Lyons, Gary Brennan and John Hayes also hitting the mark.

There was much more to come in the second half even if Kilkenny scored a goal three minutes in when Michael Duggan toe-poked to the net past Joe Hayes after latching onto a long free from Graham Lawlor.

Alas, it was as good as it got for the hapless Kilkenny outfit. Hayes had absolutely nothing to contend with for the rest of the hour while down the other end Clare piled on the mis- ery, scoring 2-11 in the second half of what was a forgettable game of football.

Alan Clohessy, who was top-scorer with 1-7, goaled in the 47th minute after taking a pass from Adrian Cahill, while sub David O’Brien staked a claim for a starting berth with three good points from play in the half.

It was a procession, corner-back Michael O’Regan even raided up the field for a point while the rout was completed with Shane Brennan’s second goal in the 63rd minute and other late scores from Cathal O’Connor, Alan Clohessy and David O’Brien.

Mercifully, referee Richard Moloney blew his final whistle only 30 seconds into injury time to put this game out of its misery.

Clare
Joe Hayes (Lissycasey), Niall White (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield), Lawrence Healy (Ennistymon), Martin McMahon (Kilmurry Ibrickane), Kevin Hartnett (Meelick) Shane McNeilus (Kildysart), John Hayes (Kilrush Shamrocks) (0-2), Gary Brennan (Clondegad) (0-1),Timmy Ryan (Kilmihil), Niall Browne (Two Mile House, Kildare), Michael Foran (O’Curry’s), Shane Brennan (Clondegad) (2-0), Enda Lyons (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield) (0-1f), Cathal O’Connor (Coolmeen) (2-2),Alan Clohessy (Liscannor) (1-7, 6f).

Subs
Michael O’Regan (Éire Óg) (0-1) for White, David O’Brien (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield) (0-3) for Foran [Half-Time],Aidrian Cahill (Celbridge, Kildare) for Browne [Half-Time], David O’Connor (St Brigid’s, Dublin) for Lyons [57 Mins], Conor Ryan (Cratloe) for Clohessy [64 Mins]

Kilkenny
JJ O’Sullivan, David Grennan, Richard O’Hara, John Sheehan, James Mackey, Michael Malone, John Cullinane, Emmet Vereker, Ciaran Foran, Thomas Kehoe, David Garvey, Paddy Raftice, David Prendergast, GrahamLawlor (0-1f), Sean Mooney. Subs Michael Duggan (1-0) for Malone [Half-Time), James Culleton for Lawlor [45 Mins], Michael Sanders for Prendergast [59 Mins], Stephen Connolly for Garvey [62 Mins],

Man of the Match
Cathal O’Connor (Coolmeen)

Referee
Richard Moloney (Limerick)

LIMERICK manager Donal O’Grady returned to competitive action on Sunday with a huge weight of expectation on his shoulders but left Ennis free of any burden after comprehensively putting Clare to the sword.

After a tumultuous 2010 that saw up to 20 first choice panelists at odds with then manager Justin McCarthy, the siege was lifted by O’Grady’s men on Sunday to record the county’s first competitive victory in 19 months but true to form, the Cork man wasn’t getting excited just yet.

“The performance was all we were interested in really because the two points are handy but it’s the start of a long campaign.

“I suppose really it just comes down to work-rate and there is an awful lot of credit due to the lads themselves, they worked very hard. We are only training since January 2 so I wasn’t sure where we were at.

“Now I’m not sure where Clare are at either because you don’t know what the attitude of your opponents are as Clare were short a couple of players there.

“So we are happy with the win because it takes the pressure off. Two points is important in the first match if you can and it comes down to work-rate and Jerry Wallis has done great work with them since we came in in January so you would have to be pleased with the performance.”

“We reckoned that this would be a very difficult game for us and we were looking for a performance and you couldn’t fault the lads because everybody worked very hard.

“We made a couple of substitutions because with Andrew O’Shaughnessy and Niall Moran, tiredness just hit them and we felt that we would inject some fresh legs so you couldn’t fault us on work-rate and the win is pleasing.”

Asked about the lift that the win will give to the county as a whole, again O’Grady continued to play down what is essentially the first game in what could potentially be a long season for Limerick.

“I suppose anytime you win a match, you come back into the dressing room and you go back for the post-match meal and there is a bit more of a buzz there and there is bit more of a lift there than if you lose so all these things are important and confidence is important.

“I don’t know where we are going to end up this year but we are just going to take one game at a time.

“It was pleasing to come up to Ennis today as it was a tough one to start with. How intent Clare were on winning this match I’m not quite sure but we are pleased with it anyway.”

“Everybody who was going out on the field today were aware of what job they had to do and it worked for us today, it may not work next Saturday night against Westmeath and it may not work for the following mathc but it worked today and we have to be thankful for that.”

IRELAND’S top soccer pundit John Giles has revealed that he has no interest in taking up any of the vacancies at Sky Sports created by the departures of Richard Keys and Andy Gray.

The pair were dismissed from the station following a recent on air controversy over comments about assistant referee Sian Massey.

Giles, along with Eamon Dunphy and Liam Brady, is one of the star members of RTE’s hugely popular panel of soccer pundits.

The trio’s analysis and comments are often as eagerly anticipated as the action on the field. Speaking in Ennis on Saturday, Giles said he would turn down a move to Sky.

He said, “No, no. There’ll be no chance of that call anyway but I wouldn’t do it. It would be too time consuming. I wouldn’t want to do it. I’m just happy doing what I’m doing at the moment”.

The former Irish international also admitted that he isn’t a big fan of the analysis provided by some of his counterparts on cross-channel televisions stations.

He explained, “I don’t think it’s very good. I look at them the same as everybody else does. I thought at the World Cup they were very poor. I thought the BBC panel, all of them… England were having a nightmare against Slovenia and America and they kept hedging their bets. They were worried about them qualifying and being shown up and I don’t think they called it at all. England were awful at the World Cup. But they only started having a go at them when they were 4-1 down against Germany. But they didn’t say any thing critical of them before that”

Giles added, “I think we call it as we see it. In the first match against America they played very poorly. But when you see the English media, they were saying, ‘oh they played well, they played ok’. When it was obvious to everybody that they played rubbish. But that’s their business and we get on with our business. And hopefully we’ll get the viewers and we’ll keep them”

The 70-year-old Dubliner says he enjoys his role as a soccer pundit and has no intention of hanging up his microphone anytime soon.

He said, “I’ll go as long as they want me. I keep saying I’ve been doing it for 24 years and they haven’t found me out yet (laughs), so until they do I’ll keep doing it”.

TUAMGRANEY’S Diarmaid Nash again tasted national handball success with a stunning victory at the All-Ireland Intervarsities Championships in Kingscourt, Cavan over the weekend. Representing NUI Galway, Nash won the Men’s Open title when he defeated Tipperary man Fergal Collins in the final. Nash had overcome Waterford’s David Walsh and Kilkenny man Nicholas Anthony in the quarter and semi-final respectively.

Nash’s Tuamgraney and NUIG clubmate Niall Malone also reached the Open semi-finals with an impressive win over ITT’s Shane Hedigan but Ballina man Collins had too much for Malone on the day and the reigning All-Ireland under 21 Champion went into the final against Nash. The Scariff native came out on top in Sunday’s decider 21-18, 21-7.

There was also victory for Clooney’s Lisa Loughnane (University of Limerick) when she claimed the Ladies B title with an 11-7 tie-break win in the final against Linda Connolly (RCSIA). Nash’s win in Cavan capped a busy but successful weekend for the Tuamgraney club at adult and juve- nile 40×20 levels. Friday night saw Munster Secondary Schools Championship wins for Alice Akers and Clodagh Nash. Alice (Scariff CC) won the Girls Junior Singles title while Clodagh (Ursuline Convent, Thurles) took the First Year’s crown after defeating Tuamgraney clubmate Katie Minogue (Scariff CC) in the final in Capagh, Limerick. Ciaran Malone (Scariff CC) reached the Boys Schools Intermediate Munster final but went down to Kilkishen’s Colin Crehan (Ard Scoil Ris) in a tie-breaker in Cappagh on Saturday. Barry Nash will this week be involved in the Leinster Schools championship, representing Cistercian College, Roscrea. Meanwhile, in the County Juvenile Championships, Tuamgraney will be represented in the under 12B Singles (Cian Minogue), Under 13B Singles (Ian Murray), Under 16A Doubles (Barry Nash, Patrick Fitzgerald) and Minor A Singles (Ciaran Malone). All five will be bidding to add to county titles won by Tuamgraney players Clodagh Nash (under 12) and Alice Akers (under 16). Tuamgraney will also be well rep resented in this year’s Munster adult Championships. Paul Healy played Under 21 Singles and Doubles (with Chris Ryan, Newmarket) for the county while Ciaran Malone will also play both Singles and Doubles (with Jamie Lynch, Kilkishen) at Minor grade. Malone has already won his first-round singles game as has Ciaran Walsh (Junior B Singles) who also partners Tom Kirby (Shannon) in Doubles.

Diarmaid Nash and Niall Malone will once again be gunning for glory when they compete in both Singles and Doubles at Intermediate and Senior grades. Anne Marie Fitzgerald, Ashling Fitzgerald and Edel O’Grady are all in line to represent Clare in the Munster Ladies Championship in what is already shaping up to be a very busy spring for Tuamgraney Handball Club in what is the club’s centenary year. Tuamgraney will also play League semi-finals in divisions 2 and 3 next week.

THE Munster 40×20 adult Handball Championships are well under way this week and a number of Clare players have been in action and almost all are still in contention. There were first round wins for Ciaran Malone (Minor Singles) Ciaran Walsh, Paul Lynch (Jnr. B Singles) Aidan Lynch (Jnr. Singles), Barry McMahon/Chris Philpott (Minor Doubles) and Ciaran Walsh/Tom Kirby (Jnr. B Doubles). The fixtures continue this week with matches invloving Clare players coming thick and fast.

Clare handball’s management and selectors will be confident of securing at least Munster titles for the Banner County in a number of 40×20 grades this year. Supporters can contact local club secretaries for exact details of fixtures and take advantage of the glut of high-quality handball fixtures taking place in Clare’s handball courts over the next few days and weeks.

This week will see the following in Munster Chamionship action; Ciaran Walsh & Tom Kirby (Tuesday in Tuamgraney v. Limerick, JBD), Christy Philpott (Tuesday in Kilkishen v. Cork, SMBS), Jamie Lynch & Ciaran Malone (Wednesday in Dungarvan v Waterford, MD), Trevor Vaughan & Alan Leamy (Wednesday in Dungarvan v. Waterford, U21D), Niall Malone and Diarmaid Nash (Wed. in Tuamgraney v. Tipp & Cork, Intermediate Singles), John Nihill (Wed. in Cashel v. Tipp, SMBS), Paul Lynch (Thur. in Clooney v. Limerick, JBS), Cathal Hannon (Thur. in Clooney v. Limerick, JS), Aidan Lynch (Fri. in Clooney v. Limerick, JS), Derek Healy & Finbarr Sheridan (Fri. in Clarecastle/Ballydesmond v. Limerick/Cork), Ciaran Walsh (Fri. in Nenagh v. Tipp, JBS), Ciaran Malone (Sat. in Cappagh v. Limerick, MS), Lisa Loughnane (Sun. in Broadford v. Karen Lawlor (Kerry), Intermediate Singles Final).

REMEMBER last year’s treacherous Division 2 campaign that could be likened to a circus ghost train of unforeseen pitfalls? Clare senior hurling selector Danny Chaplin is adamant that Clare are not about to endure another such trepidatious ride through the so-called lesser lights of the hurling world and feels that the county are better equipped both on and off the field to deal with anything that is thrown at them during this year’s league campaign.

“I hope that it isn’t like last year because it wasn’t good for the heart condition last year down in Carlow and up in Antrim. There are banana skins, of course there are but we would feel that we are a year further down the road and better prepared ourselves on the sideline for these level of games. We would probably have a better view of it ourselves so last year was a big learning curve for us as well.

“What went on last year, it was our first year and we accepted certain things but we wouldn’t be happy with that this year. We have to get performances, even if it is the league. It is no good struggling through games and last year the biggest score we put up was against Westmeath [4-19] but yet we conceded 3-15 which took a lot of the good out of it. But the likes of that, we would hope to rectify this year and put teams away from early on and not be praying that we get a late score.”

That confidence is derived from a positive attitude from the players to their individual strength and conditioning programmes during the winter collective break as well as a further batch of new talent that have embraced the squad in the Waterford Crystal games.

“I think one of the big things for us this year is that we have a good pre-season done and after the winter break, we were ready to start in January. We had looked at the Clare cham- pionship last year and we brought in a few new guys. Some of the Under 21’s made the step up as well and at the end of last year, we had a small panel of only 23 so we added to that and gave them a weights programme which they were doing themselves because of the collective ban. In fairness they were all doing it in gyms so by the time January came around, we were ready to start the physical programme. It’s going well, we are getting a great response and the players are putting in a superb effort and if anything I would be concerned that we are a good bit ahead of where we were last year.

“Some guys have taken the chances, more guys haven’t as of yet availed of the chances they got but they will get another couple of games before we trim down the panel. Some of them have been very promising. I mean you look at the likes of Mark Earley who would not have made the 21’s and he has played in a couple of games in the Waterford Crystal and did very well. Conor Tierney started out very well in the first couple of games and maybe wasn’t as effective in the last game but he will get another game. It’s guys like that who are getting chances and that’s what it’s all about at this time of year.

“The two Cratloe guys Conor McGrath and Cathal McInerney; Darach Honan who is only in his second year at this level; Patrick O’Connor who we looked at at wing-forward on Saturday against Cork, all these guys are only 19 or 20 years of age and doing very well.”

Looking at the league schedule, the stand-out fixture for Danny Chaplin is undoubtedly the first round clash of Division 2 favourites Clare and Limerick in Cusack Park on Sunday, a tie that not only renews the local derby rivalry but may also have a greater relevance in terms of making the final in May.

“Clare and Limerick takes on a life of its own really whether it’s league or championship, Division 1 or Di- vision 4, it doesn’t really matter. It’s Clare against Limerick and it’s just like the club scene in Clare, it’s your nearest neighbours and it will be the same on Sunday. There’s the local rivalry aspect of it, guys know each other well so I think it’s good for us and will give us a real barometer of where we are. We are very hopeful of doing well in it but it’s probably going to be our toughest game.

“When we looked at the league when the draw came out, we saw we had Limerick first and then Antrim up in Belfast next which are probably the two toughest games in it. But our targets are two wins out of two in the first two weeks. Next Sunday will take on a life of its own and it’s probably the bigest league match that we have been involved in, even bigger than last year because we didn’t meet Limerick last year and we are really looking forward to it.”