Category: Sport

Ballyea 0-15 – O’Callaghan’s Mills 0-15 at Fr Hamilton Park, Kilkishen

O’CALLAGHAN’S Mills and Ballyea played out an entertaining draw on Monday afternoon in Kilkishen with county minor player Gearóid O’Connell stealing the show when hitting 0-9 over the hour in a great display.

It was the midfielder who bagged the equaliser in the fourth minute of injury time to earn his side a deserved share of the spoils. That Ballyea came away with a point ensured that they bagged only their second point of the campaign.

It looked bleak for them early on as the Mills raced into a 0-5 to no score lead inside eight minutes with Alan Duggan, Gary Neville (2), Adrian Flaherty and Niall Donovan on the mark.

However three in a row settled Ballyea, with Gearóid O’Connell opening their account and Paul Flanagan and O’Connell adding points. From there it very competitive, even if the Mills forged clear before half-time again until O’Connell hit two more before the break to leave only two points in it, the Mills 0-10 to 0-8 ahead.

The Mills always seemed to have the edge in the second half with Fla- herty and Neville bagging a brace each as they moved 0-14 to 0-12 clear by the 50th minute.

However, O’Connell hit the point of the hour in the 55th and wasn’t to be denied in the closing stages as his three point to one reply from Conor Cooney ensured the sides were deadlocked at the end.

Ballyea
Shane O’Neill, Eanna McInerney, Kevin Sheehan, Eamonn Griffin, Niall Keane, Paddy O’Connell, Paul Flanagan (0-2), Gearóíd O’Connell (0-11, 6f), Frankie Griffin, Brian Murphy,Alan Carrigg (0-1),

Niall Deasy (0-1),Tony Griffin, Donal Chambers, Francie Neylon.

Subs
David Sheehan for Flanagan, Niall Griffin for Frankie Griffin,

O’Callaghan’s Mills
John Cooney, Ger Frost, Jamie Shanahan, Gerry Cooney, Bryan Donnellan, Conor Cooney (0-1), Sean O’Gorman, Jonathon Lyons, Gary Neville (0-5, 2f, one 65), Patrick Donnellan, Declan Donovan, Fergus Donovan (0-1),Adrian Flaherty (0-6, 4f), Niall Donovan (0-1),Alan Duggan (0-1).

Subs
Damian Noonan for Bryan Donnellan, Kevin O’Callaghan for Fergus Donovan

Man of the Match
Gearóid O’Connell (Ballyea) Referee Fergie McDonagh (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield)

SO NEAR BUT yet so far for Ger O’Loughlin’s side who appeared to have the game and indeed Division 1 status at their mercy before a late collapse. This wasn’t Wexford all over again as Clare actually turned up this time and showed glimpses of a bright future that needs to be complimented by playing at the highest level.

It made defeat all the more gut wrenching and left supporters speechless as Kevin Downes scored a spectacular late goal to grab the headlines, much to the obvious disappointment of Clare manager Ger O’Loughlin who addressed the waiting media after a meeting with his players.

“We were two points up with I think 28 minutes gone in the second half and we conceded the goal at a vital time and in fairness to Limerick they took it well. You are not going to win too many matches when you concede four goals so that was the disappointing part of it.

“But I’m very proud of the lads, I thought they tried awful hard and for a long time in the game we took the game to Limerick and looked the better team. But again we need to be more clinical I suppose because for a period there in the second half we probably could have pushed on and won the game. But fair play to Limerick, they took their goals well and it’s young fellas that they have introduced that have shown the bottle tonight with Kevin Downes and Declan Hannon scoring those late goals. I’m very proud of our lads as well in the way they tried awful hard and wanted it badly but we just lost our way there for the last six or seven minutes and it cost us. Overall, goals win matches and Limerick took their goals well but unfortunately for us, it’s another year in Division 2 that we could have done without.”

And O’Loughlin was not about to sugar coat the loss with excuses of inexperience either.

“The guys that got the goals for Limerick were young lads and we have the same at the other side so I’m not using that as an excuse. I thought we didn’t play well in the first half and I thought in the second half we were completely transformed and for the guts of 27 or 28 mins, we took the game to Limerick for a lot of that. At times we looked sharper than Limerick and probably had a good few wides as well but we could of put them away and we probably should have and we will regret that but as I say, we will take a lot out of it but staying in Division 2 is the last thing we need really.”

It’s hard to envisage but with seven weeks to go to the Munster championship, can O’Loughlin take heart from the general improvement in performance at least?

“We will take an awful lot out of that. We need games like that and in a final such as that, you can see better speed and anyone who was at the game probably enjoyed it because there was good intensity in it. I think we just need to be playing better teams more often because that is how guys are going to come on as well. Whether that will happen now is doubtful but look, we have to take our beating tonight.

“We are licking our wounds again unfortunately but hopefully we will learn something out of it and we have to bounce back and see what the championship throws up for us.”

DÓNAL O’Grady has form. You could call in the Kevin Heffernan of the hurling world – and it’s in more ways than managing inter-county teams that is.

You see Heffo was chairman of the Labour Court in his day and maybe O’Grady has those industrial relations skills to make him confident enough to come into management set-ups with teams that have been racked with controversy and strikes before his arrival.

He became manager of Cork in 2002 – earlier that year they had gone on strike. Within two years he’d won an All-Ireland.

Last last year he became Limerick manager, after their own strike prob lems – within a few short months he’s won an national title, albeit it’s still a long way from All-Irelands.

However, this victory was a start, because as O’Grady said afterwards “when you’re in a final you want to win it”.

“Although some of these lads have been there for years, there’s a new generation of hurlers in Limerick,” added O’Grady.

“Downes got a great goal. I don’t know how he squeezed it in there and straight away after that came the big point. In a tight game, two big scores one after the other breaks the heart of the opposition.

“Once we got that goal it put fierce pressure on Clare, they had to try things up front that wouldn’t normally try and that played into the hands of our defence. We dominated from then on.

“I feel a bit sorry for Clare, and now they will spend their third year in Division Two but when you sit back to look at this match on the DVD there was nothing between the teams.

“If were were to meet again in a few days it could turn out differently. They had chances, but maybe the pressure of playing at home, maybe the pressure of looking into the chasm of Division Two again got them to tense up a bit.

“We’re pleased, from now on anything is a bonus,” said O’Grady. Coming into this I never mentioned Division Two or Division One. But everyone was aware of the Munster Championship in the background. The challenge ahead is huge. It’s like trying to climb Mount Everest when you’ve been practicing on Carrauntoohil.”

From the McGillycuddy’s Reeks to Nepal then for Limerick, but they’re are Division One hurling team as they go.

Clare must make the same journey when they face either Cork or Tipperary in the first round of the Munster Senior Championship in seven weeks time.

Mount Everest it is, the challenge is huge, but they’ll be up for it when the day arrives.

Parteen 5-12 Feakle/Killanena 3-09 at Dr. Daly Memorial Park, Tulla

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Clare 1-10 – Limerick 0-10 at The Gaelic Grounds, Limerick

IN Clare’s darkish hour when they had been bested by Cork by five points in Páirc Uí Rinn in their maiden voyage in this year’s championship, players, management and everyone involved made a contract with one another.

Together they vowed to bounce back to have another crack at Cork in a provincial semi-final in Cusack Park – so it has happened after they won this Munster play-off game from the front which ensures they are only 60 minutes away for a first Munster final appearance in 17 years.

It was no more than this Clare side deserved too thanks to withstanding what Limerick could throw at them at various intervals of both halves before edging home with three points to spare thanks to a storming last ten minutes.

It had looked very good for Clare in the first half as they opened up a 1-2 to no score lead when playing with the breeze, but by half-time things had taken a turn for the worse by the break as Clare’s advantage had been peared back to a point.

Then the initiative swung either way in the second half before Niall Hickey kicked Clare into the penultimate round with a closing burst of three points in the closing ten minutes to bring his tally for the hour to an match-winning contribution of 0-5.

It was Hickey’s clubmate Adrian Murrihy who helped Clare get off to a flier when goaling in the eighth minute after Eoin Cleary had opened the scoring with a fifth minute point. However, Murrihy’s goal was his final contribution of the game as he got injured in the act of scoring, but this all-important strike, allied to a further points from Hickey and helped Clare exert early dominance against a flatfooted and lethargic Limerick.

However, Danny Frewen’s opening point for the Shannonsiders on the 17th minute was a sign of things to come as the impressive left-corner- forward proved to be a thorn in Clare’s side all evening.

Suddenly Clare’s early supremacy evaporated, as did their lead as three more Frewen points and another from Francis O’Riordan had the sides level by the 25th minute in Limerick’s purple patch that yielded five points in ten minutes turned this tie on its head.

Clare did stop the rot before the break with points from Cleary and Hickey, while Frewen was on the mark once more for Limerick, but a 1-4 to 0-6 lead for Clare scarcely seemed enough.

Frewen’s sixth point had the sides level inside a minute of the restart, but not for the first time in the half Clare’s battling qualities emerged as good points from play from Martin O’Leary and Eoin Cleary helped them forge 1-6 to 0-7 clear by the 40th minute.

Those points were crucial and buttressed Clare for another Limerick comeback that saw that man Frewen, with his seventh point, and Darren Roche set up a battle to the last when bringing the sides level by the 51st minute.

As it transpired, it was as if Limerick had expended all their energy to get back on terms that they hadn’t got much more to give in the closing minutes and into that vacuum gladly stepped Clare to close out the game.

A mix of fitness, that contract they’d made between themselves in Cork on May 13 and Niall Hickey’s marksmanship got them there as they out-scored Limerick by 0-4 to 0-1 in those closing minutes to seal that semi-final spot.

Clare
Darren Sexton (Kilmurry Ibrickane), Conor Gavin (Clondegad), Jamie Malone (Corofin), Oisin Vaughan (Ennistymon), Stan Lineen (Kilmihil), Darragh McDonagh (St Joseph’s Miltown), Craig O’Brien (WolfeTones),Alan O’Neill (ST Joseph’s Doora-Barefield), Conor Cleary (St Joseph’s Miltown) (0-2), Eoin Cleary ((St Joseph’s Miltown) (0-2, 1f), Ciaran Devitt (Ennistymon),Adrian Murrihy (Kilmurry Ibrickane) (1-0), Martin O’Leary (Kilmihil) (0-1), Niall Hickey (Kilmurry Ibrickane) (0-5, 4f), Dara Bolton (Kilrush Shamrocks).

Subs
WilliamFlynn (WolfeTones) for Murrihy, Joey Rouine (Ennistymon) for Bolton, Jack Scanlan (O’Curry’s) for Flynn, James Sweeney (Éire Óg) for O’Brien.

Limerick
David Condron; Kevin Brosnan, Brendan McCarthy, Kevin O’Donoghue; Eoin O’Donnell, Shane O’Connor, Sean Barrett; Dara Tracey,Tommy Griffin; Dean Lillis, Denis O’Dea, Francis O’Riordan (0-1 free); Danny Neville (0-1), WilliamShanahan, Danny Frewen (0-7, 3f)

Subs
Jamie Quaid (0-1) for Francis O’Riordan (injured), Eoin Roche for WilliamShanahan, Kieran Larkin for Danny Neville, Kevin Meade for Denis O’Dea

Man of the Match
Niall Hickey (Clare)

Referee
Joe Lynch (Kerry)

THE CLARE minor hurlers start the defence of their Munster Championship on Wednesday evening as they travel to Tralee to take on Kerry in their opening quarter-final game.

There are several players still involved from last years Munster winning team that went on to contest the All-Ireland Final in Croke Park and they will be looking to emulate such a successful run in 2011. The Clare People spoke with manager Gerry O’Connor to get his views on Clare’s upcoming minor campaign.

Although there is a team there capable of capturing a Munster title for the second year in a row Gerry isn’t shy to the difficulties his side are finding themselves in as of late.

“We’ve two problems really, one is that we’ve had a lot of injuries and the other problem is that the under 21 championship has been going on bang in the middle of our campaign.”

Injuries to players such as Aaron Cunningham, Frank Melody, Shane McGrath and Martin Moroney have been a big blow to preparations.

Another restriction has been the ongoing competitions that many of the panel have been participating in over the last number of weeks which has made preparation difficult.

“We would have been expecting to have the bones of 30 plus people training flat out for the last month and it just hasn’t happened because Ard Scoil Rís had just finished up with their participation in the colleges and then the under 21 started in full flow.”

After getting what some would consider an easier opening round, O’Connor was still quick to dismiss any idea of capturing a Munster title again so early in the year.

“We don’t tend to speculate in any way about how far we’re going to go we just take it one game at a time and the team that is in front of is on Wednesday is Kerry so that’s all we’re focusing on at the moment.”

They met last night for the final time before Wednesday’s match to assess any injuries with the hope of having a full panel to pick from.

Clare travel to Tralee to take on Kerry in the Munster quarter-final and they will be looking to players such as Ballyea man Tony Kelly, Jamie Shanahan and Sheadha Morey from Sixmilebridge along with dual star Jarlath Colleran from DooraBarefield for big performances on Wednesday evening.

FOR TWO players who have won practically everything in the game, the one piece of sliverware that has eluded Clarecastle pair Anthony Daly and Ger O’Loughlin has been the National League. Fittingly considering this weekend’s opponents, Kilkenny have proved a constant thorn in Daly’s side in the National League final of ‘95 as a player and in 2005 as manager of Clare while the Sparrow was on the losing side in both the 1986 and 1995 finals and of course in last year’s Division 2 final against Wexford as manager.

Daly is the first to admit that while National League’s weren’t high on Ger Loughnane’s priority list in the 90’s, the breakthrough would mean everything to his emerging Dublin side this weekend in their first Division 1 final in 65 years.

“It is a little bit weird I suppose not to have picked up a National League after all the success we had in the 90’s. In Clare terms anyway, we had a fair bit of success so it was one that got away, it was one I suppose that Ger [Loughnane] never put massive emphasis on. The biggest disappointment for us in the league was in ’95 but then when we went on to win the All-Ireland, I suppose the league did become secondary.

“This is a bit different for Dublin because it would be a huge one for us to win and it would be a massive boost for hurling in Dublin so we will be going absolutely all out for this on Sunday. To get into the final has been great because it has been such a long time but it will mean nothing if we don’t give a performance so it would be a massive one for us to pull off alright.

“In saying that, we are realistic enough to know it’s going to be very difficult as well. You could see from the last day Kilkenny were anxious to show us that the pecking order hadn’t changed. Now we fought it out well the last day, even though it was only a run of the mill league game for them while for us it was a bit bigger being on in Croke Park and all that. So they will be anxious again to put us in our place and we know that but we will also be anxious to perform anyway, that’s the main thing.

“That may not be good enough to win and if we can say we got the best out of ourselves I’d be happy with that because that’s the way we have looked at it all year. We are not putting any pressure on ourselves to say we have to win the league, we have to win this match or that match. Out attitude is ‘let’s play our best and see where that takes us’, you’d never know where that will bring us.”

If Kilkenny have had a hoodoo over Dublin in the past few years, then Limerick have emerged as Clare’s equivalent this year, having put them to the sword with relative ease in the opening game of the league in February. Clare manager Ger O’Loughlin is confident that Clare can use that disappointment to their advantage when they return to the scene of the crime on Saturday evening for the winner-takes-all decider.

“Without doubt, the lads are motivated to rectify that game this weekend. We have spoken about it at length, we realise what’s involved and we realise that we have to play way above what we have been playing to date against better opposition. But we have our homework done, we are expecting a huge challenge from Limerick because they are the team to beat in it and while we are going in as underdogs, I know from the encounter we had in February that every lad is looking forward to going in and putting the wrong right.”

The one niggling doubt surrounding Clare this year has been their inconsistency, not only from game to game but often within the same game but having gone through similar traits with his Dublin side, Anthony Daly isn’t unduly worried and feels that Clare will never get a better opportunity to get back to the top tier, having received home advantage.

“That fading in and out of games just seems to be a tendency that needs to be ironed out and I think that comes with inexperience of young players. “What will help Clare is that the game is on in Cusack Park. It’s been a massive break for Clare having it in the Park and I’d say, you’ll have 12-15,000 there including a huge Limerick crowd because they are all excited with the Donal O’Grady era starting. I just think it’s a massive chance for our lads to stand up and be counted.

“I have read a bit of criticism and of course it always turns to the management when things are going wrong. I felt sorry for Sparrow, Doyler and Danny for the few weeks there because I know what it’s like myself. The Clare hurling public; the diehards can be great but there is a small crowd there that can be very fickle. I am expecting a huge Clare performance on the night and I’m looking forward to being there myself. I would be very hopeful we can get the win and get back to Division 1.

“For the progression of a young team like we have, getting back up to Division 1 and retaining that status next year is the key. That’s the way you have to build. The fellas who want automatic success or ‘The Keyboard Warriors’ as I call them are not being realistic.

“Most people out there realise it’s a job of work, it’s going to take time and the boys are working fierce hard. I know how much work they are putting in from chatting away to Sparrow every so often and how frustrating it has been for him and how upsetting at times but it is. We [Dublin] know last year that we have no doubt that we could beat Antrim most of the time we play them but on the day they caught us. I have no doubt Clare could beat Laois in championship hurling nearly all the time but on the day they just got caught. What a fantastic chance now for the boys on Saturday and I hope the players realise that.”

Let the games begin.

LIMERICK manager Donal O’Grady has highlighted the need for his side to be playing a higher level of hurling than the Division Two grade, but says there’s no point in winning Saturday’s shoot-out with Clare in Cusack Park only to become the whipping boys in Division One in 2012.

Speaking to The Clare People ahead of Saturday’s eagerly awaited clash, O’Grady admitted that his side learned little about themselves in some matches during their sevengame unbeaten run to the final, apart from giving all 33 panel members some game-time.

“Division Two is a standard below where you want to play. A lot of the games aren’t that competitive. You want to win the games but you’re not learning a great deal by playing teams that are inferior to you,” he said.

“Having said that we struggled in a lot of matches. We struggled against Laois, we struggled against Westmeath, we struggled at times against Carlow and struggled in the second half against Clare.

“It doesn’t do Limerick any good to be hurling against the likes of Kerry and Down, because it brings nothing to the table.”

Now ahead of the second meeting between the sides this year, O’Grady says that home advantage tips the scales in Clare’s favour, albeit that Limerick were decisive 2-9 to 0-6 winners in the first game of the campaign.

“With all local derbies you can’t predict what’s going to happen. It’s all on the day with these matches. It doesn’t matter how you prepare or how up for it you are. The other side are going to up for it as much, because there’s a huge Shannonside rivalry. Local derbies take on a life of their own.

“We went for the toss because we thought it was practical from supporters’ viewpoint, but I think the home team have a two or three point advantage before the throw-in because home advantage is worth a head start any time.

“Only one team can win, but the difficulty there is that the last thing you want to do is win the game, go up into Division One and get hammered next year and find yourself back down again yo-yo style,” he added.

Avenue United 2 Rockmount (Cork) 0 the Fairgreen

THE LIONS Club Cup is a 32 county national competition for under 15 players. Avenue United are the Clare representatives and current holders having captured the trophy for Clare for the first time last season.

The competition is promoted by the Lions Club of Ireland to foster friendship, through football, for young people throughout Ireland North and South.

On Saturday last Avenue met Rockmount of Cork in the Fairgreen in the last eight having beaten Charleville United 3-0 away in the last 16.

Rockmount the former school boy club of Roy Keane, travelled to Ennis with high expectations and boasting a central midfield pairing, both of whom are Irish schoolboy internationals.

The game for the first 15 minutes was an even affair with a fierce battle taking place at mid field with Avenues Ross McCarthy and Cian Crimmins getting the upper hand on their more illustrious rivals. Avenue struck first blood on 15 minutes with a well worked move from mid field finished off clinically by Ross McCarthy. Avenue pressed hard looking for a second but were hit on the break five minutes from half time to make it one all.

The second half saw a fired up Avenue team begin to take control of the mid field battles and the whole team lifted their game. Their pressure was awarded when Sultan Kasali finished on his second attempt following a great save from the Rockmount keeper. Avenue wrapped up the match five minutes from time with a great individual effort from Eimhin Courtney. A great team performance by Avenue was rewarded and they go on now to meet a top of the Galway League table Salthill Devon team for a place in the May 21st final.

This game was a great show piece for schoolboy soccer in Clare and was played in a spirit of fairness and respect as promoted by the Lions club. Following the game both teams retired to the old ground for a meal and get together hosted by the Lions Club in Clare.

Avenue
Bryan Colleran, Evan McNamara, Lee O’Callaghan, James Woods, Barry Guilfoyle, Sultan Kasali, Ross McCarthy, Cian Crimmins, Rory Brennan, Eimhin Courtney and Bryan Guilfoyle.

Subs:
SeanTwoomey for Bryan Guilfoyle, Michael Moloney for Rory Brennan, Patrick Chesser for Barry Guilfoyle and Niall Keane for Evan McNamara

Unused subs:
David Egan, Conor McInerney and Ciaran O’Halloran

Managers:
SeanieWhyte and Robert McCarthy

Burren United 3 – Shannon Olympic A 2 at Shannon

BURREN UTD took three vital points off league leaders Shannon Olympic on Wednesday evening as the First Division title race comes to a close finish.

The Burren started the game all guns blazing, their first chance came after only eight minutes with Olympics ‘keeper Gary McGettrick at full stretch to save a superb volley from the Burren’s Marine Ghita. Burren piled the pressure on for the next twenty minutes which resulted in a penalty being conceded by Olympic.

Martin Mc Donagh stepped up and took the spot kick which was excellently saved by McGettrick. After this lucky escape Olympic seemed more lively with a couple of chances from Ian Hogan and Karl Scott. The Burren soaked up the pressure and dealt a major blow to Olympic with a goal in the 37th minute from Ghita giving the Burren a well deserved lead at the break.

The first thirty minutes of the second half saw the Burren putting more pressure on Olympics defense. Burren were rewarded for all their hard work in the 77th minute when Enda Coughlan headed home giving the away side a two goal advantage. The fatal blow was dealt by the Burren in the 79th minute when Martin Mc Donagh atoned for his penalty miss by scoring Burren’s third goal.

With the game looking dead and buried Olympic came out of their shell with substitute Alan Casey making some probing runs down the left side. Olympic played without fear for the next ten minutes with Mick O’Connell and Karl Scott scoring, bringing the game back to 3-2.

Olympic pushed for an equaliser in the final five minutes but the Burren defense stood tall and they held out for a well deserved 3-2 win, earning three huge points in the race for promotion to the Premier Division.

Shannon Olympic
Gary McGettrick, Mick O’Connell, James Fitzgerald, Karl Fogarty, Ian Hogan, Jimmy Houlihan, Donncadh Kelly, Ray Quigley,Wayne Regan, Karl Scott, Jay Regan.

Subs
Alan Casey, Greg Keane, Michael Byrnes, David Kearns.

Burren Utd
Craig Flanagan, Enda Coughlan, Mickey Keating, John Mc Donagh, Ian Mc Inerney, EvanTalty, Patrick Darcy, Marine Ghita, Danny Burke, Martin Mc Donagh, Mark Mc Carthy.

Subs
John Mc Cormack, Martin Garrihy, Eric Murrihy, LiamKeane.