Category: Sport

Clooney/Quin 1-18 Whitegate 2-07 at Whitegate

SURPRISINGLY straightforward for Clooney/Quin who expected a battle but came away from fortress Whitegate with all two points intact with little fuss. That said, it could also be seen as a pyrrhic victory of sorts as the two points came at a cost of five injuries to Cillian Duggan, Conor Harrison, Derek Ryan, Mike Daffy and Joe O’Loughlin and only weeks away from the championship, it is worrying for Clooney/Quin.

On the scoreboard, they had little problems though, opening up an early five point lead, with Mike NcNamara grabbing three of those. When Whitegate did finally open their account, Clooney/Quin simply upped the ante once more with another four point burst and repeated the dose once more after Whitegate’s second point in the 19th minute to hold a 014 to 0-02 interval advantage.

Whitegate were better after the break but still made hard work of splitting the posts. Substitute Ruairi McNamara cancelled out Whitegate’s hard earned points with a goal in the 56th minute but there were consolation goals from Ian Fahy and an Andrew Fahey penalty to cushion the blow of Whitegate’s defeat as Clooney/Quin secured their first win of the competition.

Clooney/ Quin
Damien O’Halloran, Joe O’Loughlin, Conor Harrison, Shane McNamara, Derek Ryan, Cillian Duggan, Enda Harrison, Sean Conheady, Padraig Ward, Ronan Gallagher, Mike McNamara, Cathal Egan, Martin Duggan, Fergal Lynch, Mike Daffy

Subs
Tony McMahon for O’Loughlin (inj), John Earls for C. Duggan (inj), Brian McInerney for Ryan (inj), SeanWard for Daffy (inj), Ruairi McNamara for C. Harrison (inj)

Whitegate
AndrewFahey, Cathal Mulvihill, John Bugler, John Minogue, Jason Malone, Brendan Bugler, Christy Jones, Shane O’Rourke, George Waterstone, Stephen Malone, Ian Fahy, Michael O’Brien, Niall Hayes,Terence Fahy, Eric Minogue

Subs
Tomas McNamara for Hayes, Eoin Quirke for O’Rourke,Trevor Kelly for T. Fahy, Gary McClearn

Referee
Johnny Healy (Smith O’Briens)

Tulla 1-15 Sixmilebridge 0-10 at Tulla

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Kilmurry Ibrickane 1-13 Kilrush Shamrocks 0-8 at Michael Tubridy Park, Kilrush

KILMURRY Ibrickane are sitting pretty at the summit of affairs in the Cusack Cup after a Bank Holiday Monday victory that’s every bit as convincing as the double scores result reads.

They brushed aside the disappointing Shams challenge, largely on the back of hugely impressive starts to both halves when they blitzed the home side with a flurry of scores, while holding conceding very little at the back.

They led 1-4 to no score inside the first 22 minutes, a fast start that all but decided the destination of the two points and secured Kilmurry their third win from four starts and maintained their unbeaten start to the 2011 league season.

Ian McInerney showed the way with two early frees before Kilmurry put themselves in pole position thanks to a well-worked goal that was finished to the net by Enda Coughlan in the 15th minute.

Still, there was no respite for the Shams and no let up by a rampant Kilmurry side as man of the match Shane Hickey made his first impression on the scoreboard with a point in the 19th minute before young gun Thomas Lernihan added another three minutes later.

It was until Kilrush started to make changes that their fortunes lifted somewhat, with substitute Darragh Bolton getting his side off the mark five minutes before half time with a point from play, one that was followed up by a Stephen Sweeney effort a minute later.

However, Ian McInerney finished the half as he started it with another pointed free to give his side a 1-5 to 0-2 interval lead – a six-point advantage that was a portent of things to come as the 2008 champions really turned the screw in the opening stages of the second half.

A six-point deficit wasn’t insurmountable for the Shams, but a 12point deficit most certainly was. That’s the margin that separates the sides approaching the last ten minutes of play as Kilmurry reeled off six points in-a-row to move 1-11 to 0-2 clear.

It was hugely impressive stuff – Enda Coughlan (2), Thomas Lernihan, Evan Talty and Peter O’Dwyer all grabbed points from play, while Ian McInerney brought his tally for the hour to 0-4 as the Shams were pummelled into submission.

However, they plugged away in the final stages to give the scoreboard a more respectable look to it, once Peadar McMahon opened their account for the half with a pointed free in the 48th minute.

Jim Young pegged another back in the 50th minute before Enda Coughlan landed his third point from play a minute latter. All that was left was for Peadar McMahon to finish the game with a mini-flourish of four points in seven minutes, while Shane Hickey rounded off his impressive display with a second point from right-halfback.

Kilmurry Ibrickane
Peter O’Dwyer, JohnWillie Sexton, Darren Hickey, Declan Callinan, Shane Hickey (0-2), Paul O’Connor,Thomas Lernihan (0-2), Seamus Murrihy, Peter O’Dwyer (0-1), Ian McInerney (0-4f), Mark McCarthy, Seamus Lynch, Johnnie Daly, Enda Coughlan (1-3), Michael O’Dwyer.

Subs

Evan Talty (0-1) for Lynch, Niall Hickey for Michael O’Dwyer.

Kilrush Shamrocks
Tony Burke, Seamus Bolton, Cathal Lyons, Niall Gilbride, Gearóid O’Brien, Niall Clancy, Matthew Moloney, Paul Heaslip, JimYoung (0-1), Paddy Clancy, Peadar McMahon (0-5, 4f), John Hayes, Rory O’Connor, Donal O’Sullivan, Stephen Sweeney (0-1).

Subs
Darragh Bolton (0-1) for Bolton, Con O’Brien for O’Brien, Pat Joe McGrath for O’Connor.

Man of the Match
Shane Hickey (Kilmurry Ibrickane) Referee Michael Rock (Ennistymon)

St Joseph’s Miltown 0-9 – St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield 2-2 at Hennyssy Memorial Park, Miltown

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THE CLARE Ladies Football Minors had a very busy week playing two Munster Championship games with mixed results. On Wednesday, they met Cork in the magnificent Mallow Sports Complex and though short several key players in Laurie Ryan, Aoife Clohessy and Sinead Sexton, they held Cork to within a couple of points after twenty five minutes. The defence had their hands full, leaking 2-6 to Cork in the first quarter against Clare’s solitary goal by Niamh O’Dea. During a great spell from the Saffron and Blues, Edel McMahon, Aoife Martin, Ellie O’Gorman and Shauna Harvey closed ranks as Cork found themselves under massive pressure and conceded two quick penalties against Niamh O’Dea and Aoife O’Gorman who ran at them incessantly. Both were converted by O’Dea bringing the teams within two points but Cork responded with two three pointers of their own in the closing seven minutes. A converted free on Clare’s Eleanor Carey was negated by another point for the Reds. After the restart, Clare were eclipsed completely by a dominant home side whose tally of 3-9 smothered Clare’s and O’Dea’s three points. Clare just didn’t have the firepower on the field or on the side line to match the Reds . Final score 3-5 to 7-17.

When the Manager James Lafferty surprisingly resigned the following day, citing unfair criticism, he was followed by two of his three selectors, leaving JJ O’Dea two days to assemble the panel for the Tipperary game on the Saturday and once again the never say die character of the Clare panel shone through. When they turned out to meet Tipperary in Doora-Barefield GAA Grounds two days later, a resolved Clare panel launched attack after attack to dominate the game completely.

Clare’s Niamh Pender and Niamh O’Dea had put up two points before Tipp responded with one of their own. As Aoife O’Gorman went for a certain goal, an illegal foot block by Tipp custodian Imelda O’Donovan resulted in a well-taken penalty by Sinead Sexton.

Sexton was called upon minutes later to repeat the feat when Eleanor Carey was brought down but not before Tipperary had goaled at the end of a well executed movement that started from the kickout.

This would be the only hiccup from an otherwise impenetrable half-back line of Ellie O’Gorman, Shauna Harvey and the outstanding Roisin Howley. Midfielders Eleanor Carey and Kayleigh McCormick worked hard to keep the ball in the Tipp half. Clare 3-4 to Tipp 1-2 at half time.

A staunch full back line that included Kayleigh McCormick (switched with Aoife Martin who went into midfield), Edel McMahon and Aoife Clohessy rebuffed several Tipperary attacks but were caught out when the visitors started the half with two good points. Captain O’Dea pointed first for Clare and Ashling Torpey who came on for the injured McCormick, followed suit minutes later. The Banner were hunting in packs at this stage which was noticable by the deep forward position that Aoife Martin was in when she got the touch just ahead of goalie O’Donovan to push 4-6 to 1-4 ahead.

The impressive Aoife O’Gorman goaled again and O’Dea pointed from a free to finish the game Clare 5-7 to Tipp 1-4.

Clare
Ciara O’Malley (Fergus Rovers),Aoife Martin (Banner Ladies), Edel McMahon (Kilmihil), Aoife Clohessy (Fergus Rovers), Eleanor O’Gorman (Kilmihil), Shauna Harvey (West Clare Gaels), Roisin Howley (Burren Gaels), Kayleigh McCormick (Burren Gaels), Eleanor Carey (Banner Ladies), Niamh Pender (Miltown), Karen O’Brien (Doorabarefield ), Niamh O’Dea (Banner Ladies), Megan Byrne (Burren Gaels), Sinead Sexton (Miltown),Aoife O’Gorman (Cooraclare) Subs AislingTorpey (Liscannor ),Tara Sheehan (Eire Og), Ciara Burke (Miltown) Panel members Laurie Ryan, NiamhWalsh, Orlaith Lynch, (Banner Ladies), Roisin Looney (Cooraclare),Alana O’Brien, Shaunagh O’Brien (Eire Og), Eimear O’Shea (Fergus Rovers), Roisin Rouine,Threase Shannon (Liscannor), Shauna Crowley (Miltown), Grainne Harvey (West Clare Gaels). Manager JJ O’Dea.

Sixmilebridge 4-14 – Cratloe 1-10 at Cusack Park, Ennis

A RECORD breaking 13th Under 21A title for Sixmilebridge who banished the ghosts of recent finals to take the honours in the O’Garneyside derby. Having contested the last five minor and Under 21A deciders but only winning one, the pressure was on Sixmilebridge to deliver and they did so in emphatic fashion with an unanswered 2-5 final eight minute flourish to flesh out the winning margin.

In truth, the 13 point difference didn’t reflect the significant role that Cratloe played in the narrative of this often scrappy but tense neighbouring encounter, however there is no doubting that Sixmilebridge deserved their latest silverware on the balance of play.

As expected, the key aspect of this game came down to balance. Sixmilebridge had far more strength in depth and those greater variety of options proved decisive against a Cratloe side that constantly relied on the individual brilliance of all too few.

That said, the near-telepathic understanding between Cathal McInerney and Conor McGrath up front kept Cratloe within touching distance until the finale but it was always going to be a huge ask to expect that pair along with Liam Markham, Conor Ryan and Podge Collins to carry the side over the line.

Instead, Sixmilebridge had their homework done on their opponents strengths, altered their side accordingly and utilised their own assets to bounce back to the winner podium. Paidi Fitzpatrick executed a match-winning manmarking role on McGrath; Brian Carey curbed Ryan at midfield while Shane Golden expertly pulled the strings alongside him and up front Seadna Morey and later Jamie Shanahan put the finish- ing touches to the victory.

After a 15 minute delay due to an uneven queue to turnstile ratio, the eager sides got the game off to a blistering pace with Conor McGrath feeding Podge Collins for the opening scoring inside 30 seconds, with an almost immediate reply from Brian Carey. That pace was maintained for the next few minutes but the accuracy dipped dramatically with Sixmilebridge in particular firing from ambitious ranges.

Cratloe took advantage, with a brace of Cathal McInerney points putting them 0-3 to 0-2 in front by the end of the opening quarter until Sixmilebridge pounced for the opening goal in the 18th minute. A Cratloe puck-out was gathered by Pa Sheehan to play a low ball to Declan Morey who made a trademark turn and solo towards goal before firing on the volley to the net.

Sam O’Sullivan followed up with a point but while the ‘Bridge were on top, they failed to hammer home that advantage further and it allowed Cratloe a window of opportunity that Conor McGrath inevitably took just before the break with two points to trail by just two at 1-4 to 0-5.

That fightback was completed by a Cathal McInerney goal only three minutes after the restart when Sixmilebridge failed to clear their lines and McGrath fed the unmarked McInerney to billow the net. Gaining momentum, Joe O’Connor traded points with Seadna Morey before McIner- ney and McGrath again combined for the former to point once more and extend their lead to two at 1-7 to 1-5 by the 36th minute.

Sixmilebridge had to dig deep and they upped their display considerably through Fitzpatrick, Seadna Morey, Golden at midfield and Jamie Shanahan who opened his account in the best possible manner in the 41st minute with a goal from close range after dispossessing goalkeeper Collins. County minors Shanahan (2) and Morey added another three points without reply to open up a five point lead while goalkeeper Stephen Fleming made a full length dive to stop a McInerney shot in the 44th minute.

Still, Cratloe were not done yet and after a Liam Markham ’65, they reduced the deficit to only two points once more by the 49th minute with a superb Conor McGrath point after shrugging off three defenders and another from Conor Ryan.

Cratloe’s hopes of a full recovery was dashed however only minutes later when a Shane Golden burst down the left wing ended with a shot from 40 metres that eluded goalkeeper David Collins and dropped into the net.

From that point, Cratloe’s heads dropped and a buoyant Sixmilebridge took full advantage with Jamie Shanahan coming into his own in that final period, scoring an impressive 1-4 to ease up to victory.

The good times were back for Sixmilebridge and going on the potential shown on this occasion, they should be there for a long while to come.

Sixmilebridge
Stephen Fleming (7), Gerry Quilligan (7), Paidi Fitzpatrick (8), Eanna Burns (7), Barry O’Connor (7), John Fennessy (7),Trevor Purcell (7), Brian Carey (7) (0-1), Shane Golden (8) (1-0), Seadna Morey (8) (0-4), SamO’Sullivan (7) (0-1), Pa Sheehan (7) (0-1), Ronan Mullane (6) (0-1), Declan Morey (7) (1-0), Jamie Shanahan (8) (2-6 4f, 0-1 Pen)

Subs
Noel Purcell (6) for Burns (46 mins), Cathal O’Connor (7) for Mullane (46 mins)

Cratloe
David Collins (6), Joe Conroy (7), Sean Hynan (7), Jack McCourt (7),Wesley Deloughery (6), Liam Markham(7) (0-1 1’65), Enda Boyce (7), Conor Ryan (7) (0-1), Podge Collins (7) (0-1), Patrick Carey (6), Cathal McInerney (8) (1-3), Dean Deloughery (6),Tomás Ryan (6), Joseph O’Connor (7) (0-1), Conor McGrath (7) (0-3 1f)

Sub
David McInerney for D. Deloughery (58 mins)

Man of the Match
Shane Golden (Sixmilebridge)

Referee
Rory Hickey (Éire Óg)

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)

Cork 2-10 – Clare 0-11 at Pairc Ui Rinn, Cork

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SOME of Clare’s top boxing talent are preparing for a crucial week of competitive action.

Hopes abound for all three Ennis boxers who have won their Provincial titles and now go forward to contest the National Juvenile Championships at the National Stadium in Dublin, getting under way on Easter Monday and continuing through Easter Week. Conor Doyle boxes in the 46 Kilo class in only his first year in Championship Boxing while Brian McDonagh contests the 46 Kilo Boy 2 class and is in with a great chance of victory. 70 Kilo Boy 3 contender Keelan Sexton is a defending champion and fancies his chances of making it three-in-a-row for his new club. Sexton was an emphatic winner of the recent Munster Chps , winning both his semi-final and final bouts by knockout . He is a prodigious exponent of the lethal left-hook and must be fancied to achieve his goal.

Tara Dowling is the lone girl representative from Ennis and she competes in the 60 Kilo class , while Paddy Donovan who boxes out of the OLOL Club in Limerick , but does most of his training and sparring in the Ennis club will represent his club in the 36 Kilo division. A prodigious handball player and all-rounder , he is a pupil of the CBS school in Ennis.

Meanwhile, Ennis Lightweight Lee Sherlock made tremendous strides in the Senior Cadets (15-17 year olds) Championships in the National Stadium in Dublin during the past week. The championships are run each year at the end of the season to select boxers for the Elite International squad for the Home Internationals in the Autumn and are a prized commodity for all Champions.

Sherlock beat Bernard McDonagh from the St Anns Club in Westport in Friday’s preliminaries on a 4-3 scoreline before disposing of Martin Collins from Kilkenny in the quarter-final on Saturday and he saw off the challenge of Donegal’s Andrew Gallagher (Finn Valley BC) in Sunday’s semi-final , guaranteeing himself silver and a possible gold when he faces up to Ulster Champ Caoimhin Hynes in the final on Wednesday April 27.