Category: Sport

Newmarket Celtic 2 – Bridge United 0 at McDonough Park, Newmarket-on-Fergus

NEWMARKET Celtic boss Liam Murphy handed a first Premier League start to Tom Monaghan for their Sunday morning local derby against Bridge United.

And what an inspired selection it proved to be as Monaghan, who has plied his trade in the B team to date, notching three goals in the season parachuted into the A team with stunning effect as his two-goal blast in the first half kept them on course for a first league title in four years.

Monaghan was the man, making an instant impact on top flight football with his goals that helped Newmarket stroll to the three points.

The first came 15 minutes in when Monaghan latched onto a perceptive through ball from junior international Davy Wall and fired a wonder gaol into the top corner of the net from 25 yards.

Then on the half-hour mark Monaghan doubled his tally when he got on the end of Seamus Considine’s cross from the left wing, hitting a sidefooted volley confidently past Derek Fahy in the Bridge United goal.

There was no way back for Bridge, even though they felt hard done by the fact that they weren’t awarded a penalty in the first minute when Tervor Maxwell was tackled from behind in the area by Mark Donnellan.

But afterwards Bridge had no complaints, while Newmarket could have ran riot, such were the plethora of chances that they missed over the 90 minutes. Eoin Hayes was most guilty after opportunity knocked a number of times, while sub Michael Crosby also had gilt-edged chance when Derek Fahy lost the ball outside the area, but he proceeded to kick the ball tamely at Fahy.

Newmarket Celtic
Ciaran McGlynn, Mark O’Malley, Seamus Lawlor, Mark Donnelann Daren Culinan, Eoin O’Brien, Mike O’Malley, Michael Devitt,TomMonaghan, Seamus Considine (Crosbie), Eoin Hayes, David Wall (Kieran Devitt)

Man of the Match
TomMonaghan (Newmarket Celtic)

Referee
Julian Stanford

The Clare Ladies Football Minors will travel to Cork on Wednesday to play the Rebels in the second round of the Munster Minor A Championship. The Clare girls will feel they could have played better against Kerry last week and should come out with all guns blazing if they are to play to the level they set themselves at the start of this year’s campaign. With all the ground work done in the lead up to the Munster Championship, their biggest test will be to see if they retain the appetite for the big game. It doesn’t get much bigger than going to Mallow to play Cork who have come off the back of a big win over Tipperary. Clare last met Cork in the final of the 2010 Munster A Championships and already know they will have to be ready to take any and every scoring opportunity against Cork and also to defend tirelessly.The team bus will depart Bank Corner Miltown Malbay at 4pm and leave the West County Hotel at 4.50pm sharp. The Clare Panel is as follows:

Niamh O’Dea, Laurie Ryan, Niamh Walsh, Eleanor Carey, Orlaith Lynch, Aoife Martin (Banner) Megan Byrne, Kayleigh McCormack, Roisin Howley (Burren Gaels) Roisin Looney, Aoife O’Gorman (Cooraclare) Karen O’Brien (Doora-Barefield) Tara Sheehan, Alana O’Brien, Shaunagh O’Brien: (Eire Og) Ciara O’Malley, Aoife Clohessy: Eimear O’Shea (Fergus Rovers) Edel McMahon, Eleanor O’Gorman (Kilmihil) Aisling Torpey, Roisin Rouine, Threase Shannon (Liscannor) Niamh Pender, Shauna Crowley, Ciara Burke (Miltown) Shauna Harvey, Grainne Harvey (West Clare Gaels)

Clare face Tipperary in the third round of the Munster Minor A Championship which is set for this Saturday April 23rd at St. Joseph’s Doorabarefield at 3:30pm THE BANNER Ladies’ Under 14’s will accompany West Clare Gaels, Kilmurry Ibrickane and Doorabarefield into the semi-finals of the Feile Peil na mBan after emerging strongest from their group at the weekend. The Banner Ladies coasted to the semi’s with emphatic wins over New

market, Wolfe Tones and Crusheen at the St. Flannan’s pitches last Sunday. The semi-finals and final will be concluded in Gurteen on Bank Holiday Monday at 10am. This year’s football Feile is hosted by Cork and the winners of the Clare Feile will be grouped in Division 1 with Cork local teams Fermoy and Aghada and the Feile winners of Mayo.

Clare 5-13 – Wicklow 2-12 at Templetuohy, Tipperary

CLARE secured promotion back up to Division 2 of the National League on Saturday. Within a year of relegation, they will be back competing there in 2012 thanks to their semi final victory over Wicklow at Templetuohy, Tipperary.

It was Wicklow who started the better team and dominated early on in this game. Wicklow centre forward Niamh Carroll notched 1-2 from play to give her side a 1-5 to 0-4 lead sixteen minutes into the match. A goal from Kilmihil’s Eimear Considine then got Clare motoring and Wicklow failed to score for the remainder of the half. Points from team captain Niamh Keane, midfielder Louise Henchy and full forward Niamh O’Dea saw Clare retire at half time 1-9 to 1-5 ahead.

Wicklow again started well and had cut the deficit to two points and it was clear the next score would be crucial. It fell to Clare wing forward Naomi Carroll and from here Clare took over and controlled the remainder of the game. O’Dea had the first of four second half Clare goals and Shannon Gaels Colette Corry got Clare’s third. At this stage Clare led 3-13 to 1-11.

The next score was another Clare goal, this time from Eimear Considine who made no mistake from close range and Katie Geoghegan had Clare’s final goal. The last score went to Wicklow who managed a consolation goal in injury time.

Overall it was a fine team performance which was shown by the score board and Clare can now look to Division 3 Final against Fermanagh with real confidence. They now have an opportunity to collect some silverware when they face Fermanagh in the Division 3 final at Parnell Park, Dublin on Saturday May 7th.

Clare
Emma O’Driscoll (Banner Ladies); Clare Hester (Fergus Rovers), Lorraine Kelly (Fergus Rovers), Laurie Ryan (Banner Ladies); Eimear O’Connor (Coolmeen), Roisin McMahon (Newmarket), LouiseWoods (0-1) (Banner Ladies); Marie Considine (Liscannor), Louise Henchy (0-2, 1f) Banner Ladies); Colette Corry (1-0) (Shannon Gaels), Niamh Keane (0-3) (Banner Ladies), Naomi Carroll (0-1) (Banner Ladies); Eimear Considine (2-1) (Kilmihil), Niamh O’Dea (1-5, 3f) (Banner Ladies), Sarah Bohannon (Shannon Gaels). Subs: Carmel Considine for C. Corry, Katie Geoghegan (1-0) for N. Carroll, Carol O’Leary for S. Bohannon, Grace Lynch for L. Kelly.

Wicklow
Emer Miley,Aoife Heffernan, Caitriona Byrne, Lisa Brady, Sarah Miley, Caitriona McKeon, Niamh Kelly, Caoilfhoinn Deeney (1-3, 2f), Loretta Gilbert,Amie Byrne (0-1), Niamh Carroll (1-2), Eadaoine Lenihan (0-1), Laurie Ahern, Jackie Kinch, Lucy Mulhall (0-4f). Subs: S Hogan for L Brady, J Miley for C Byrne,AMDoran (0-1f) for L. Mulhall, MShelley for E Lenihan, CByrne for E Kelly, L Hogan for L Ahern

Referee:
Richard O’Connor (Tipperary)

Ballyea 0-18 – O’Callaghan’s Mills 0-05 at Cusack Park, Ennis

THESE are heady days for hurling out Ballyea way – just because they expect to win county titles and because of the strong pool of talent that’s come through the underage ranks in the club.

Much of that talent was on show at headquarters on Sunday as they clinically dispatched the O’Callaghan’s Mills challenge to claim their second under 21 title in three years.

And, like previous rounds of this year’s campaign much of the credit for Ballyea’s hegemony rested on the considerable shoulders of midfielder Tony Kelly – this year’s Clare minor captain who had accounted for 4-29 before this decider.

To say the 0-10 he contributed here was crucial is putting it midly – he was the talisman, the thorn in the Mills’ side, the match-winner as Ballyea bade farewell to the under 21 B ranks for 2012 (they have to be in the A grade) with this comprehensive 13-point victory.

It was the Tony Kelly show, with a considerable supporting cast that overwhelmed an O’Callaghan’s Mills that tried hard, but was limited in many departments and second best in nearly every departmeant by the end as Ballyea cruised to victory.

The gulf between the sides was really shown up in the second half when Ballyea hit ten points without reply, with Kelly being difference as he ripped the Mills apart and killed the game with the three brilliant points from play inside the first ten minutes.

Indeed, it was Kelly who had them on their way with a point inside two minutes, while he added two more by the seventh as Ballyea made a fast start to this county final.

The Mills did stay with them in the first half and three-in-a-row from Eoin McInerney, Aidan O’Gorman and a Jamie Lynch free did have the sides level by the 13th minute, but in truth it was as good as it got for them.

Ballyea edged 0-5 to 0-3 clear by the 15th minute thanks to points from Martin O’Leary and Niall Griffin. All the Mills could muster for the rest of the half were two Jamie Lynch frees as Kelly (2) and Martin O’Leary with the point of the half eased Ballyea into an 0-8 to 0-5 interval lead.

There was still much to play for, but once Kelly got into his stride in the second half this game had an inevitability about it as Ballyea were shooting for fun long before the end.

With Ballyea leading 0-11 to 0-5 by the 40th minute, that there was a lull was no surprise as they went ten minutes without a score before they cranked it up again in the final the final ten minutes.

Kelly reached double figures with another point on the run after 20 minutes and a free five minutes later; Niall Deasy produced a closing cameo of three points, while Paudge McMahon and Gearóid O’Connell also got on the scoresheet.

Parteen 4-6 – Feakle/Killenana 1-15 at Dr Daly Park, Tulla

JUST desserts of a draw and another day out for both at the end of this entertaining game in Tulla on Saturday afternoon, but certainly Feakle/Killanena were by far the happier side as they jogged off the field at the call of full-time.

They’d gone into the game without the injured Shane McGrath and school tour-tied Padraig Brady who bagged 4-2 in the semi-final, found them six points adrift at half-time and three down with only five left, but somehow they summoned the resolve and scores to fight another day.

And, it was what they deserved after a storming second half in which Colin Nelson, Gary Guilfoyle and substitute Shane McGrath they reeled in a Parteen side that looked to be on the high road when they opened up a 3-2 to 0-5 interval lead.

A goal inside the first five minutes from the pacy Noel Bridgeman when he raced onto a ball from Brian McSweeney and whipped to the net helped Parteen into a 1-1 to 0-2 lead and from there they dominated the first half.

Bridgeman’s second goal when he cut through the defence on 14 min- utes and rifled low past Eibhear Quilligan seemed to herald a one-sided final against a Feakle/Killanena side sorely missing both McGrath and Brady.

Only points by Gary Guilfoyle (2) and Ronan McGuinness kept Feakle/Killanena competitive, but they looked a spent force when luck favoured Parteen in the 22nd minute when a long free cannoned off the upright into the path of Sean Quinn who blasted the ball to the net from 10 yards.

However, Feakle/Killanena dug very deep on the turnover, posting their intentions with early points from Ronan McGuinness and Declan Noonan, while Shane McGrath’s goal in the 11th minute brought the game alive.

It left Feakle/Killanena only 3-4 to 1-8 adrift, but seven minutes later they were level thanks to points via a massive effort from play by Ronan McGuinness and another from Shane McGrath.

The force was with Feakle/Killanena only for them to be rocked by a Darragh Yelverton goal in the 52nd minute, but the last ten minutes played by referee really summed up the Feakle/Killanena attitude.

It was never say die – first when points by Colin Nelson and Gary Guilfoyle (2) had them level again by the 55th minute; then when they twice came from behind in the frantic closing minutes to earn a replay.

James Long edged Parteen a point clear on 57 minutes, only for Shane McGrath to level matters, while McGrath again came to the rescue in the dying seconds to cancel out Noel Bridgeman’s lead point that came two minutes into injury time.

Feakle/ Killanena
Eibhear Quilligan, Killian Bane, Martin Glynn, Henry Purcell, Colin Nelson (0-1), Michael Noonan, Colin McNamara, Ronan McGuinness (0-3), Declan Noonan (0-2), Gary Guilfoyle (0-6, 2f, two 65), Paul McArthur, Stephen Moloney, Gavin Fox

. Sub
Shane McGrath (1-3, 2f) for Fox

Parteen
Eoin Kelly, Jason Smyth, Philip Lavin, Gearóíd Cox, Martin Moroney, Matthew McSweeney (0-1), DarrraghYelverton (1-1), Paraic O’Connor, Brian McSweeney (0-1), James Long (0-1), Sean Quinn (1-0), Noel Bridgeman (2-2, 1f), David Small.

Subs
Cian McCarthy for Cox

Man of the Match
Noel Bridgeman (Parteen)

Referee
Martin Kennnedy (Kilmaley)

Kilmurry Ibrickane 2-17 – Clondegad 0-6 at Ballynacally

IF EVER a scoreline summed up the difference between the very top flight of senior football and intermediate football, this was it. It was a stroll for a rampant Kilmurry side as they brought an abrupt halt to Clondegad’s 100 per cent start to the league season. It was hugely impressive from Kilmurry – hugely disappointing for Clondegad, albeit that their star forward in Paudge McMahon was play- ing his second game in five hours after his exertions with Ballyea in the Under 21 B hurling final. Still, McMahon was Clondegad’s top scorer with four points, but that made little impression on a Kilmurry scoreline which once again showcased their considerable talents. They trailed early on to points from Kenneth Kelly and Paudge McMahon but by half-time had clicked into over-drive as they carved out a 1-10 to 0-4 interval lead. Three Ian McInerney frees helped them edge 0-5 to 0-2 clear by the 19th minute before Enda Coughlan blasted a penalty over the bar in the 21st minute. However, Coughlan made amends seven minutes later with a goal, which allied to earlier points from Michael O’Dwyer, Peter O’Dwyer, Mark McCarthy and Coughlan himself helped Kilmurry into their ninepoint interval lead. Eoin Griffin and Paudge McMahon had offered some resistance with points before the break, but all Clondegad could manage on the turnover were frees from McMahon and Eoghan Donnellan as they were pinned back by the former kingpins of Munster. Kilmurry had to wait until the 42nd minute for their first of the half, but they tacked on 1-6 in the closing 15 minutes to run out 17-point winners. The scores came from everywhere – Declan Callinan pointed from corner-back, Shane Hickey hit 1-2 from wing-back, Mark McCarthy, Johnnie Daly and Seamus Lynch were also on the mark, with the final nail being driven by Hickey’s goal in the 59th minute when he lobbed Declan O’Loughlin.

Kilmurry Ibrickane
Peter O’Dwyer, Declan Callinan (0-1), Darren Hickey, Martin McMahon, Shane Hickey (1-2), Paul O’Connor,Thomas Lernihan, Keith King, Peter O’Dwyer (0-1), Ian McInerney (0-3f), Mark McCarthy (0-2), Seamus Lynch (0-2), Michael O’Dwyer, Enda Coughlan (1-3, 0-1pen) EvanTalty.

Subs
Johnnie Daly (0-2) for Talty, Seamus Murrihy for King, Gary Donnellan for McInerney, Brian Callinan for Lernihan.

Clondegad
Declan O’Loughlin, Conor Gavin, Patrick Coffey, Kevin Donnelly, James Murphy, Kieran Browne, Francie Neylon, Gary Brennan, Eoin Griffin (0-1), Kenneth Kelly (0-1), Paudge McMahon (0-3, 1f), Shane Brennan, Eoghan Donnellan (0-1f), Francis O’Reilly, ColmGavin.

Man of the Match
Mark McCarthy (Kilmurry Ibrickane)

Referee
Michael Rock (Ennistymon)

St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 3-9 Liscannor 2-9 at Gurteen

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THE CLARE Minor Footballers head to Pairc Uí Rinn on Wednesday evening in their first game as they look to overcome last year’s AllIreland finalists Cork in the quarter final of the Munster Minor Championship.

Clare will look to make a mark on this years Minor Championship and hope to set the trend for Clare football this year as they try to overcome Cork.

A task the Clare Seniors also face in the Munster quarter-final in little under six weeks. The Clare People caught up with Minor Manager Michael Neylon ahead of tomorrow nights game.

Michael says he is happy with the current form and that things have been looking good for his side over the past few weeks.

“We’ve had a full turnout for the last month or so with lads coming into good form from a winter gym programme” he said.

Everyone is available for selection and injury free after the weekends under 21 hurling championship where five players were involved.

This side first got together when they took part in a Munster under 17 tournament last November where they played four competitive games winning the Shield Final against Waterford.

“That was the first time lads would have met, then they were given a gym programme which they worked away on until we started training as a county panel there in March. We’ve had five or six weeks together now and we’ve played Kerry, Galway and Kildare in challenge games” he said.

There are several players from last year’s panel that Clare will be looking to ahead of tomorrow nights game including; Darren Sexton, Niall Hickey and Adrian Murrihy from Kilmurry-Ibrickane, Ennistymon’s Oisin Vaughan, Wolfe Tones Craig O’Brien, Jarlaith Colleran from Doora/Barefield and Stan Lineen from Kilmihil. Stan’s clubmate Martin O’Leary will also be hoping to bring his recent form with St Flannan’s college into this game tomorrow night.

Michael Neylon is joined on the managment panel by Ennis man Noel Normoyle, Morris Reidy from Miltown and Lee O’Donoghue from Kildysart.

They met on Monday night for a light session ahead of Wednesday’s game where the team was also named. They face a tough task of reaching the semi-final stages but he believes his side have what it takes.

Clare
Darren Sexton (Kilmurry-Ibrickane), Conor Gavin (Clondegad), Craig O’Brien (WolfeTones), Oisin Vaughan (Ennistymon), Jarlath Colleran (Doora/ Barefield), Stan Lineen (Kilmihil), Darragh Bolton (Kilrush),Alan O’Neill (Doora/Barefield), Darragh McDonagh (Miltown), Eoin Cleary (Miltown), Conor Cleary (Miltown),Adrian Murrihy (KilmurryIbrickane), Martin O’Leary (Kilmihil), Niall Hickey (Kilmurry Ibrickane), Jamie Malone (Corofin).

THERE seems to be no stopping Clare’s juvenile handball players as they captured yet another title at the weekend, adding to the previous weekends tally of five titles.

Last out for Clare last weekend saw Aine McInerney and Hannah O’Brien take on a formidable Kilkenny pairing in the under 17 girls doubles in Goresbridge, Kilkenny.

The Clare girls were going in as underdogs but were quietly hoping to emulate their Clare comrades in Alice Akers and Stacey Wright who captured this same title twelve months previous.

Kilkenny started the strongest and forced their way into a 6-0 lead, but the clare girls were resilient and battled back to draw level.

It was a nip and tuck affair with points and hands exchanging on a regular basis. Kilkenny went in to serve for the first game with two hands at 20-18, but the Clare duo fought back to regain the service advantage and clinch a very close first game. What now originally seemed a mountain to climb now seemed to be a great possibility.

And the Clare girls were not to dis- appoint as they started the second game as they finished the first and gained a blistering 12-0 lead.

The finishing line was in their sights and while the Kilkenny girls tried to rally back, it was Clare who took the game and the title to make it an historic 40×20 season for Clare juvenile handball.

Clare juvenile handball is now by far the strongest in Ireland and this is evident by the number of All-Ireland Titles that Clare have won this year – an incredible six out of a possible 15 which makes the county the envy of every other centre in the country.

At local level, the Clare county B doubles get under way this week in all divisions and clubs have been notified of fixtures.

Clare 0-20 – Wicklow 1-17 at Aughrim Park, Wicklow

THAT Clare saved best to last is reflected in the score on the board that when broken down looks mightily impressive.

Fifteen of the points came from play in as free-flowing a performance produced under Micheál McDermott’s watch as manager, but it could have still been the same old story of going home empty handed from a game that they dominated for long stretches, yet failed to apply the killer punch they needed to secure the two points.

All because they let Wicklow off the hook when Leighton Glynn got a slip on the defence and stroked home an equalising goal two minutes into injury time.

It was rough justice on Clare to have the win snatched from them in the final seconds, rougher justice still on keeper Joe Hayes, because but for his heroics right throughout the game this could have been another chastening National League experience for Clare.

He came to his side’s rescue on no less than four occasions when Wicklow carved open the Clare defence and created goal chances – he was the human shield that kept the citadel intact for so long and in a way inspired those outside him to produced their best display of the year.

If Hayes was the cog in goal, Gary Brennan was the lynchpin further afield as he showcased once more that midfield is his natural hinterland – whatever about his abilities as a full-forward target man, the engine room is where he has to be for Clare going forward.

And it was Brennan who got Clare off to a flier with a point inside 30 seconds, while they added three more from Cathal O’Connor, Ger Quinlan, making his first start of the season and David Tubridy to lead by 0-4 to no score inside 15 minutes.

Wicklow did hit back with points from Tony Hannon and Austin O’Malley, but Clare drove forward and points by Conor Ryan, Kevin Hartnett and a David Tubridy sideline effort had them 0-7 to 0-5 clear by the 25th minute. Another spurt before half time yield points for Graham Kelly, Gary Brennan, Alan Clohessy and David Tubridy to give Clare a 0-11 to 0-7 interval lead, but not for the first time they were thankful to Joe Hayes in goal as he foiled Dean Odlum with a point blank save in injury time to ensure Clare had a four-point cushion. David Tubridy extended that lead to five soon after the resumption, only for Wicklow to hit back with points from Seanie Furlong (2) and Austin O’Malley, but Clare’s resolve against he wind saw them hit points through Gary Brennan, Gordon Kelly and Michael Foran to lead by 0-15 to 013 by the 55th minute. Brennan’s continued hegemony in midfield ensured a steady of scores didn’t dry up, with Graham Kelly, Alan Clohessy (2), Brennan and David Tubridy making sure that Wicklow were kept at bay despite the scoring efforts of Austin O’Malley and Tony Hannon. Wicklow had got it back the bare minimum, but points Clare looked to have secured their fourth win of the campaign when David Tubridy hit his seventh as the game edged into injury time. However, Leighton Glynn had other ideas with his last gasp effort that left both sides happy with their efforts at the end.

Wicklow
J Flynn; C Hyland,A Byrne, P Higgins; P Dalton, B McGrath, DHayden; J Stafford, R Finn;T Hannon (0-3),A O’Malley (0-4), DSiney; DOdlum(0-1), S Furlong (0-8), L Glynn 1-1).

Subs
S Kavanagh for DSiney (half-time), P Burke for DOdlum(half-time), MMcLoughlin for C Hyland (51 mins)

Clare
Joe Hayes (9) Barry Duggan (6), Laurence Healy (7), MarkTubridy (7), Kevin Hartnett (7) (0-1), Gordon Kelly (7) (0-1), Martin McMahon (7), Niall Browne (7), Gary Brennan (9) (0-4), Graham Kelly (8) (0-2), DavidTubridy (8) (0-5, 1f), Cathal O’Connor (7) (0-1), Conor Ryan (7) (0-1), Ger Quinlan (7) (0-1),Alan Clohessy (8) (0-3).

Subs
John Hayes (8) for B Duggan (half time), Michael Foran (7) (0-1) for C Ryan (40 mins).

Referee
K O’Brien (Tipperary).