Category: Sport

CLARE CRICKET will be in the spotlight this Friday night as the two clubs in Clare, Lahinch and County Clare Cricket Club took part in an event that will be shown on Nationwide on RTE 1 at 7pm this coming Friday.

The RTE crew were in Shannon on Monday morning as both the Lahinch Cricket team and the County Clare Cricket team who are based in Shannon took part in some training and skills demonstrations for the cameras before heading back the coast to play a match between the two teams on the Lahinch beach which gathered quite some interest. The Clare People caught up with Colin Humphrey, a co-founder of the Lahinch Cricket Club which was set up two years ago to talk about his club and how it was formed. “We gathered together a crew of lads who used to play cricket at some time and we put together a broad mixture of people from Australia, New Zealand, India, England and Ireland and decided to start a team up.” He says that although they are currently only playing friendly matches, with a squad of 24 players they are hoping to enter the Munster League next summer. He then went on to tell of how the idea for the programme came about,

“Well Nationwide got in touch and they wanted to get footage of us for the programme this Friday. I think it was due to the interest of Ireland beating England in the World Cup so we organised a bit of training this morning in Shannon and then came back to Lahinch and organised a match on the beach.”

He also added that the days events were a great success and he hopes that the clubs will grow in size and support as a result of the coverage they will get.

County Clare Cricket Club beat The Lahinch Cricket Club by a single run in the game which was played on the beach but they will join together forces in early May once more as they will be playing league games throughout the course of the summer months.

Bunratty 2 – Avenue 3 (after extra-time) at Bunratty

THIS was the tie of the round between two Premier Division bluebloods who have 13 Clare Cup titles between them over the past 25 years – The Avenue with nine titles, Bunratty with four.

And, it was the biggest meeting between the two sides since their final game shoot-out for the league title two years ago that went to penalties before Bunratty claimed the title.

This one threatened to go to penalties when it went to extra-time, but in the end Bunratty old boy Con Collins who won the day for Avenue, turning from villain to zero when he fired home the winner eight minutes into the first period of extra time.

It was an entertaining game that seemed to be going Avenue’s way when they lead 2-0 inside 20 minutes and created a glut of chances in the half.

The opener came seven minutes in when Mikey Mahony and David McCarthy combined to put David Smyth in the clear – he out-paced the Bunratty defence before coolly dispatching to the net past Fintan Quinn.

On 20 minutes Smyth’s corner found David McCarthy, who fed Gary Flynn inside the area and he drove to the net.

Avenue were on their way, but three minutes before half-time Con Collins spectacularly headed Christy Griffin’s cross into his own net when attempting to head the ball to safety.

Bunratty had a lifeline and they grabbed it when Avenue failed to put the game beyond reach in the second half, equalising with eight minutes remaining when Evan Glynn picked up the pieces after the champions failed to deal with a corner and fired through a forest of players to the net.

It brought the game to extra-time and with it the prospect of another penalty shoot-out, only for Collins to emerge as the hero against his old club. He played a one-two with David Smyth before firing home a great goal to the bottom corner of the net.

Out of respect to his old teammates he didn’t celebrate, a la Denis Law for Man City against United all those years ago.

At least from Bunratty’s point of view, they weren’t relegated.

Avenue United
John Healy, Con Collins, David Russell, Dylan Casey, Mattie Nugent, Gary Flynn

(Richie Lillis), Pa Wilson, Dave McCarthy (Simon Cuddy), David Herlihy, Mikey Mahony ((Eamon O’Reilly), David Smythe.

Bunratty
Fintan Quinn, David Hogan, Gearoid O’Connell Tadgh Keogh (John Ryan), Eoin Nash, Chris Griffin (Brendan Hughes), Ryan Kelly (Jamie Cullen), Evan Glynn, Sean McDonald, Diarmuid Nash, Daithi O’Connell

Man of the Match
David Russell (Avenue United)

Referee
Martin O’Brien

Hermitage A 0 – 0 Manus Celtic B (AET) Manus won 4-3 after penalties at the Fairgreen

33 PLACES separate Premier Division high-flyers Hermitage and bottom tier promotion hopefuls Manus Celtic B but the cup is a great leveller as it proved on Sunday when the tage’s flag was lowered.

And with every giantkilling story, there has to be a hero and on this occasion, the dragon slayer was Manus Celtic’s goalkeeper Jason Considine who not only kept his side in the game in open play, saved a penalty in the shoot-out and score the winner himself but was also only playing his first game of the season.

With such a dramatic storyline, you’d have to believe the script was written for Manus to take the Tage’s scalp and it was a plucky performance from the third Division side who may not have had many clearcut chances but more than matched their opponents in what was a dogged midfield battle.

Indeed, Manus started the better side and had a Bernard Scanlon shot inside the opening minutes hit the side netting but the Premier Division side grew into the game and could have snatched a goal just before the break, only for goalkeeper Considine to pull off a superb stop.

Hermitage continued where they left off on the restart and piled on the pressure but aside from a Scott Hennessy effort that hit the bar, they found Manus’ defence difficult to break down.

Contrary to expectations, it was the Premier side who appeared the more tired in the final quarter and as the game drifted into extra-time, both sides were happy to settle for penalties.

Up stepped Considine who saved the Tage’s second spot kick and when Hennessy put the fourth over the bar, the goalkeeper drove home the winner and secure Manus’ passage into the last eight.

Rock Rovers 2 – 3 Tulla United at Lees Road, Ennis

THESE are heady days for Tulla United. Back in the bigtime of the Premier Division after a number of years in the lower divisions and now in the Clare Cup quarter-final thanks to this thrilling win over former champions Rock Rovers.

Indeed, taking down Rock was a huge achievement for a Tulla side that’s more than holding its own in the top flight of the league thanks to their current standing of third place.

Rock were favourites given their sterling cup exploits in recent years – apart from being winners in 2008 they were quarter-finalists the following year and semi-finalists last year where they were shocked by Bridge United B.

And the Ennis side had things their own way early on, forcing the pace before breaking the deadlock after 20 minutes when Eoin Glynn’s cross from the right wing was volleyed to the net by David Ryan.

However, from there until half-time it went horribly wrong for Rock as they leaked two goals to a cock-ahoop Tulla side. Indeed, it only took four minutes – the equaliser came on 23 minutes when Stephen Loftus failed to gather a cross from the left and Mike McDermott gleefully tapped home to the net.

A minute later a free kick was floated into the Rock area from the right, with centre-forward Niall Whelan rising highest at the far post to head to the net.

Rock did have chances to equalise in the second half, but David Ryan and Marty McLoughlin both missed great chances early in the half. Opportunity knocked for McLoughlin again on 56 minutes, but his free header flashed over the bar from close range.

These misses came back to haunt Rock on 75 minutes when Tulla struck for a third on the break. A shot from left hit the cross bar and bounced down to Keith Lenihan who slammed the ball to the net from range.

Rock did give themselves a lifeline on 86 minutes when from a cross by Eoin Glynn, sub Stephen Hickey volleyed to the net from a yard out, but try as they might in the closing stages, the equaliser that would have brought the game to extra time never came as Tulla marched on.

Rock Rovers
Stephen Loftus, Michael Dinan (Ashley Glynn), Ciarán Russell, JasonWhite, Shane Daniels, Dean Gardiner, Eoin Glynn, Francis Daniels (Ronan Judge), David Ryan, Barry Woods, Marty McLoughlin (Stephen Hickey)

Tulla United

Shane Collins, PaudgeVaughan, Gearóid Doherty (Tommy McKeon), Dennis Murphy, Darragh Corry (Brian Hehir), Mike McDermott, Padraic O’Malley, Shane Mason, Niall Whelan,Alan Brigdale, Keith Lenihan.

Man of the Match
Darragh Corry (Tulla United) Referee Martin Monaghan

A QUINTESSENTIAL cup tie that appeared to be heading for extratime before centre-half Michael Concannon unleashed an unstoppable injury-time winner to send Corofin Harps into the last eight. It was a cruel way for home side Kilmaley to exit the cup. The victory was no more than Corofin Harps deserved on the day.

While the goal was a rare strike from general play, there were several opportunities from set-pieces with Kilmaley hitting the woodwork in each half.

That was as good as it got for Kilmaley who were second best possession-wise for the bulk of the encounter. On the flip side, Corofin played some eye-catching passing football but found Kilmaley’s defence difficult to break down.

So when Paul Linnane’s 88th minute free whistled just over the crossbar, extra-time seemed to be on the cards. That was until the ball fell kindly for Concannon to strike from 35 yards into the top right corner.

Kilmaley Fern Celtic
Gerry Healy, Pa Sherlock, Noel Healy, Philip Noonan, Jamie Meehan, Eoin McNamara (Alan Hehir, 78 mins), Jamie Mills, Conor Brennan, Greg O’Flanagan, Liam Meaney, Sean O’Flanagan

Corofin Harps
Mike Heath, Steven Quinn, Jason O’Connor, Michael Concannon, John Keane, Ronnie Meere (Fergal Neylon, HT), Paul Linnane, James Keane, JasonTierney, GaryTierney, Brian Halpin (Damien Ryan, HT)

Man of the Match
John Keane (Corofin Harps) Referee Paddy Dunne

Lifford 2 – Newmarket Celtic 1 at Cassidy Park, Drumcliffe

NEWMARKET Celtic are flying high at the top of the Premier Division and closing in on their first title in three years, but their Clare Cup drought will extend to a dozen years at least.

All because they were dumped out of this year’s competition by Lifford, who have go all the way back to 1976 for their last success in the blue riband of the game in Clare.

They reached the last eight for the first time since 2009 thanks staving off Newmarket in the second half, with Jean Silva in goal and central defenders Mickey Joe O’Sullivan and Hamed Kuku in inspiring form as they doggedly held on to the 2-1 lead they’d carved out by half-time.

The home side got a dream start when Lunga Balman latched onto a through ball from midfield, used his strength to fend off a couple of Newmarket defenders before planting the ball past Kieran McGlynn in goal.

Newmarket were back on terms after 30 minutes when Davy Wall’s pile-driver took a deflection off Eoin Hayes and flew to the Lifford net past Jean Silva, but Lifford wee back in front five minutes later when Gary McNaboe raced into the area and was fouled for a penalty that Ryan Boyle dispatched to the net.

Those three first half goals may have rounded off the scoring, bu there was no shortage of goalmouth action in the second half as Newmarket laid siege on the Lifford goal.

The Ennis side were content to soak up the pressure and try and hit Newmarket on the break, a ploy which nearly paid dividends in the 63rd minute when Conor Donnellan was foiled by a great save from Kieran McGlynn.

Donnellan also had a penalty claim turned down, as did TJ Ajisomo, but the other penalty area was the scene for much more activity as Newmarket threw everything into getting the equaliser.

Substitute Kieran Devitt, a cup winner with Rineanna Rovers two years ago, had a great chance to get his side on terms on 84 minutes but was foiled by Jean Silva.

However, Newmarket were conviced they’d got back on terms five minutes from time when Mike O’Malley’s header looked goalbound only for Jean Silva to claw it back into play. Newmarket protested that the ball had crossed the line but Dave McCarthy waved play on and with it Newmarket’s cup race was run.

Lifford
Jean Silva, Joe Lynch (Conor Donnellan), Hamed Kuku (Kieran Connelly), Mickey Joe Sullivan, Dylan Blake, Ryan Boyle,TJ Ajisomo, Gary McNaboe (Gary Browne), Ruairi Norrby, Roberto Pinto, Lunga Balman (Kieran Neenan).

Newmarket Celtic
Kieran McGlynn, Mark O’Malley (Davy O’Grady), Mark Donnellan, Eoin O’Brien, Paudie Hayes (Mike O’Malley), Mike Devitt (Kieran Devitt), Eoin Hayes (Gary Collins) (Neil Ryan), Darren Cullinan, Seamie Lawolor, Davy Wall, Mikey Crosby.

Man of the Match
Mickey Joe O’Sullivan (Lifford)

Referee
David McCarthy

THE CLARE Minors Ladies Footballers continued to hone their match skills when they hosted current AllIreland Minor Champions Galway at Quilty GAA Grounds last Sunday.

Another fast paced work-out for the Banner girls over three twenty minute games, Clare were faster off the mark than they were against Dublin last week showing an increase in appetite that is vital for their first round of the Munster A Championship against Kerry on April 9.

The overall result for the day was the fairest possible outcome but Clare were decidedly sharper than the Tribeswomen in their first selection.

This position was reversed in the second challenge and Clare took the win in the third game but results are secondary in this type of event as both sides are continually changed and tested over the course of the day.

The Clare Minors will take on Limerick at Parteen GAA Grounds next Sunday at 11am in a similar event.

A bus will leave Miltown Bank Corner at 8.15am and depart from the West County Hotel, Ennis at 9am sharp.

Limerick 2-11 – Clare 0-15 (AET) at The Gaelic Grounds, Limerick

AS HISTORY repeated itself from last year’s tie, Clare once again failed to hold onto a significant lead against a poor Limerick side as they went crashing out of the Munster U21 championship in extra time.

Clare started the game on Wednesday evening playing with a strong breeze in the first half but they were unable to capitalise on it and it was Limerick who dominated early on. They found themselves 1-2 to 0-3 down after 14 minutes and it was only here they began to play and managed to take control until half time. Five points from the lively full-forward line of McMahon, McInerney and Malone saw Clare go in a point up at the break, 0-7 to 1-3.

Given the strength of the wind many began to question if such a small lead would suffice. They were soon answered as the Banner men hit five points without reply in the first 11 minutes of the second half, three by Malone from placed balls. The pressure was now on Limerick to perform and with two minutes of normal time remaining and Clare having a five point advantage the game looked all but won.

Three minutes of injury time were signaled and here is where it all went wrong for Clare. They were reduced to 14 men as Podge Collins received a second yellow card and Limerick free taker Eoghan O’Connor had cut the deficit to just a goal, however, Clare were still in pole position. Then a lapse in concentration at a vital stage saw James Kelly latch onto a quick free and blast the ball into the back of the net to force the game into extra time.

Clare played with the gale again for the first period and points again from McInerney and Malone along with substitute Daniel Gallery who blasted it over when put straight through on goal, once again gave Clare a one point advantage at the half, 0-15 to 2-8. Unfortunately the second period was to be all Limerick as Clare failed to register a score and three points from Eoghan O’Connor (2) and goal scorer Kelly (1) meant the comeback was complete and Clare were out.

So for the second successive year Clare are unable to get past their opening game against Limerick and still remain the only county in Mun- ster yet to win the U21 Provincial title. Limerick now go on to face Kerry in the semi-final in two weeks time.

Clare 3-13 – Wexford 1-10 at Enniscorthy, Wexford

CLARE continued their winning ways in the National League when they maintained their unbeaten run and finished with nine points to spare against Wexford on Sunday afternoon.

Clare led from the start through Niamh O’Dea and 1-1 coming from Eimear Considine inside the opening minutes. Captain Niamh Keane then added another point as they went 13 to no score up after eight minutes and were in total control.

Sensing that the Clare full forward line of the Considine sisters and O’Dea were causing problems Wex ford deployed a sweeper in front of the full back line. Ailish Considine then added a fine point and Wexford’s first attack ended up dropping short.

It took Wexford fourteen minutes to open their account but Clare broke forward once more and Niamh Keane rattled the Wexford net. Wexford then hit three points without reply from Katie Redmond and Fiona Rochford. At half time the scoreboard read Clare 2-4 Wexford 1-4.

Credit to Wexford they did not give up and produced their best spell early in the second half. Full forward Lisa Goff pointed from play and Katie Redmond converted a free. Then came Wexford’s goal and now there was just two points between the sides, Clare 2-6 to Wexford’s 1-7 with over a quarter of an hour to play.

This was now a test for Clare but they responded well and managed to open a six point gap. With six minutes remaining Louise Henchy put the icing on the cake with Clare’s third goal. Points from Wexford were cancelled out by scores from Marie Considine and Niamh Keane as Clare finished strong.

The result now guarantees Clare a semi final spot with two home games left to play against Longford and Fermanagh.

However, it will be the semi final game that will be the crucial one and it will be the two teams that contest the final that will be promoted to Division 2.

Clare
Grace Lynch (Coomeen), Clare Hester

(Fergus Rovers), Eimear O’Connor (Coolmeen), Laurie Ryan (Banner Ladies), Niamh Greene (Coolmeen), Roisin McMahon (Newmarket on Fergus), LouiseWoods (Banner Ladies), Marie Considine (Liscannor) (0-2), Louise Henchy (Banner Ladies) (1-0), Colette Corry (Shannon Gaels), Niamh Keane (Banner Ladies) (1-3), Naoimi Carroll (Banner Ladies),Ailish Considine (Kilmihil) (0-2), Niamh O’Dea (Banner Ladies) (04), Eimear Considine (Kilmihil) (1-2).

Subs
Sarah Bohannon for Corry, Lorraine Kelly for Greene, Katie Geoghegan for Carroll, Niamh Lardner for Considine.

Wexford
Mary Rose Kelly, Maeve Quill, Nikki Scallon, LeonaTector, Rosie Lawlor, Michelle Doyle, Nicola Cullen, Deirdre Fox, Fiona Rochford (0-1), Kellie Kearney,Tara Moloney (0-1), Niamh Crosbie (0-1), Liz Evered (1-0), Lisa Goff (0-2), Katie Redmond (0-5).

Subs
Sharon Kehoe for Kearney, Maebh Kehoe for Fox, Clara Donnelly for Moloney, Mairead Sheehan for Evered, Linda Casey for Lawlor,Aoife Waters for Doyle.

Clare 5-10 – London 0-4 at Cusack Park, Ennis

THE fact that there were only 16 paying customers to Clare GAA headquarters on this bitterly cold Saturday afternoon told its own story.

Told of the apathy around the fixture, something that certainly seeped through to the Clare players in a forgettable first half before they opened their shoulders on the turnover and pummelled a truly lamentable London side into submission long before Richard Moloney’s final whistle that couldn’t come quick enough.

There were 21 points in it in the end as Micheál McDermott’s charges hit 3-7 to London’s 0-1 in the second half – a romp, but above all an embarrassing day for the Exiles that would have been an awful lot worse had Clare not hit 17 wides over the 70 minutes.

Ten of those wides came in the first half, with David Tubridy being the worst culprit, but such was his influence on proceedings that he still hit 2-7 as Clare cruised to their second with from four games of the current campaign.

The game was always going to go Clare’s way, it was just a matter of what the margin was going to be and for much of the first half it looked as if London could limit the damage to respectable proportions thanks to the tactic of playing seven in defence. Although London leaked a goal as early as the seventh minute when Alan Clohessy beat London net- minder Brian McBrearty in the air and palmed David Tubridy’s long deliver to the net, they were still competitive for much of the half.

A couple of points from Eoin O’Neill frees left them only 1-2 to 0-2 behind after 25 minutes, but real daylight between the sides started to emerge two minutes later when a sweeping Clare move involving Rory Donnelly, Michael Foran and Alan Clohessy was fisted to the net by Gary Brennan.

This strike, which was followed by pointed frees from David Tubridy and another Eoin O’Neill effort for London left Clare 2-3 to 0-3 ahead at half-time, an advantage they swelled by a point a man when turning to play with the wind and into the scoreboard goal for the second half.

The wide count was mounted to by seven, but the scores mounted too as London’s challenge fell asunder when a re-jigged Clare that saw Gary Brennan re-located from full-forward to midfield started peppering the posts for fun.

The tone was set only 12 seconds in when the hard-working Niall Browne set up Alan Clohessy for a point, while the floodgates really started to open after David Tubridy latched on to a perceptive pass from Cathal O’Connor on the endline to drill a low shot to the net from a very tight angle.

From there it was target practice – for Clare and above all for David Tubridy as the Doonbegman marked his return from a two-match suspension hit a further 1-3 inside ten minutes as London’s defence was swamped. The points came from frees while Gary Brennan teed him up for his second goal in the 52nd minute.

Four minutes later it was Alan Clohessy’s turn to rattle the net as London went into complete meltdown – their only consolation for a nightmare half coming with virtually the last kick of the game when Eoin O’Neill hit his fourth point from a free.

The stats of a 21-point win for Clare; those 16 paying customers and the fact that London’s scoring contribution amount to just four frees made this game something of a waste of time.

A fixture to fulfill – nothing more.