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*Connor Meaney. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
Lissycasey cemented their passage to the quarter-finals with a game to spare after holding off St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield in Cusack Park on Sunday afternoon.
Lissycasey 2-08
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 1-08
Venue: Cusack Park, Ennis
After Cratloe’s second successive victory over Kilmihil 24 hours earlier, Lissycasey followed suit albeit making harder work of it than entirely necessary to tee up a juicy group decider in a fortnight’s time.
Goals at the midway and three-quarter mark through Conor Finnucane and Shane Griffin essentially sealed victory as Lissycasey were seven clear when Eoghan Thynne put a spanner in the work with a 58th minute goal.
However, despite an increase in tension and further goal opportunities for Tom McDonald and Conall Kelleher that were both blocked, Lissycasey deservedly clung on for victory.
Nothing from the first half suggested so as following eight first half wides, Lissycasey trailed by 0-3 to 0-1 by the half hour mark but capitalised upon St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield’s wastefulness to turn over possession and raid for a vital goal. It stemmed from a pacy counter-attack from Aaron Griffin to feed Shane Griffin whose shot was stopped before Conor Finnucane converted the rebound at 1-1 to 0-3.
Buoyed by that timely score, Lissycasey built upon that boost with a more clinical third quarter, outscoring a frustrating Parish side by 1-4 to 0-1 including an opportunist flick from Shane Griffin out of the grasp of goalkeeper Niall Duggan to the net by the turn of the final quarter at 2-5 to 0-4.
Despite Doora/Barefield’s late heroics, it was sufficient to secure victory for Lissycasey who still have much to work on ahead of their final outing against Cratloe, with Doora/Barefield also still in with a shot of a quarter-final berth too when they meet Kilmihil in a must win tie that will see the winners advance to the last nine and the loser to the relegation play-offs.
Scorers for Lissycasey: Conor Finnucane (1-4, 1f); Shane Griffin (1-1); Conner Meaney (0-2); Aaron Griffin (0-1)
Scorers for St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield: Tom McDonald (0-4, 2f); Eoghan Thynne (1-0); Dara Nagle, Tom Hannan, Joseph Rafferty, Nicki Hardiman (0-1 each)
Lissycasey:
1: Killian Normoyle
2: Cyril Sheehan
17: Martin Moran
4: Ryan Griffin
10: Luke Griffin
6: Seamus Collins
7: Niall Kelly
3: Matt O’Shea
9: Niall McCarthy
19: Cathal Doohan
11: Aaron Griffin
8: Enda Funnucane
15: Connor Meaney
14: Conor Finnucane
13: Shane Griffin
Sub:
12: Francie Hayes for McCarthy (55)
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield:
16: Niall Duggan
2: Peter Collins
3: Fionn Kelleher
4: Samuel Costello
5: James Curran
6: Jack Hannan
7: Cian McDonough
8: Eoin Hanrahan
10: Tom McDonald
11: Tom Hannan
9: Cian Barron
12: Kieran Thynne
15: Dara Nagle
14: Joseph Rafferty
13: Eoghan Thynne
Subs:
26: Conall Kelleher for Nagle (HT)
29: Darragh O’Shea for K. Thynne (42)
22: Nicki Hardiman for Curran (52)
30: Darragh Whelan for Costello (59)
Referee: Niall Quinn (St Joseph’s Miltown)
