*Shane O’Donnell is fouled. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
ÉIRE ÓG have qualified for a tenth successive Clare SHC quarter-final after dismantling the challenge of Wolfe Tones when recording a fourteen point win.
Éire Óg 1-26
Wolfe Tones 1-12
Venue: Fr Murphy Memorial Park, Newmarket-on-Fergus
The Clare Echo’s online coverage of the Clare SHC is with thanks to The Temple Gate Hotel
In the clash of the towns, Ennis ran supreme over Shannon as Éire Óg were deserving winners in the second round of Group 3.
Winning margins of nine and fourteen points respectively in the first two rounds have secured a spot in the knockout stages for an impressive Éire Óg outfit who very smart when in possession.
Wolfe Tones finished with thirteen men, a straight red card ended Stephen Donnellan’s involvement with fifty minutes played and Aron Shanagher was shown a second yellow card for an off the ball incident with Aaron Fitzgerald two minutes from the end of normal time. The outcome was clear long before their dismissals as the Ennis men had dominated the exchanges from an early stage. They led by nine points at the halfway stage and when play resumed they landed the opening four points of the new half.
Danny Russell with 1-13 was Éire Óg’s top scorer over the hour accounting for half their tally. It was at midfield where they really pulled the strings, not alone did Oran Cahill and Darren Moroney chip in with three points each but they showed a composure on the ball and provided precision delivery to their forward line.
David Reidy was kept scoreless over the hour for the winners but he was heavily involved in creating scores including an excellent catch from the sky before popping off for Darren O’Brien in the second quarter and his danger saw Wolfe Tones defenders foul him on several occasions.
It was 0-3 to 0-2 to the winners after five minutes. Four in a row, three from Russell, followed as the Ennismen began to stamp their authority on the game.
An incident involving a number of players as the half time whistle sounded resulted in yellow cards for Aaron Fitzgerald and Evan O’Gorman before play resumed.
A cross-field breeze was more favourable to Éire Óg in the opening half and they led 0-14 0-5 by the sounding of the half-time whistle, Fitzgerald and Liam Corry both pointing long range efforts from the half-back line.
Dean Devanney was absent from the Wolfe Tones side and his presence was missed in the middle third where the Ennis side controlled matters. Barry Keane’s side assigned the Lohan brothers, Darragh and Daithí to patrol Shane O’Donnell and Marco Cleary respectively. Similar to Reidy, O’Donnell was involved in linking up with teammates for scores and winning frees.
While Éire Óg started the second half with four points in succession, Wolfe Tones then hit 1-2 without reply, the goal a booming clearance from Daithí Lohan dropped short with Aaron Cunningham the last to touch the sliotar with his hand to put the ball past Darragh Stack. Éire Óg hit back strongly and three more from Russell and one from Darren Moroney killed off the Shannon side’s weak challenge
Another run of four points on the bounce saw Gerry O’Connor’s Éire Óg build up a twelve point lead by the forty seventh minute. Russell struck for his goal on forty nine minutes leaving Tones netminder Oisin O’Rourke with no chance of making a save.
Ciaran Russell, Robert Loftus, Aaron Fitzgerald, Oran Cahill, and Darren Moroney impressed for Gerry O’Connor’s charges.
For a disappointing Wolfe Tones, Rory Hayes, Jack Cunninghm, Cian O’Rourke and Aron Shanagher did best.
Scorers Éire Óg: Danny Russell (1-13 9f 1’65 1SC), Oran Cahill (0-3), Darren Moroney (0-3), Marco Cleary (0-2), Darren O’Brien (0-1), Aaron Fitzgerald (0-1), Liam Corry (0-1), Conor Perrill (0-1), Aidan McGrath (0-1).
Scorers Wolfe Tones: Cian O’Rourke (0-6 5f 1’65), Aaron Cunningham (1-1)
Aron Shanagher (0-3), Jack Cunningham (0-2), Rory Hayes (0-1)
Éire Óg:
1: Darragh Stack
2: Fionan Treacy
3: Ciaran Russell
7: Rian Mulcahy
5: Robert Loftus
6: Aaron Fitzgerald
4: Liam Corry
8: Oran Cahill
9: Darren Moroney
12: David McNamara
11: David Reidy
13: Darren O’Brien
14: Danny Russell
10: Shane O’Donnell
15: Marco Cleary
Subs:
22: Eoin O’Regan for O’Brien (46)
25: Tom Kavanagh for McNamara (50)
19: Conor Perrill for Cleary (53)
21: Niall McMahon for Russell (55)
24: Aidan McGrath for O’Regan (57) (inj)
17: Jarlath Collins for Fitzgerald (60) (inj)
Wolfe Tones:
1: Oisin O’Rourke
3: Daithí Lohan
9: Darragh Lohan
7: Sam Meaney
8: Rory Hayes
6: Evan O’Gorman
5: John Guilfoyle
10: Stephen Donnellan
12: Jack Cunningham
20: Colin Riordan
13: Aaron Cunningham
19: Gavin Carrig
18: Dylan Frawley
11: Aron Shanagher
14: Cian O’Rourke
Subs:
4: Conor Ferns for Riordan (HT)
Referee: Kevin Corry (Sixmilebridge)
