*Éire Óg’s Darren Moroney doesn’t let the hurley of Feakle’s Oisin Clune distract him. Photograph: Mike Brennan
FOURTEEN MAN Éire Óg held off the challenge of county champions Feakle by four points, a result that sees both sides advance to the quarter-finals.
Éire Óg 3-16
Feakle 1-18
Venue: Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg, Ennis
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Éire Óg were fancied to emerge as winners in this third round tie in Group 3 but they were made battle all the way by the East Clare side.
For the majority of the second half, the winners played with fourteen men. Aaron Fitzgerald picked up a second yellow card which ended his involvement in the game, five minutes into the second half.
Feakle were dealt a huge blow earlier in the week when Shane McGrath suffered a knee injury in training. A scan later this week will determine the seriousness of the injury. Already without inter-county goalkeeper Eibhear Quilligan who is due to have surgery on his injured knee this week, their supporters will be happy that they are through to the knockout stage of the championship.
The respective freetakers, Danny Russell and Oisin Donnelllan exchanged points in the opening two minutes before Éire Óg opened a three point lead.
As the game entered the second quarter Donnellan converted a long range effort to level the tie at 0-6 each.
Two minutes later Feakle were awarded a penalty but David Reidy’s effort was superbly saved by Liam O’Connor.
A brace from Russell had the Ennis men two ahead when Feakle pounced for a goal from Oisin O’Connor who was put through by Seven Conway. Four points followed from Donnellan as the champions took a four point lead to the break, 1-10 to 0-9.
Éire Óg resumed with two changes to their attack, Tadhg Kavanagh and Darren O’Brien replacing David McNamara and Luca Cleary.
Calls for a free to Feakle in an attacking position were ignored and the winners quickly launched a counter attack which ended with a Marco Cleary goal.
David Reidy followed with a point to level the tie before Danny Russell found the net to give his side a lead they would hold to the finish.
It was 2-12 to 1-12 in the Ennis side’s favour as the game entered the final quarter. Then Russell struck for his second goal to put six between the teams.
They swapped points twice before Feakle landed three in a row leaving a goal between the sides when four minutes of ‘added time’ were signalled.
The champions fought gallantly but fourteen-man Éire Óg held on for victory and top spot in the group.
Ciaran Russell, Robert Loftus, Rian Mulcahy, Oran Cahill and Danny Russell had their moments for the winners who will need to deliver a more consistent display if they are to progress further in the competition.
(All photographs by Mike Brennan)
Adam Hogan, Eoin Tuohy, Ronan and Oisin O’Connor, Steven Conway and Oisin Donnellan were prominent for Feakle.
The game, it must be said, saw the winners struggle throughout the first half and they were a little fortunate to be just four points in arrears when the half time whistle sounded.
Inter county men, Shane O’Donnell and David Reidy were well policed in that opening period and for the second game in a row their contribution to the score wasn’t as big as might have been expected. Credit for this must go to a hard working Feakle defence.
The standard of free-taking was very high with Danny Russell once again leading the way for the Townies with an impressive haul of 2-10 while Feakle showed that they have an able deputy for Shane McGrath in their captain Oisin Donnelllan who landed 0-11, converting frees from a variety of angles and distances.
The game produced a couple of flash points and referee Eoghan O’Leary issued yellow cards to a member of each backroom team in separate incidents. The card to the Éire Óg mentor was somewhat surprising as it was to a member of their medical team who, it appeared, went onto the playing area to tend to a player who had taken a knock.
Aaron Fitzgerald’s sending off, on a second yellow, came when his side were just a point in arrears. As has been the case on many occasions in the past, the team short a player did better and, in this case, Éire Óg made better use of the ball in the remaining twenty five minutes.
On a number of occasions this season, Éire Óg manager Gerry O’Connor has said that building a strong panel has been a key part of their preparations over recent years. On Sunday they brought on the maximum five allowed highlighting the strength of their squad.
Scorers Éire Óg: Danny Russell (2-10, 0-6 frees, 0-2 ‘65’s) Marco Cleary (1-1); David Reidy (0-2); Oran Cahill, Shane O’Donnell, Tom Kavanagh (0-1) each
Scorers Feakle: Oisin Donnellan (0-11, 8 frees, 1 ‘65) Oisin O’Connor (1-1); Steven Conway (0-3), Ronan O’Connor (0-2), Patrick Daly (0-1)
Éire Óg:
1: Darragh Stack
2: Fionan Treacy
3: Ciaran Russell
4: Liam Corry
5: Robert Loftus
6: Aaron Fitzgerald
7: Rian Mulcahy
8: Oran Cahill
9: Darren Moroney
10: Shane O’Donnell
11: David Reidy
12: David McNamara
20: Luca Cleary
14: Danny Russell
15: Marco Cleary
Subs:
25: Tom Kavanagh for D. McNamara (HT)
13: Darren O’Brien for Cleary (HT)
24: Aidan McGrath for Corry (41)
19: Conor Perrill for D Moroney (46);
21: Niall McMahon for F. Treacy (52)
Feakle;
16: Liam O’Connor
17: Eoghan Daly
5: Adam Hogan
3: Evan McMahon
2: Killian Bane
25: Conn Smyth
6: Eoin Tuohy
8: Enda Noonan
9: Ronan O’Connor;
10: Oisin Donnellan
4: Oisin Clune
14: Ray Bane
7: Patrick Daly
13: Steven Conway
15: Oisin O’Connor
Subs:
20: Owen McGann for E. Noonan (47)
17: Eoghan Daly for K. Bane (52)
19: Gary Guilfoyle for C. Smyth (55)
Referee: Eoghan O’Leary (Whitegate)
