*Tulla’s Ryan Hayes is knocked over by a challenge from Mark Flaherty of Killanena. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
ROUND four of the inaugural Clare Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship has made the way to the knockout stages somewhat clearer.
Killanena’s draw with Tulla following their two previous defeats puts them out of the championship ahead of the final round. In Group 1, O’Callaghans Mills are guaranteed of a spot in the knockout stages with five points from three games.
They play Parteen/Meelick in their final group game, a game Parteen-Meelick must win if they are to maintain their slim chance of advancing. A win for the South Clare side and a loss for Tubber this week would leave Parteen/Meelick, Tubber and Tulla level on 4 points each and it would then come down to score difference to separate the teams.
If Killanena manage to beat Tubber and Parteen/Meelick lose to O’Callaghans Mills then it will be Parteen/Meelick and not Killanena in the relegation final.
Group 2 is very much up in the air with the refixture between Bodyke and Whitegate to take place on Tuesday in Dr Daly Park, Tulla. No team from this group is assured of a place in the knockout stages.
At this stage Clarecastle lead the group with four points from their four group games. Ruan and Sixmilebridge each have three points with a game to play. Ruan play Bodyke and Sixmilebridge meet Whitegate in their final group games. Bodyke and Whitegate each have two points from their two games to date so the outcome of their fixture is, clearly, vitally important.
Tubber dominate second half exchanges
Tubber 0-22
Parteen/Meelick 0-10
Venue: Gurteen
With just the minimum separating the sides at half time, there was much discussion amongst patrons at Gurteen on Friday evening as to the likely outcome of this TUS premier intermediate hurling championship contest with opinions about equally divided as to who would take home the points.
Both Tubber and Parteen/Meelick went into the tie with one win and one loss each so both realised that victory would edge them closer to the knockout stage of the competition.
Given the way the first half had gone, it’s fair to say that few, if indeed any, foresaw the one-sided manner of the play in the second half.
The teams exchanged points inside the opening minute before Tubber landed three in a row. Parteen/Meelick hit back and the teams were level at 0-3 each after seven minutes.
It was point for point from here to the half time whistle with the respective freetakers, Jack Kirwan for Parteen/Meelick and Lorcan O’Grady to the fore.
Points were swapped early in the second half before Tubber landed three in a row. Kirwan pulled one back before another three in a row pushed the winners into a six point lead, 0-15 to 0-9.
From here they grew in confidence and they held their opponents scoreless in the final quarter while adding 0-7 to their own tally.
Parteen/Meelick made a few raids but the Tubber defence held the upperhand and they snuffed out any danger, putting themselves in a strong position for a place in the knock out stage of the championship.
They play Killlanena in their final game.
Joey Droney, Pappy Taaffe, James Howard, Cathal Droney and the Dunford brothers were prominent throughout for the winners.
Oisin Hickey, Donal Kenny, Nathan Fox, Dara Nolan and Jack Kirwan were best for the South Clare side on an evening when their forward line struggled to make an impression.
Tubber: Ronan Taaffe (0-1, f); Darragh O’Connor, Fergal O’Grady, Joey Droney; Pappy Taaffe, Patrick O’Connor (0-1), James Howard; Joe Clancy (0-1), Cathal Droney (0-2); Osgar Dunford (0-1), Padraig Kelly, Lorcan O’Grady (0-11, 10 frees) Blaine Earley (0-1), Senan Dunford (0-3), Ronan Monahan;
Subs; Clive Earley for B. Earley; Mark Earley (0-1) for J.Clancy; Macauley Brennan for O. Dunford
Parteen/Meelick: Oisin Hickey; Sean Connolly, Shane Fox, Donal Kenny; Noel Bridgeman, Nathan Fox, Mark McDermott; Darragh McDermott, Ruaidhri Nolan (0-1); Rory McDermott, Dara Nolan (0-3) Daniel Cooney; Andrew Cleary, Jack Kirwan (0-6, 5f), Joe O’Connor;
Subs; Gearoid Reddy for R.McDermott; Eoin Barrett for R. Nolan; Jack Meaney for S Fox; Peter Small for A Cleary;
Referee: Johnnie Healy (Smith O’Briens)
Share of the spoils not enough to keep Killanena in championship
Killanena 1-18
Tulla 1-18
Venue: The Evicted Field, Bodyke
By Páraic McMahon
A dramatic finish saw Tulla take the lead at the death with a spectacular Tony Leyden only for Keith Smyth to point with the last strike of the game forcing a draw between the East Clare sides.
Smyth’s equaliser is not enough to keep last year’s semi-finalists in the championship, following defeats in their first two outings they needed a win to stay in the hunt ahead of the final round.
Tulla have a bye in the final round where they will be hoping O’Callaghans Mills overcome Parteen/Meelick to seal their passage to the quarter-finals. Should the Mills be defeated then the South Clare side go level on points with Tulla who sit on four points from as many outings, Tubber currently have four points to their name also and play Killanena in the final round so three teams could be tied on points by the conclusion of the group stages.
Level ten times throughout the tie, the sides finished all square with a dramatic finish.
Killanena hit three points without reply to carve out a two point lead with sixty minutes on the clock. Additional time brought with it twists and turns including a red card for Killanena manager Jason O’Brien for criticising the match officials.
With a wonderful volley first-time, Tony Leyden put Tulla back in front on sixty five minutes. Colm McInerney gathered possession and offloaded to Colin Corbett but his shot was stopped by Colm Moloney and fell in the direction of defender Leyden who pulled first-time in the air on the sliotar driving it to the back of the net.
There was another chance and it fell to Keith Smyth who split the posts from distance to secure the draw for Killanena and their first points of the championship.
Early scores from Seán Withycombe and Emmet Mulcahy put Tulla in front but Killanena drew level for the first time on seven minutes. By the end of the first quarter, they went in front for the first time with an excellent Tobias O’Mara point followed by a Smyth effort to make it 0-6 0-5.
Withycombe brothers Seán and Dan helped Tulla fire over three points on the bounce before Smyth and Mulcahy traded efforts.
Seamus O’Donnell bagged the first goal of the game when he managed to get a flick to the sliotar as it dropped into the square, enough of a touch to put the ball beyond Tulla netminder Dan Vaughan. Ronan Molloy replied for Tulla to leave them trailing by a single point at the interval, the break seeing Killanena goalkeeper Colm Moloney pick up a yellow card as tempers flared when the sides headed for the dressing room.
Brian Quinn’s Tulla started the second half the stronger with three points in the first five minutes to regain the lead, one they extended to three points by the forty fourth minute.
Long range efforts from Cathal Noonan, two placed balls from goalkeeper Moloney plus O’Mara’s second score saw Killanena draw level on the fifty first minute. The sides exchanged twice as the lead swung towards Killanena as the game entered additional time but by Fergal O’Brien’s final whistle the sides were tied.
Having produced their strongest display of this year’s championship, Killanena will be disappointed that it was insufficient to keep them in the race, an ache that is made greater considering how well they fared last season when reaching the last four. The backward step of not even emerging from their group will be tough to stomach. Keith Smyth, Tobias O’Mara and Ronan Keane impressed for them.
A second draw in a row keeps Tulla in the race for the Paddy Browne Cup but their manner of fading in and out of games is something to rectify from their end. Seán Withycombe is one of their danger men and finished with seven points but he’ll be relieved with the draw considering his three missed frees in the second half would have been scrutinised more if they exited the PIHC. He was one of their lively forwards with Ronan Molloy, Éanna Culloo, Ryan Hayes and Tony Leyden also stepping up.
Scorers Killanena: K Smyth (0-10 5f), S O’Donnell (1-0), T O’Mara (0-2), C Moloney (0-2 2f), C Noonan (0-2), M Flaherty (0-1), A Moloney (0-1).
Scorers Tulla: S Withycombe (0-7 7f), R Molloy (0-4), T Leyden (1-0), E Mulcahy (0-2), C Corbett (0-2), D Withycombe (0-1), D Meehan (0-1), D Corry (0-1).
Killanena: Colm Moloney; Darren McMahon, Jason Keehan, Donal Moloney; Ian Macnamara, Cathal Noonan, Ronan Keane; Michael Smyth, Shane Broderick; Mark Flaherty, Tobias O’Mara, Keith Smyth; Ronan Bowes, Seamie O’Donnell, Aaron Moloney.
Tulla: Daniel Vaughan; Liam McInerney, Kevan Conlon, Fionn Ryan; Tony Leyden, Ryan Hayes, Padraic Mulconroy; David Meehan, Éanna Culloo; Seán Withycombe, Dan Withycombe, Ronan Molloy; Colin Corbett, Daragh Corry, Emmet Mulcahy.
Subs: William Halpin for Mulcahy (51), Colm McInerney for D Withycombe (61) (inj)
Referee: Fergal O’Brien (Broadford)
Gallery of photographs by Gerard O’Neill.
Doyle injury forces abandonment of Bodyke vs Whitegate
An injury to Bodyke full back Eanna Doyle led to the Bodyke vs Whitegate game being abandoned with six minutes remaining in the first half at Scariff on Friday evening.
At the time Whitegate held a two point lead, 1-5 to 0-6 and all the indications were that it would be a close affair.
Indeed Bodyke were somewhat unlucky not to have been ahead at this point as a Paddy Fitzgerald penalty had been saved by Andrew Fahey in the Whitegate goal while Bodyke also had a goal disallowed.
There was a long delay as Doyle received attention on the pitch before he was removed by helicopter to hospital.
Bridge keep play-off hopes alive with shock win over Clarecastle
Sixmilebridge 1-19
Clarecastle 1-15
Venue: Shannon
In the shock of the weekend, Sixmilebridge’s second string overturned Clarecastle.
Both The Bridge and Clarecastle fell to surprise losses in the previous round when going down to Bodyke and Ruan respectively.
They were anxious to return to winning ways and it was particularly true in Sixmilebridge’s case as they only had a draw to their name prior to this so victory was essential for them to remain in the race.
There was little between the sides throughout and, in fact, they went to the break on level terms at 1-10 for the Magpies to 0-13, the goal having come from Oisin Whelan.
The second half started well for Clarecastle with Colin Brigdale and Darragh Healy raising white flags, while substitute Evan Price also got on the scoresheet helping Clarecastle to briefly edge in front, but the Bridge always found a response.
They got in front around the middle of the second half and from there to the finish they managed to stay ahead.
The decisive moment came in the closing stages when Sixmilebridge struck for a goal from Cathal Lynch which ensured that they left with the points and their hopes of making the play offs alive.
Team captain Caimin Morey, Dara Fitzgerald and Cathal Lynch led the way for the winners.
Sixmilebridge: Mark Sheedy; Adam Breen, Aidan Quilligan, Oisin Breen (0-1); Seamus O’Connell, Caimin Morey (0-2, 1f, 1’65); Dara Fitzgerald (0-1); Dylan Downes (0-1), Cathaoir Agnew (0-1); Fionn Hayes (0-1), Jack Corry (0-1), Ronan Tuohy; Daniel Chaplin, Cathal Lynch (1-3), Paul Corry (0-8, 6f)
Subs; Callum Phelan for D. Chaplin; Cillian Custy for F. Hayes;
Clarecastle: Cian Broderick; Ronan Donnelly, Stephen O’Halloran, Filip Wiechinski; Aaron Hayes, Darragh Healy (0-1), Josh Brack; Conor Whelan (0-2), Colin Brigdale (0-1); Oisin Whelan (1-4), Rory O’Connell (0-2), Conor Halpin; Paul O’Connell, Conor Ralph (0-1), Harry Doherty (0-1).
Subs: Eoghan Wallace for H. Doherty; Evan Price (0-1) for C. Halpin; James Doherty for C. Ralph; Harry Doherty for C. Whelan;
Referee: Jim Hickey (Cratloe)
Gallery of photographs by Chris Copley
Regular intermediate:
Meanwhile in the race for the regular inermediae championship a number of teams have secured their places in the knockout stage.
Inagh/Kilnamona and Ogonnellloe are unbeaten in group 1 as are Kilmaley and Smith O’Briens in group 2. The final round of group games will take place this weekend.
