Feakle/Killanena upset a fancied Clooney/Quin side to progress to the final of the Clare Minor A hurling championship.
Feakle/Killanena 1-16
Clooney/Quin 1-15
Venue: Dr Stuart Park, Ogonnelloe
Just one point separated the teams at the final whistle as a Keith Smyth inspired Feakle/Killanena teed up a final clash with Corofin/Ruan.
Indeed it would be the former Clare minor hurler from Killanena that would score the all-important winning point in the final moments of Tuesday’s clash in East Clare having already hit the back of the net to score their only goal. Over the hour, he hit a personal tally of 1-13.
Joint captain Jamie Canny also led the way from corner back as the Tommy Guilfoyle trained Feakle/Killanena edged past Clooney/Quin who are coached by Fergal Lynch. The defeated side were in fact on top for large spells of the contest but the East Clare amalgamation dug deep to grind out the victory.
Speaking on Scariff Bay Radio following the win, selector Sean Glynn admitted, “We are where we want to be now”. He added, “I don’t even know how we won that one, just pure heart and determination, maybe we wanted a little bit more than them, we were underdogs coming in and that’s the position you prefer to be in”.
They will wear the underdogs tag for the final when they face Corofin/Ruan, a fact which is bolstered by the North Clare side beating Inagh/Kilnamona by fourteen points whereas Inamona overcame Feakle/Killanena by a margin of fifteen points.
“We are disappointed, we came today with a plan and it worked for forty minutes until Keith got that wonder goal which he is capable of doing any day and that was the difference. Fair dues to Feakle/Killanena, they battled and fought to the end and it just shows the character they have,” former Clare minor hurling manager Fergal Lynch commented.
Feakle/Killanena:
1: Seamus O’Donnell
2: Ryan Keane
3: Adam Hogan
4: Jamie Canny
5: Enda Madden
6: Oisin Clune
7: Eoghan Daly
8: Ronan O’Connor
9: Ian McNamara
10: Matthew Purcell
11: Darren McMahon
12: Oisin O’Connor
13: James Greene
14: Keith Smyth
15: Gearoid Keane
Clooney/Quin:
1: Cormac O’Halloran
2: Martin Frain
3: Callum Beirne
4: John Cahill
5: John Conneelly
6: Eoin Guilfoyle
7: Evan Maxted
8: Tomás Ó Cearbhalláin
9: Jack O’Neill
23: Darragh Keogh
11: Colm Cassidy
12: Callum Hassett
13: Dylan Cunningham
14: Sean McGrath
15: Shane Harrison
Referee: Eoghan O’Leary
