Photograph: Martin Cooper
BROADFORD retained the under 21 B hurling title when they recorded a one point win over Éire Óg before a big attendance at Meelick on Sunday afternoon.
Broadford 0-14
Éire Óg 1-10
Venue: Meelick
Not for the first time in this campaign, the East Clare side put in a strong finish to claim the title which resulted in Clare GAA chairman Kieran Keating presenting the cup to joint captains David Boland and Oisin Kavanagh.
Having previously come from behind to eliminate Newmarket-on-Fergus and Ballyea, Broadford again showed their nerves of steel and composure but on the most-important day of the campaign.
A Luca Cleary goal helped the Ennis side to lead at the break when the score was 1-8 to 0-9. It was a fairly evenly contested first half with points exchanged on a regular basis.
Niall O’Farrell was, again, the East Clare side’s top scorer with some great scores from play while Oisin Kavanagh fired over four points on the day.
Full-forward Michael Heneghan had helped the Townies into an early two point lead before O’Farrell opened his account on eight minutes and levelled matters through a free a minute later.
Andrew McElwee and O’Farrell swapped scores before Eoghan Gunning and Oisin Kavanagh shoved Broadford ahead for the first time on fifteen minutes.
Cleary’s goal on twenty four minutes gave Éire Óg momentum and they finished the half with three of the last four scores including Cleary’s goal and points from James O’Dwyer and Jarlath Collins.
They made the lead three points on the restart with another placed ball from Collins before O’Farrell and James Tuite reduced the deficit to the minimum.
Clare U20 O’Farrell hit the equaliser on forty six minutes, this was followed by scores from Denis Fahy and two from Oisin Kavanagh capping off a run of five scores without reply for the East Clare side.
Conor Perril hit back with two points for Éire Óg leaving just a single score between the sides but the coveted equalizer never arrived for the Ennis side.
O’Farrell, Conor O’Donnell and Kavanagh were prominent throughout for the winners while wing back Sam Cooper delivered an excellent display.
The absence of Oran Cahill due to injury was a huge blow to the Éire Óg outfit. The inter county man, a dual performer with his club, had played a key role in earlier rounds.
Scorers Broadford: N O’Farrell (0-8 5f), O Kavanagh (0-3), E Gunning (0-1), J Tuite (0-1), D Fahy (0-1)
Scorers Éire Óg: J Collins (0-4 4f), L Cleary (1-0), M Heneghan (0-2), C Perill (0-2 1f), A McElwee (0-1), J O’Dwyer (0-1).
Broadford: Peter O’Farrell; Cathal O’Sullivan, David Boland, T.J. Dillon; Sam Cooper, Conor O’Donnell, Mark Gunning; Niall O’Farrell, Gearoid Vaughan; Alan O’Brien, Eoghan Gunning, Denis Fahy; Oisin Kavanagh, Cormac O’Brien, James Tuite;
Subs: Jack Slattery for A. O’Brien; Paul McNamara for C. O’ Brien; Alan O’Brien for P. McNamara (inj.);
Éire Óg: Darragh Stack; Sam Power, Fionnan Treacy, Luke Pyne; Robert Loftus, Jarlath Collins, Cillian Moroney; Conor Perrill, Jack Lynch; Eoin Guilfoyle, Michael Heneghan, Andrew McElwee; James O’Dwyer, Luca Cleary, Marco Cleary;
Subs: Harry Kavanagh for J. Lynch; Micheal Foley for O’Dwyer; Sean Mullooly for Heneghan;
Referee: Kevin Corry (Sixmilebridge)
