*Ian Galvin gets away from Conor Grogan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
CHAMPIONS Clonlara have sealed their place in the quarter-finals of the TUS Clare SHC after bouncing back from their second-round defeat to Éire Óg in impressive fashion to send Clooney/Quin into the relegation series.
Clonlara 3-26
Clooney/Quin 2-17
Venue: O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge
It was a comfortable victory for the champions who left no doubt that they will have a big say in where the Canon Hamilton resides.
Clooney/Quin went into this game knowing that a victory was a must if they were to have any chance of remaining in the race for the 2024 title.
Their start suggested that they might pull off the win they needed as they landed 0-3 without reply in as many minutes but inter county stars John Conlon and Ian Galvin quickly made it clear that the champions were not going to relinquish the title easily as they landed 1-1, the goal coming from Galvin after Conlon had opened his side’s account.
Two minutes later the winners had another 1-1 on the board through Mihael Collins and Aidan Moriarty who found the net and when they repeated the feat by the twelfth minute, the third goal coming from Micheal O’Loughlin, the enormity of the task facing Clooney/Quin was stark.
By half time the winners were ten points clear, 3-13 to 0-12 and well on their way to the play offs. Points were swapped twice in the opening minutes of the second half before the winners hit with 0-6 without reply to push their lead out to sixteen points as the midpoint of the second half approached.
A goal from substitute Martin Duggan gave Clooney/Quin a glimmer of hope going into the final quarter and they had a second major six minutes from time when Peter Duggan blasted a 20m free to the net.
To their credit Clooney/Quin battled to the end but Clonlara remained in control in a die when Ian Galvin, John Conlon, Michael Collins, Diarmuid Stritch, Colm Galvin, Dylan McMahon and Paraic O’Loughlin were to the fore.
John Connelly returned from injury to play his first game in this season’s championship for Clooney/Quin on a day when Shane McNamara, Jimmy Corry, Callum Hassett and Peter Duggan fought hard throughout.
Scorers Clonlara: Micheal O’Loughlin (1-8, 0-5 frees), Ian Galvin (1-6), Aidan Moriary (1-2); John Conlon (0-4), Diarmuid Stritch, Michael Collins, (0-2) each, Colm O’Meara, Cathal O’Connel (0-1 each
Scorers Clooney/Quin: Peter Duggan (1-7, 1-6 frees); Martin Duggan (1-1) Callum Hassett (0-3) Darragh |Keogh, Jimmy Corry (0-2) each; Donagh O’Sullivan, Ryan Taylor (0-1) each
Clonlara;
1: Seimi Gully
2: Logan Ryan
3: Dylan McMahon
4: Michael Clancy;
5: Paraic O’Loughlin
6: Colm Galvin
7: David Fitzgerald;
15: Cathal O’Connell
12: Diarmuid Stritch
10: Colm O’Meara
11: John Conlon,
9: Aidan Moriarty
13: Micheal O’Loughlin
14: Ian Galvin;
20: Michael Collins
Subs:
8: Jathan McMahon for L. Ryan (16)
19: Eoin Begley for M. O’Loughli (47\)
17: Micheal Stritch for M. Collins (55)
26: Kieran Galvin for A. Moriarty 961)
Clooney/Quin:
1: Cillian Duggan;
2: Brian McInerney
6: Conor Grogan
4: Cillian O’Gara
5: Darragh Keogh
19: Shane McNamara
7: John Conneally
8: Jimmy Corry
9: Ryan Taylor
10: Peter Duggan
3: Evan Maxted
12: Mike Corry
23: Donagh O’Sullivan
14: Callum Hassett
15: Sam Scanlan
Subs:
13: Dannan Fox for M. Corry (35)
26: Martin Duggan for O’Sullivan (39)
Referee: Jarlath Donnellan (Wolfe Tones)
