CLARE PIHC: Big win for Bodyke, Tubber & Tulla return to winning ways & Corofin claim first points

*Patrick O’Connor charges out of defence for Tubber. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.

SIXMILEBRIDGE and Smith O’Briens look to be on course to battle it out in the Clare Premier Intermediate Championship (PIHC) relegation race while Bodyke and Whitegate are edging towards the knockout stages.

With one game left to play, both the Bridge and Smith O’Briens are without a win. The Bridge have to play Corofin while the North Clare side have this tie plus another versus Whiegate. Smith O’Briens’ last game is against Bodyke.

At the top end there is still plenty to play for as teams go in search of play off places. Whitegate and Bodyke are the only unbeaten sides with two wins each and the competition moves into round four. The top team in each group will go directly into the semi-finals with teams two and three qualifying for two quarter finals.

Whitegate and Clarecastle had byes in the third round. Round four will see games take place on Sunday September 6th.

Tubber in control as Sixmilebridge continue to slip

Tubber 2-28
Sixmilebridge 0-17
Venue: Clooney

Having lost narrowly to Whitegate last time out, Tubber returned to winning ways in the Clare PIHC on Saturday evening when defeating Sixmilebridge.

Two first half goals from Cathal McNamara gave the North Clare side a grip on the tie which they never relinquished.

Sixmilebridge had the better of matters in the opening quarter at the end of which they held a two point lead, 0-7 to 0-5.

Cathal McNamara’s first goal rocked the ‘Bridge and from there to half time they were outscored by the winners to the tune of 2-7 to 0-3
After that first goal, Tubber began to find holes in the Bridge defence, and they picked off some good scores.

Two points at the start of the second half gave a little bit of hope to Sixmilebridge, but the dominance of Tubber in many areas of the field, and their impressive ratio of scores, 35 shots on goal, yielding 30 scores proved decisive.

Gallery of photographs by Gerard O’Neill.

Scorers; Tubber: Cathal McNamara (2-1); Cathal Droney (0-5), Lorcan O’Grady (all frees); Osgar Dunford, Ronan Monahan (0-4) each; Jordan Nolan (0-3), Pat O’Connor, Clive Earley, Macauley Brennan (0-2) each; Blaine Earley (0-1)

Scorers Sixmilebridge: Cillian Murphy: (0-9), 6 frees, 1’65; Calum Phelan: (0-3) Ronan Touhy: (0-2) Dara Casey, Luke Keogh, Oisin Breen (0-1) each

Tubber;
1: Ronan Taaffe;

2: Fergal O’Grady,
3: Pappy Taaffe,
18: Joey Droney;

5: Ronan Monahan,
6: Pat O’Connor,
7: Joe Clancy;

9: Clive Earley
10: Lorcan O’Grady;

13: Osgar Dunford,
17: Senan Dunford,
15: Cathal Droney;

19: Macauley Brennan,
23: Jordan Nolan,
12: Cathal McNamara;

Sub:
25: Blaine Earley for F. O’Grady;

Sixmilebridge;
1: Derek Fahy;

2: Colm Flynn,
3: Brian Carey,
4: Adam Breen;

8: Jack O Halloran,
6: Caimin Morey,
14: Luke Keogh;

7: Oisin Breen,
9: Cillian Murphy;

18: Stephan Gavin,
10: Calum Phelan,
13: Seamus O’Connell;

17: Dara Casey
22: Dylan Keogh
15: Ronan Tuohy

Subs:
5: Mark Mullins for Gavin
20: Fionn Hayes for O’Connell
21: John Deasy for Oisin Breen (inj)
19: Rory Chaplin for Dara Casey
25: Kevin Lynch for Dylan Keogh

Referee: Johnnie Healy (Smith O’Briens)

Corofin claim first points at Parteen/Meelick’s expense

Corofin 3-22
Parteen/Meelick 4-16
Venue: Fr Murphy Memorial Park, Newmarket-on-Fergus

In a high scoring tie, Corofin overcame Parteen/Meelick to collect their first points of the campaign.

A first half goal from James Organ gave them a lead they held throughout, leading 1-11 to 0-8 at half time.

On a number of occasions throughout the tie the winners were six or seven points clear but Parteen/Meelick fought back.

James Organ scored a goal for Corofin. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.

Failure to convert a couple of gilt edge goal chances early in the second half proved costly for the South Clare side. The first fell to Gavin Marshal but Damien O’Loughlin got in a timely hook while Dara Nolan’s chance was saved by goalkeeper Oisin Tierney.

Later in the half Parteen/Meelick had another goal chance but Fionn Clancy got back to save on the line.

Returning from an injury which has kept him out of action for much of the season, Diarmuid Cahill’s first contribution to this game was to score a goal.

Parteen/Meelick hit back and Dara Nolan struck from two goals in the space of a few minutes but Gearoid Cahill responded with a Corofin goal.

With the game in injury time and three points between the sides, Parteen/Meelick won a 20m free. Jack Kirwan went for goal but his effort was saved ensuring that Corofin took the points.

Scorers Corofin: Gearóid Kelly 0-8 (0-5f); James Organ 1-4; Gearóid Cahill 1-4; Diarmuid Cahill 1-2; Kevin Keane 0-2; Seanán Kirby 0-1
Cillian McGroary 0-1;

Scorers Parteen/Meelick; Dara Nolan (2-2) Jack Kirwan (0-6, 5 frees); Daniel Cooney (1-2); Joe O’Connor (1-0); Mark McDermott, Donal Kenny (0-2) each; Gavin Marshall, Tom Collins (0-1) each

Corofin:
16: Oisín Tierney;

19: Cian O’Loughlin,
3: Fionn Clancy,
4: Marc O’Loughlin;

7: Eoin Davoren,
2: Damien O’Loughlin,
5: Cillian McGroary;

8: Gearóid Cahill,
9: Gearóid Kelly;

10: Kevin Keane,
14: Micheál Duffy,
15: Gearóid Hanrahan;

12” James Organ,
20: Michael Cahill,
13: Seanán Kirby;

Subs:
12: Diarmuid Cahill for Michael Cahill
17: Cian Doolin for Gearóid Hanrahan
18: Evan Doolin for Micheál Duffy

Parteen/Meelick;
16: Colm O’Connell

17: Hugo McDonald,
5: Jack Meaney
2: Dylan O Connell

4: Donal Kenny
6: Damien Moloney
7: Shane Fox

8: Dara McDermott,
9: Mark McDermott

10: Daniel Cooney
11: Dara Nolan
12: Jack Kirwan

13: Andrew Cleary,
14: Joe O Connor
15: Gavin Marshall

Subs:
23: Tom Collins 0-1 for Andrew Clery
19: Sean Maxwell for Hugo McDonald

Referee: Ian Daly (Newmarket-on-Fergus)

Big win for Bodyke versus Ruan

Bodyke 5-18
Ruan 5-13
Venue: Clooney

Bodyke followed up on their first round win over Tulla with victory over Ruan in a tie played at Clooney on Sunday.

Again they got off to a great start and they had two goals on the board in the first five minutes going on to hold a nine point lead at the break when the score was 3-12 to 2-6.

Ruan stormed back in the second half and they got to within a point of their opponents but Bodyke then struck for a goal and this powered them on to victory on a day when Ian Murray top scored with 2-4 with Seanie Doyle chipping in with 1-5 while Robin Mounsey top scored for Ruan with 2-2.

When the sides met in the Division 3 final in recent months, it was a storming finish from Ruan inspired by Aidan Lynch where they hit the last five points to record a one point victory.

This time round, Bodyke were determined not to suffer the same fate and have really strengthened their cause of making the knockout stages with successive victories. Overcoming both Tulla and Ruan has underlined their credentials as championship contenders.

Scorers Bodyke: Ian Murray (2-4); Seanie Doyle (1-5); Cathal Doyle (penalty), Tiernan Slattery (1-0) each; Paddy Fitzgerald, Fionn Slattery (0-2) each; Sean Og Kilkenny, Kevin Drost,, Sean Wiley, Cathal Doyle, Cathal McKenna (0-1) each.

Scorers Ruan: Robin Mounsey (2-2); Frankie Lyons (1-2); Jack McDonagh (1-1); Aidan Lynch (0-5); Shane Punch (1-0); James Cullinan, Ryan Power, Daniel Guinnane (0-1) each

Bodyke
1: Cormac Doyle;

2: Sean Óg Kilkenny,
3: Éanna Doyle,
4: Tommy Wiley;

5: Kevin Drost,
6: Cian Minogue,
7: Sean Wiley;

15: Fionn Slattery,
17: Cathal Doyle;

9: Tiernan Slattery,
11: Cathal McKenna,
12: Ian Murray;

18: Seanie Doyle,
24: Tommy Minogue,
13: Paddy Fitzgerald;

Subs:
10: Michael O’Brien for E. Doyle;
14: Sean Browne for T. Minogue

Ruan;
1: Keelan Mounsey

4: Ashley Brohan,
2: Tom O’Halloran,
3: Patrick O’Gorman;

5: Jason Power,
6: James Cullinan,
7: Piaras Ó Sé

8: Ryan Power,
10: Patrick O’Halloran;

17: Christian Cummins,
11: Robin Mounsey,
12: Shane Punch

20: Daniel Guinnane,
14: Aidan Lynch,
15: Frankie Lyons;

Subs:
18: Jamie Ryan for T. O’Halloran
13: Jack McDonagh for C. Cummins
27: Diarmuid Hastings for D. Guinnane;
9: Darragh McInerney for P. O’Halloran;

Referee: Brendan Hannon (O’Callaghans Mills)

Tulla return to winning ways

Tulla 2-19
Smith O’Briens 0-10
Venue: Whitegate;

First half goals from Colin Corbett and Seán Withycombe sent Tulla on the road to victory in the third outing for both clubs.
The winners, bouncing back from their loss to Bodyke last time out, were ten points clear at the interval and they maintained this advantage to the end.

Early in the second half both sides were reduced to fourteen when Tulla’s Liam McInerney and Smith O’Briens substitute Micheál Ryan saw red following an altercation.

Emmet Mulcahy. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.

Emmet Mulcahy continued his good form when hitting 0-11 for the winners whose remaining game in the group stage is against Ruan, a tie that has a lot on the line for both sides given they have each lost a game.

Scorers Tulla: Emmet Mulcahy (0-11), Colin Corbett, Seanie Withycombe (1-1) each; Darragh Corry, Andrew Conheady (0-2) each,
Ryan Hayes, William Halpn (0-1) each

Scorers Smith O’Briens: Anthony Walsh (0-5); Mike Gough (0-2); Brendan Minogue (0-2); Keith Stritch (0-1)

Tulla:
1: Dan Vaughan;

2: Liam McInerney,
3: Kevan Conlon,
29: Fergal Kearney;

4: Dara Ryan,
6: David McInerney,
5: Ryan Hayes;

8: Cathal Culloo,
19: Éanna Culloo;

12: Willian Halpin,
25: Seán Withycombe,
9: Dan Withycombe;

15: Emmet Mulcahy,
11: Darragh Corry,
14: Colin Corbett;

Subs:
18: Andrew Conheady for S. Wthycombe;
20: Jack McSweeney for D. Corry;
19: Shane Hunt for W. Halpin;
7: Padraig Mulconry for D. McInerney

Smith O’Briens;
16: Adrian Power;

18: Cian Lenihan,
28: Sean Mc|Mahon,
4: Diarmuid Coleman;

6: David Gough,
8: Cathal Stritch,
10: Conor Geraghty;

15: Brendan Minogue,
3: Stephen Geraghty;