Determined Broadford knock Clonlara out of Clare SHC

*Shane Taylor under pressure from Cathal ‘Tots’ O’Connell. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill

The 2019 intermediate champions Broadford booked a place in the senior championship quarter finals when they defeated a fancied Clonlara outfit at Cusack Park this Sunday afternoon.

Broadford 0-17
Clonlara 0-15
Venue: Cusack Park, Ennis

The result marks another disappointing exit from the senior campaign for Clonlara who have promised much over the last decade. Their cause wasn’t helped by the fact that they were forced into late changes with both Colm Galvin and Oisin O’Brien ruled out of their starting line up.

While both were introduced during the game, an all round hungrier Broadford emerged as deserving winners.

At the end of an evenly fought first half Broadford led by the minimum margin, 0-10 to 0-9. Clonlara started well and Mícheál O’Loughlin pointed in the first and second minutes to give them the lead. By the eighth minute the sides were level at 0-4 each, Craig Chaplin’s effort from midfield levelling the tie for the first of three times in the opening half.

Broadford piled on the pressure on the resumption and struck four unanswered points to open a five point margin. From here on Clonlara were chasing the game and while they fought back to within a point of their opponents with six minutes of normal time to play, they failed to convert a number of good point scoring opportunities in the closing minutes.

That said, it would be unfair not to credit Broadford on an impressive performance which led to this merited win but they will be a little concerned at the manner in which they faded in the closing minutes and this may well prove costly later in the campaign

Diarmuid Moloney top scored for the winners with 0-10, all but one of which came from placed balls. Eoin and Paddy Donnellan, Cathal Chaplin, Stiofan McMahon gave most support to Moloney.

For a disappointing Clonlara, Colm O’Meara, Mike White, Cillian Fennessy, Conor Bourke and Mícheál O’Loughlin did best.

Broadford Scorers: Diarmuid Moloney (0-10, 9f) Stiofan McMahon (0-3); Cathal Chaplin (0-2, 2f) Craig Chaplin (0-01), Donie Whelan (0-01)

Clonlara Scorers: Mícheál O’Loughlin (0-8, 7f) Cathal O’Connell (0-02 1f), Conor Bourke (0-2), Ian Galvin, Cian Moriarty, David Fitzgerald (0-1) each

Broadford:
1: Cian O’Brien

8: Paddy Donnellan
3: Eoin Donnellan
4: Darragh Whelan

5: Sean Phelan
6: Darren Chaplin
7: Cathal Chaplin

17: Davy Boland
18: Craig Chaplin

10: Padraig Taylor
11: Diarmuid O’Brien
12: Diarmuid Moloney

13: Stiofan McMahon
14: Shane Taylor
15: Donie Whelan

Subs:
2: Cian Mulqueen for Boland (half time)
20: Mark Moloney for Craig Chaplin (45)
21: Cian Cremins for P. Taylor (45)
22: Paul Moloney for Donie Whelan (58)
9: Danny Reddan for Mulqueen (60)

Clonlara:
1: Cillian O’Brien

2: Paul McNamara
20: Gareth Kennedy
4: Mike White

5: Cillian Fennessy
6: Nicky O’Connell
19: Colm O’Meara

8: David Fitzgerald
18: Cormac O’Donovan

10: Páraic O’Loughlin
11: Aidan Moriarty
12: Mícheál O’Loughlin

13: Ian Galvin
14: Cathal O’Connell
15: Conor Bourke

Subs:
9: Oisin O’Brien for Fitzgerald (half time)
7: Colm Galvin for P. O’Loughlin (37)
21: Cian Moriarty for O’Donovan (45)
23: Dylan McMahon for I. Galvin (59)

Referee; Chris Maguire (Wolfe Tones)