Mark McInerney. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
Éire Óg are through to the quarter-finals of the Clare SFC after earning a seven point win over St Joseph’s Miltown.
Éire Óg 3-11
St Joseph’s Miltown 0-13
Venue: St Michael’s Park, Kilmihil
Mark McInerney netted a hat-trick for the county champions as they bounced into the knockout stages with aplomb.
Captain Gavin Cooney was immense, not alone did he showcase his usual accuracy off the left boot but underlined his aerial ability with some fantastic fielding resulting in three points in the opening half.
In defence, the reliable anchors of Manus Doherty and Ronan Lanigan were once again solid to ensure Shane Daniels’ goal was never threatened.
While the game was in full flow, few spectators absorbing the glorious sunshine in Kilmihil would have predicted a seven point margin at the finish but Paul Madden’s Éire Óg found an extra level and their ability to raise three green flags in a seven minute window killed off the contest.
McInerney and Cooney pointed Éire Óg into an early three point advantage before Miltown opened their account on twelve minutes via Cormac Murray.
Their next attack saw Murray reduce the deficit beige Éire Óg worked the ball up from a Shane Daniels kick out to respond through Gavin Cooney.
Murray and Kieran Malone helped to level matters with nineteen minutes on the clock. With four of the next six scores, the Ennis side built up a 0-09 0-07 half time advantage.
Having already been without Darragh McDonagh, he suffered two cracked ribs in their first round loss to Corofin, Miltown were dealt another blow with Cormac Murray forced off before the break.
Gearoid Curtin did point first on the resumption to lower the gap but the Seanie Buckley coached Éire Óg bit back with an unanswered 1-02.
The green flag from McInerney was a turning point, a Kieran Malone pass to Martin Rynne was turned over by McInerney on the 65m line, he found Gavin Cooney who popped to a powering forward Ciaran Russell and he selflessly offloaded to Mark to palm to the net.
Malone was the next to register on the board but NUIG student McInerney killed off the tie when he finished an Ikem Ugwueru pass to the net on forty nine minutes.
Russell, Ugwueru and Danny Griffin combined to tee up the hat-trick on fifty three minutes.
Eoin Cleary did his utmost to aid Miltown with scoring difference ahead of a final round tie versus St Breckan’s but red mist descended on full-back Seanie Malone and he received his marching orders to rule him out of that encounter.
Scorers Éire Óg: M McInerney (3-01 1f), G Cooney (0-07 3M 1f), P Talty (0-02), D O’Neill (0-01 1M)
Scorers St Joseph’s Miltown: C Murray (0-04 2f 1M), E Cleary (0-03 1f), K Malone (0-02), A McGuane (0-01), G Curtin (0-01), C Cleary (0-01)
Éire Óg:
16: Shane Daniels
17: Jarlath Collins
3: Manus Doherty
4: Ronan Lanigan
7: Ciaran Russell
6: Aidan McGrath
5: Éinne O’Connor
8: Darren O’Neill
9: David McNamara
12: Niall McMahon
11: Ikem Ugwueru
10: Oran Cahill
15: Mark McInerney
14: Gavin Cooney
13: Philip Talty
Subs:
19: Conor O’Halloran for O’Connor (20) (inj)
18: Danny Griffin for Talty (50)
20: Cathal Darcy for Collins (52)
24: Ultan Shiels for Cahill (54)
22: Gavin D’Auria for Russell (61)
St Joseph’s Miltown:
1: Sean O’Brien
17: Aidan McGuane
4: Brendan O’Brien
19: Seanie Malone
15: Brian Curtin
5: Euan Reidy
11: Micheál Murray
6: Gearoid Curtin
8: Conor Cleary
3: Martin Rynne
10: Sean Neylon
21: Eoin Cleary
12: Cian Mahony
20: Kieran Malone
18: Cormac Murray
Subs:
27: Sean McMahon for Murray (21) (inj)
2: Cormac Devitt for Rynne (50)
26: Graham Kelly for McMahon (58)
Referee: Jim Hickey (Cratloe)
