*Éire Óg’s Ikem Ugwueru. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
CHAMPIONS Éire Óg are back in the Clare SFC semi-finals for the fifth year running after shaking off the challenge of St Joseph’s Miltown.
Éire Óg 1-16
St Joseph’s Miltown 0-9
Venue: Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg, Ennis
The Clare Echo’s online coverage of the Clare SFC is with thanks to The Shannon Springs Hotel
Darren O’Brien’s forty ninth minute goal was the pin in the Miltown balloon who up to then certainly pushed the Townies. They didn’t recover from the green flag and failed for the score for the remainder of the tie while Éire Óg tacked on a further 1-5 without reply.
Long-viewed as the favourites to lift the Jack Daly, Éire Óg are also in the penultimate stage of the Clare SHC and with their form in both competitions the prospect of the Ennis club doing a senior double is certainly realistic.
Without a championship game in a month, Éire Óg were not overly rusty but didn’t blow their opponents away until the final ten months. Miltown on the other hand were the only one of the quarter-finalists to have played in the past fortnight following their preliminary quarter-final win over Doonbeg.
By half time momentum was certainly with the West Clare side and arguably half time came at the wrong stage for them, they had reduced the deficit to a single point following Eoin Cleary’s second two pointer.
Two quick fire Darren Moroney scores on the restart extended the gap to three points before Cleary replied with a free only for Éire Óg to add scores from Colm Walsh O’Loghlen and a Mark McInerney two pointer.
There was almost a goal within two minutes of the throw-in for Éire Óg, Mark McInerney’s shot got beneath Ger Malone but Paul Frawley managed to stop the ball on the line to prevent a nightmare start for Miltown.
McInerney was the first to register a score and it arrived with five minutes played, they doubled their advantage five minutes later via Gavin D’Auria with smart play from Ikem Ugwueru seeing him step back into space before getting on the ball to find the centre back.
Ralph Whelehan responded immediately for St Joseph’s Miltown, Eoin Cleary won the break from Ger Malone’s kickout he offloaded to Seán Neylond who found the on-rushing attacker.
Éire Óg then landed three in a row from Darren O’Brien, Ciaran Russell and McInerney, moves that were made by Dean Ryan, Ugwueru and Colm Walsh O’Loghlen respectively which put them 0-5 0-1 in front on twenty three minutes.
Cleary then landed his brace of two pointers sandwiched between an Aaron Fitzgerald effort to leave just the minimum between the sides.
Heading into the dressing room, Miltown were met with large applause from their supporters who were certainly pleased as they brought themselves to within a point of the county champions.
That drive and momentum that they possessed heading into the break didn’t resurface on the restart with Éire Óg moving quickly to assert their control on proceedings to give five points ahead by the forty first minute.
Miltown kicked two points in a row, Cleary and Paul Frawley splitting the posts as the game entered the final quarter. They had worked the ball up field into a scoring position to try get three on the trot but Gordon Kelly was penalised for overcarrying and Éire Óg moved from defence to attack, ending the move with Darren O’Brien raiding for the game’s only goal.
This major was effectively the end of the contest as Shane Daniels’ side didn’t look back while Miltown never recovered. This clinical nature is why Éire Óg are the leading contenders to lift the Jack Daly along with their strength in depth. They welcomed Ronan Lanigan back to the fold, the Clare defender made his first appearance of this year’s Clare SFC when introduced on the fifty seventh minute.
For the winners, Dean Ryan, Gavin D’Auria, Ikem Ugwueru, Darren Moroney and Aaron Fitzgerald did best. Their return to the semi-final is no surprise and they haven’t had to hit fifth gear to get there.
An admirable effort for just over three quarters of an hour from Miltown was not reflected in the final score. They did a lot well but were not as punishing compared with their win over Doonbeg. Cormac Murray was introduced early in the second half but to have any chance of causing an upset they needed him at full fitness and in from the start while they also required all of their big players and supporting cast to be firing which ultimately wasn’t the case.
Kicking just two points from play in a quarter-final is a poor return from Martin Guerin’s charges. They certainly pushed Éire Óg and had them under pressure for stages but their challenge faded at the end which will add to their disappointment. Oisin Looney was a welcome return to their team, he flew home from the Middle East for the clash and was one of their strongest performers along with Eoin Cleary and Paul Frawley.
Scorers Éire Óg: M McInerney (0-4 1TPf), D O’Brien (1-1), G D’Auria (0-2), A Fitzgerald (0-2), D Moroney (0-2), G Murray (0-2), C Russell (0-1), C Walsh O’Loghlen (0-1), M Doherty (0-1).
Scorers St Joseph’s Miltown: E Cleary (0-7 2TPf 3f), R Whelehan (0-1), P Frawley (0-1).
Éire Óg:
1: Cian Howard
4: Dean Ryan
3: Aaron Fitzgerald
7: Manus Doherty
5: Ciaran Russell
6: Gavin D’Auria
12: Oran Cahill
13: Ikem Ugwueru
9: Darren O’Brien
8: David McNamara
11: Luke Pyne
2: Darren Moroney
15: Mark McInerney
14: Colm Walsh O’Loghlen
10: Gavin Murray
Subs:
24: Aidan McGrath for Pyne (44)
19: Niall McMahon for McNamara (47)
18: Jack Joyce for Walsh O’Loghlen (56)
23: Ronan Lanigan for Moroney (57)
17: Eoin Guilfoyle for Russell (59)
St Joseph’s Miltown
1: Ger Malone
4: Cormac Devitt
3: Seanie Malone
2: Enda O’Gorman
5: Seán Neylon
6: Gordon Kelly
7: Stephen Murphy
11: Conor Cleary
9: Darragh McDonagh
12: Paul Frawley
14: Ralph Whelehan
30: Oisin Looney
13: Eoin Cleary
8: Micheál Murray
15: Eoin Devanney
Subs:
29: Cormac Murray for Devanney (36)
19: Jamesie O’Connor for Devitt (38)
18: Euan Lineen for Whelehan (53)
20: Conall Meade for M Murray (59)
Referee: Fergal O’Brien (Broadford)
