*Gavin Cooney rounds Thomas Collins to score Éire Óg’s second goal. Photograph: Ruth Griffin
ÉIRE ÓG have claimed top spot in Group 3 and have subsequently advanced directly to the quarter-finals of the Clare SFC following a commanding fourteen point win over Lissycasey.
Éire Óg 2-17
Lissycasey 1-6
Venue: Cusack Park, Ennis
To give a sign of Éire Óg’s strength, their first two substitutes were Clare inter-county footballers with Manus Doherty and Mark McInerney making their first appearances of this year’s championship following a summer spent in the United States of America.
Fellow Clare panellist Gavin Murray remains sidelined with a groin injury while they were without a fourth member of the county squad, Éinne O’Connor who had a minor hamstring injury.
Yet they still went and recorded a fourteen point victory against Lissycasey in a game which they completely dominated from the get-go.
Lissycasey it must be noted were without their only members of the county panel, the Griffins Aaron and Shane who went off injured in their second round loss to Kilmurry Ibrickane. On that occasion the side remained competitive in their absence whereas on this occasion they were not.
Luke Pyne was handed a first championship start at senior level for the winners and the Clare U20 once again impressed, he had their first goal but also had a very high tackle and turnover count.
Following the opening ten minutes the final result was not as clear cut, Darren O’Neill had the first two scores of the game for Éire Óg with Conor Finnucane getting Lissycasey out of the blocks on nine minutes.
Three Gavin Cooney points in succession carved out a four point advantage by the thirteenth minute but Lissycasey halved this with efforts from Daire Culligan and Connor Meaney. Again Éire Óg hit back with three on the bounce and duly led 0-8 0-3 by half-time.
Among the half-time substitutes for Lissycasey was a change of goalkeeper with Thomas Collins replacing Killian Normoyle, this an effort to improve kickout retention.
Francie Hayes goaled for Lissycasey on thirty three minutes bringing them to within three points but this was the closest they got for the remainder of the tie as Éire Óg responded with 2-1. The point from Colm Walsh O’Loghlen with Pyne raising the first green flag roofing the ball to the net and Cooney rounding Collins after an excellent Ronan Lanigan run on thirty six minutes.
Darren Keane converted a free for Lissycasey but again Éire Óg came back, this time with scores from Mark McInerney, Darren O’Neill and Pyne.
(All photographs by Ruth Griffin)
A first Lissycasey score in thirteen minutes arrived via the boot of Culligan before Manus Doherty came close to goaling but had to settle for a point when Thomas Collins saved. Keane had another free for Lissycasey but the Townies kicked home with Cooney, Philip Talty and Walsh O’Loghlen all splitting the posts.
Three wins from three, the last two twenty three point and fourteen point victories respectively show that they are the top team thus far in this year’s championship. Paul Madden’s side are in a healthy position approaching the quarter-finals and will only get stronger as they get close to having a full-pick available. Darren O’Neill, Ronan Lanigan, Gavin Cooney and Luke Pyne were best for the Ennis side.
How Lissycasey bounce back from this sobering defeat will define their season. Of course their cause was weakened by the absence of the Griffins but their showing didn’t give a glimpse of what they are capable of as they were inferior in all aspects. They have a preliminary quarter-final in two weeks to prepare for, they have shown they are well able to match top teams as showcased in their second round clash with Kilmurry Ibrickane but both the concession of 2-17 and return of 1-6 is not going to suffice if they are to prove their worth as a top team.
Scorers Éire Óg: G Cooney (1-4), D O’Neill (0-4 1f), L Pyne (1-1), C Walsh O’Loghlen (0-3 2f), N McMahon (0-1), A Fitzgerald (0-1), M McInerney (0-1), M Doherty (0-1), P Talty (0-1)
Scorers Lissycasey; F Hayes (1-0), D Culligan (0-2 1f), D Keane (0-2 2f), C Finnucane (0-1), Connor Meaney (0-1).
Éire Óg:
1: Shane Daniels
4: Dean Ryan
3: Aaron Fitzgerald
2: Ronan Lanigan
5: Ciaran Russell
6: Aidan McGrath
11: Ikem Ugwueru
9: David McNamara
8: Darren O’Neill
10: Niall McMahon
15: Darren O’Brien
12: Oran Cahill
19: Luke Pyne
14: Gavin Cooney
18: Colm Walsh O’Loghlen
Subs:
30: Manus Doherty for McGrath (36)
29: Mark McInerney for McMahon (40)
17: Jarlath Collins for O’Brien (47)
13: Philip Talty for Pyne (52)
23: Eoin Guilfoyle for Ryan (55)
Lissycasey:
1: Killian Normoyle
4: Daire Hill
3: Ryan Griffin
2: Michael Kelly
12: Niall Kelly
5: Darragh Killeen
6: Connor Meaney
7: Cyril Sheehan
9: Enda Finnucane
8: Niall McCarthy
10: Luke Griffin
12: Darren Keane
11: Cian Meaney
14: Conor Finnucane
13: Daire Culligan
Subs:
17: Francie Hayes for McCarthy (28)
16: Thomas Collins for Normoyle (HT)
19: Michael Meaney for L Griffin (HT)
18: Fionn Cotter for Sheehan (40)
20: Kevin Shivers for Cian Meaney (47)
Referee: Barry Kelly (St Joseph’s Miltown)
