*Éire Óg captain David Reidy accepts the Division 2 trophy from Clare GAA Planning/Training Officer Paddy Smyth, a proud Éire Óg man. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
THE last real test before the championship commences saw Éire Óg surprisingly ease to the Real Print Division 2 League honours for the second successive season in Ruan.
Éire Óg 1-22
Ballyea 0-18
Venue: Gaelic Park, Ruan
The persistent squall that permeated throughout the tour rather took from the quality at times but in terms of balance, the Townies were the most consistent side over the hour despite the absence of current National Player of the Year Shane O’Donnell.
Five time All-Star Tony Kelly and Jack Browne were notably losses for Ballyea too who aside from the ever-reliable Niall Deasy, only yielded a mere three points from play from the other five forwards.
In contrast, seven of Éire Óg’s top eight chipped in from play as did the lively Darren Moroney who was catapulted into the forward line late in the opening half.
While Ballyea had the aid of the conditions, an early three points burst from Niall Deasy, Thomas Kelly and Gearoid O’Connell would have been emphatically wiped out in the fourth minute when David Reidy collected a puck-out and drove at Ballyea’s defence before offloading to Darren O’Brien to find the net at 1-1 to 0-3.
That passage typified a seesaw opening half that saw the Ennis side’s newfound lead accentuated by points for Conor Perrill, Danny Russell and James O’Dwyer, Éire Óg before failing to score again for the next eleven minutes by which time they would be fully reeled in.
Chief threats Niall Deasy, Thomas Kelly and Mossy Gavin along with Daragh Moylan regained full parity and they would even nudge back in front by the 24th minute when Gearoid O’Connell and Mossy Gavin combined to tee up Deasy at 0-10 to 1-06.
Bizarrely they lost their discipline at the most inopportune time, with David Reidy punishing with four late frees allied to a Darren O’Brien single to power to a 1-11 to 0-10 interval cushion.
With time to regroup, Ballyea did start the new half better thanks to early settlers from Deasy and Gavin but once Éire Óg got back into their stride, uncharacteristically there would be no further revolt from Robbie Hogan’s side. Twelve wides over the hour certainly didn’t aid their cause compared to only five for Éire Óg, with the slippy weather conditions denying a goal sighting at either end for Danny Russell and Cian Kirby.
Danny Russell’s frees kept Ballyea at arm’s length before they went for the jugular entering the final quarter. However, first David McNamara would be denied the advantage for an Oran Cahill shot to the net while subsequently goalkeeper Barry Coote superbly repelled a Darren O’Brien shot before Darren Moroney flashed the rebound wide.
A trio of Russell placed balls did double their lead to six though in that period at 1-18 to 0-15, with no real kick from Ballyea as Russell, Darren Moroney, Oran Cahill and chief architect and captain David Reidy matching their opponents to cement the silverware three weeks out from the real intensity of championship.
Scorers for Éire Óg: Danny Russell 0-8 (7f); David Reidy 0-6 (4f); Darren O’Brien 1-2; Oran Cahill 0-2; Mikey Moloney, Conor Perrill, James O’Dwyer, Darren Moroney 0-1 each
Scorers for Ballyea: Niall Deasy 0-7 (1f); Mossy Gavin 0-5 (2f, 2’65); Thomas Kelly 0-2; Gearoid O’Connell, Daragh Moylan, Cian Kirby, Fiachra Kirby 0-1 each
Éire Óg
1: Daragh Stack
4: Darren Moroney
3: Ciaran Russell
17: Rian Mulcahy
7: Robert Loftus
6: Aaron Fitzgerald
5: Liam Corry
8: Oran Cahill
9: Mikey Moloney
10: Davy McNamara
11: David Reidy
12: Darren O’Brien
13: Conor Perrill
14: Danny Russell
15: James O’Dwyer
Subs
20: Fionán Treacy for Perrill (27)
19: Tom Kavanagh for O’Brien (29-HT, BS)
2: Nially McMahon for Corry (HT)
19: Kavanagh for Moloney (38)
18: Aidan McGrath for Mulcahy (43)
21: Bruce Piggott for O’Dwyer (49)
Ballyea
1: Barry Coote
2: Tadhg Ó hUallacháin
3: Paul Flanagan
4: Morgan Garry
5: Eoin Kennedy
6: Gearoid O’Connell (Captain)
7: Daragh Moylan
8: Thomas Kelly
9: Daniel Costelloe
10: Cathal Doohan
11: Mossy Gavin
12: Pearse Lillis
13: Fiachra Kirby
14: Niall Deasy
15: Cian Kirby
Subs
21: Cian O’Callaghan for Doohan (49)
17: Kieran McDonnell for F. Kirby (56)
Referee: Fergal O’Brien (Broadford)
