*Darragh Moroney of O’Callaghans Mills breaks the challenge of Tubber’s Cathal Droney. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
Favourites O’Callaghans Mills and Clarecastle continued their winning ways in the race for the premier intermediate hurling chamionship when accounting for Tubber and Bodyke respectively at the weekend.
Round 2 marked the entry of Bodyke and Parteen-Meellick, both having had byes on opening day and defeat was their lot.
Tulla, having tasted defeat on opening day, got their challenge back on track with victory over Parteen-Meellick.
Whitegate, first round losers to Clarecastle, also got their first points on board with a three point win over Ruan
Mills composure in final quarter decisive
O’Callaghans Mills 0-24
Tubber 1-19
Venue: Clarecastle
Showing all round greater balance and more composure in the crucial third quarter steered O’Callaghans Mills to victory over Tubber in this well contested round 2 TUS premier intermediate hurling championship on Sunday morning.
The sides were level twelve times in all, eight in the opening half at the end of which they were locked together at 0-9 each.
In the opening ten minutes of the second half points were swapped four times leaving the teams level at 0-13 each with twenty minutes to play.
The winners then hit three in a row to take a lead they would hold to the finish. In the final quarter they were able to introduce Gary Cooney, Colin Crehan and Colm Cleary with Cooney and Cleary managing to get on the scoresheet.
It was point for point throughout the first half and a share of the spoils at the halfway point was a fair reflection on the play.
When they continued to exchange points in the early part of the second half, a draw looked the likely outcome.
The minimum margin separated the sides at the three quarter stage, the winners leading on a scoreline of 0-16 to 0-15.
Points from Gary Cooney, Seanie Boyce and a Jacob Loughnane free pushed the Mills four clear with ten minutes to go but Tubber weren’t giving in.
Pat O’Connor and Lorcan O’Grady pointed for Tubber to cut the lead to two but Cooney ad Collm Cleary replied for the winners pushing the lead back out to four and this was the position with five minutes to go after Joe Clancy for Tubber and Killian Nugent with a long range free had exchanged points.
Cooney and Jacob Loughnane stretched the margin to six with two minutes of normal time remaining plus four additional minutes.
A Lorcan O’Grady free was followed by a Senan Dunford goal for the Tubber men cutting the margin to two but time wasn’t on their side and the Mills held on for a narrow but merited win.
Gallery of photographs by Gerard O’Neill.
O’Callaghans Mills; Killian Nugent (0-1, f); Cathal McNamara, Conor Cooney, Gerry Cooney; Keith Donnellan, Aidan O’Gorman, Aidan Fawl (0-3); Fionn Hickey, Michael McGrath; Jacob Loughnane (0-9, 7f), Darragh Moroney (0-1) Sean Cotter (0-1); Sean Boyce (0-3), Conor Henry, Cormac Murphy (0-2).
Subs; Gary Cooney (0-3) for M. McGrath; Colm Cleary (0-1) for C. Henry; Colin Crehan for D Moroney; Sean O’Goman for K.Donnellan;
Tubber: Ronan Taaffe; Darragh O’Connor, Fergal O’Grady, Joey Droney; Pappy Taaffe, Pat O’Connor (0-1), James Howard; Joe Clancy (0-1) Cathal Droney (0-3); Osgar Dunford (0-2), Padraig Kelly, Lorcan O’Grady (0-9, 8f); Blaine Earley, Senan Dunford (1-1), Ronan Monahan (0-2)
Subs: Clive Earley for J. Howard; Macauley Brennan for B. Earley; Domhnall McMahon for R. Monahan
Referee: Johnnie Healy (Smith O’Briens)
Withycombe brothers inspire Tulla to victory
Tulla 1-18
Parteen/Meelick 0-18
Venue: Glenomra Park, Broadford
Having tasted defeat in the opening round when their opponents were Tubber, Brian Quinn’s Tulla got their first points on the board when they accounted for Parteen/Meelick on Sunday afternoon.
For the side from the Limerick border it was their first outing in this year’s campaign having had a bye on day one and the expectation is that they will benefit from this outing later in the campaign.
Tulla led throughout but their opponents were well in contention right to the final whistle.
Seán Withycombe scored the game’s only goal which came midway through the second half and it proved to be a key score.
He was his side’s top scorer, contributing 1-9 of his side’s tally
Inter county panellist Jack Kirwan was his side’s top scorer with 0-12 to his credit.
Tulla: Dan Vaughan; Fionn Ryan, Paul Lynch, Liam McInerney; Tony Leyden (0-1), Ryan Hayes, Kevin Conlon; David Meehan, Éanna Culloo (0-4); Colin Corbett (0-2), Sean Withycombe (1-9), Dan Withycombe (0-1); Emmett Mulcahy, Niall Bolton (0-1), Darragh Corry;
Subs; Ronan Molloy for D. Corry; William Halpin for E. Mulcahy; Andrew Conheady for D. Withycombe.
Parteen/Meelick: Oisin Hickey; Hugo McDonald, Shane Fox, Sean Connelly; Tom Collins, Nathan Fox (0-1), Mark McDermott (0-1); Darragh McDermott, Jack Kirwan (0-12); Ruaidhri Nolan, Daniel Cooney (0-1), Dara Nolan (0-1); Rory McDermott (0-1), Gearoid Reddy, Joe O’Connor (0-1);
Subs: Donal Kenny for H. McDermott; Andrew Cleary for J. O’Connor; Paddy Hassett for G. Reddy; Peter Small for R. McDermott; Noel Bridge for M. McDermott
Referee: Gus Calllaghan (Feakle)
Whitegate edge tight affair
Whitegate 2-18
Ruan 2-15
Venue: Dr Daly Park, Tulla
Round 2 in the TUS premier intermediate hurling championship got underway on Friday evening where two sides, very much in need of a win after their first round results, clashed.
At the end of a well contested tie Whitegate went home to East Clare with the points thanks to a hard-earned win over last year’s semi-finalists Ruan.
From the start it was evident that there would be little between the sides. Ruan opened the scoring with a point but straight from the puckout Whitegate attacked and Ronan Hayes found the net.
Some great long-range points followed and the winners went to the break three points in front, 1-13 to 2-7, Ruan’s goals having come from Frankie Lyons and Shane Punch.
The sides continued to trade scores in the second half and Ruan closed the gap to the minimum but a Paddy Burke goal for Whitegate would prove to be a crucial score and it steered them to victory on an evening when eleven members of their starting line up shared in their impressive tally.
In what was an all-round good team effort, Ian and Kalum Fahy impressed.
Six players got on the scoresheet for Ruan who are still chasing their first win in this season’s campaign having had a draw with Sixmilebridge in round one.
Whitegate; Andrew Fahey; Dylan White, Donal Burke, Conor McDermott; Liam Murray (0-1), Eoin Quirke (0-1), Ian Fahy (0-1); Conor Whelan (0-4, 2f), Mikey Bogenberger (0-1); Danny Hynes (0-1), Finn Madden (0-1), Ciarán Keenan (0-1); Ronan Hayes (1-2), Kalum Fahy (0-3), Paddy Burke (1-2);
Subs: Harry Bogenberger for M. Bogenberger; Ciaran Quinn for C. Keenan;
Ruan; Keelan Mounsey; Jamie Ryan, Killian Ryan, Patrick O’Gorman; Ashley Brohan, James Cullinan, Brian Roughan; Darragh McInerney (0-1), Christian Cummins; Shane Punch (1-0), Robin Mounsey (0-6, 1f), Patrick O’Halloran (0-1); Jack McDonagh, Aidan Lynch (0-6), Frankie Lyons (1-1);
Subs: Daniel Guinnane for J. McDonagh; Jason Power for J. Ryan; Daire Corey for D. McInerney (inj.)
Referee: Pat Healy (Kilmaley)
Whelan and Ralph in scoring form
Clarecastle 3-21
Bodyke 2-14
Venue: O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge
Oisin Whelan and Conor Ralph contributed 3-10 between them as Clarecastle recorded their second win in this season’s TUS premier intermediate hurling championship when overcoming Bodyke on Saturday evening.
Bodyke, making their first appearance in this campaign having had a bye in the opening round, finished the game with fourteen after Tadhg Kilkenny was dismissed in the last quarter.
Whean and Ralph each hit majors in the opening half at the end of which the magpies led 2-11 to 1-7, Bodyke’s goal having come from Paddy Fitzgerald who also struck for their second half goal.
Ralph’s second half goal helped the winner remain in control on a day when nine players shared in their impressive final tally.
Seven players contributed to the Bodyke tally with Fitzgerald leading the way with 2-3 on the evening
Clarecastle’s defence was solid throughout limiting Bodyke to a minimum of chances.
Gallery of photographs by Chris Copley.
Clarecastle; Cian Broderick; Filip Wiechinski, Aaron Hayes, David Tuohy; Josh Brack, Cian Galvin (0-1), Darragh Healy; Colin Brigdale (0-2), Conor Whelan; Rory O’Connell (0-1), Conor Ralph (2-2), Conor Halpin (0-2); Paul O’Connell, Harry Doherty (0-2), Oisin Whelan (1-8, 3f, 1 sideline);
Subs; James Doherty (0-1) for P O’Connell; Ronan Donnelly for D. Tuohy; Evan Price (0-2); for C. Whelan; Conor Griffin for J. Brack;
Bodyke; Cormac Doyle (0-2, frees); Tadhg Kilkenny, Eanna Doyle, Tommy Wiley; Ian Murray (0-1), Cian Minogue, Sean Og Kilkenny; Cathal Doyle, Fionn Slattery (0-1); Michael O’Brien, Seanie Doyle (0-5), Peter Flower (0-1); Jamie Howard (0-1), Tommy Minogue, Paddy Fitzgerald (2-3);
Subs; Ronan Fitzmaurice for J. Howard; Ciaran Hickey for T. Wiley (inj.)
Referee: Ger Hoey (Killanena)
Winning starts for Ogonnelloe and Éire Óg:
Meanwhile the race for the intermediate championship title and the Pappy Callaghan cup saw Ogonnelloe and Éire Óg play their first games in the campaign and they secured victories over O’Callaghans Mills and St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield respectively.
Michael Sheedy top scored for Ogonnelloe with 1-7 while his brother Gearoid and their cousins, brothers Noah and Adam Sheedy also played key parts in this win.
Ogonnelloe led from the start and were always in control of a tie in which the Mills for whom Sean Murphy top scored, got a goal in the closing minutes
Éire Óg, despite losing a number of players to their senior team on Saturday, also made a winning start to their challenge for honours with a three point win over their neighbours St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield on Sunday evening.
Broadford got their first points on the board when defeating neighbours Scariff having lost to the Mills in the opening round.
Competition favourites Smith O’Briens made it two wins from two starts when they defeated Newmarket-on-Fergus on Saturday.
