*Photograph: Ruth Griffin
Round 2 in the U21 hurling championships dominated the domestic fixture schedule at the weekend when the twelve games played produced a whopping total of fifty four goals.
The meeting of neighbours St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield and Clooney/Quin in the A title race was deferred from last Saturday until this Thursday night as a mark of respect following the sudden and untimely death of former Clooney/Quin player, Ronan Gallagher.
The final round of games next weekend will clear the way for the A, B and C semi-finals.
Strong finish from title holders
Scariff/Ogonnelloe 2-21
Corofin/Ruan 2-20
Venue: Ogonnelloe
Defending champions Scariff/Ogonnelloe had to come from being nine points in arrears at half time to get this year’s campaign off to a winning start when they played Corofin/Ruan at Ogonnelloe on Saturday.
The visitors played with the aid of the breeze in the opening half and helped by a goal from James Organ they held a 1-14 to 0-8 lead at the break.
The home side started the second half brightly hitting 1-4 without reply, the goal coming from a Gearoid Sheedy penalty after a foul on Patrick Ryan to move to within two points of their opponents.
Corofin/Ruan responded with three unanswered points, two from the stick of Shane Punch, to go five clear.
The home side hit back and levelled through Liam Crotty before Patrick Ryan struck for their second goal, Corofin/Ruan weren’t finished and a Shane Punch goal had the sides level with the game in injury time when Gearoid Sheedy struck for the winning point.
Scariff/Ogonnelloe: Sean Treacy (Scariff); Seamus McCaul (Scariff), Tadhg Kavanagh (Scariff), Aaron Collins (Scariff); Scott Cairns (Scariff), Gearoid Sheedy (Ogonnelloe), Shane Kavanagh (Scariff); Adam Cunnane (Ogonelloe), Jack Ryan (Scariff); Liam Crotty (Scariff), Patrick Crotty (Scariff), Eanna O’Brien (Scariff); Sean Collins (Scariff), Patrick Ryan (Scariff), Rory Ryan (Scariff);
Subs; Eoin Heffernan (Scariff) for J. Ryan; Paul McGee (Ogonnelloe) for Cairns;
Corofin/Ruan: Keelan Mounsey (Ruan); Jason Power (Ruan) Marc O’Loughlin (Corofin), Tom O’Halloran (Ruan); Darragh McInerney (Ruan), Conor Leen (Corofin), Cillian McGroary (Corofin); Ryan Power (Ruan), Piaras O’Se (Ruan); Killian O’Connor (Corofin), Diarmuid Cahill (Corofin), James Organ (Corofin); Jack McDonagh (Ruan), Shane Punch (Ruan), Shane O’Brien (Corofin)
Subs; Frankie Lyons (Ruan) for McDonagh; Michael Cahill (Corofin) for Leen (inj).
Referee: Gus Callaghan (Feakle)
A winning start for Feakle/Killanena
Feakle/Killanena 3-21
Crusheen/Tubber 1-14
Venue: Killanena
Feakle/Killanena made a winning start to their under 21 A championship when they defeated Crusheen-Tubber at Killanena on Sunday.
Goals from Oisin O’Cnnor and Owen McGann (2) were key to this victory on a day when the visitor’s goal came from Oisin O’Donnell shortly before the full time whistle.
Feakle/Killanena face Clarecastle on Saturday and the winners will top the group and move into the semi-final.
Feakle/Killanena: Liam O’Connor (Feakle); Jamie Canny (Killanena), Enda Madden (Feakle) Conor McGann (Feakle); Eoghan Daly (Feakle), Adam Hogan (Feakle), Podge O’Calllaghan (Killanena); Oisin Clune (Feakle) Ian Macnamara (Killanena); Oisin O’Connor (Feakle), Owen McGann (Feakle), Sean Walsh (Feakle); Patrick Daly (Feakle), Ronan O’Connor (Feakle), Seamie O’Donnell (Killanena).
Subs used: Rory McNamara, James Greene, Pakie O’Donnell, Christy Moloney (all Killanena) Tommy Walsh (Feakle)
Crusheen/Tubber: Tommy Fahy (Tubber); Brian Clancy (Tubber), Pappy Taaffe (Tubber), Oisin McNamara (Tubber); Murrough McMahon (Crusheen), Diarmuid Mullins (Crusheen), James Costello (Tubber); Liam Clancy (Tubber), Eoghan McMahon (Crusheen); Luke Ketalaar (Crusheen), Joe Clancy (Tubber), Glen O’Sullivan (Crusheen); Oisin O’Donnell (Crusheen) Oscar Dunford (Tubber), Cathal Droney (Tubber);
Subs: Roan Ketalaar(Crusheen) for B. Clancy; Darragh McKeogh (Crusheen) for J. Clancy; Alan Lee (Tubber) for J. Costello; John O’Sullivan (Crusheen) for G. O’Sullivan; Sean McNamara (Tubber) for L. Clancy
Referee: Johnnie Healy (Smith O’Briens)
Tulla in control
Tulla 6-16
Clonlara 0-16
Venue: Dr Daly Park, Tulla
Tulla raced into a seven point lead in the opening minutes of this under 21 B tie at Dr. Daly Park and they were always in control as they recorded their second win of the campaign.
Jack McSweeney, Emmett Mulcahy (2), Harry Nolan, Andrew Conheady and substitute Liam McInerney were the winner’s goalscorers.
It is Clonlara’s second defeat following their opening round loss to Ballyea.
All so easy for Ballyea
Ballyea 5-25
Smith O’Briens 0-5
Venue: Killaloe
Ballyea were always in control in this clash with Smith O’Briens at Killaloe and they were well on their way to victory at half time when they led 1-14 to 0-1.
Cian Kirby and Eoin Gavin scored two goals each with Fiachra Kirby getting the team’s other goal as they recorded their second win of the campaign, having accounted for Clonlara in the opening round.
Banner lay foundaton in opening half
Banner 2-16
Wolfe Tones 1-9
Venue: Banner GAA Grounds, Ennis
Banner recorded their second successive victory in the under 21 B hurling championship when they proved too strong for Wolfe Tones at the Ennis club’s venue on Saturday.
Goalscorers for the winners were Aaron Kelly and Shane Meehan and they were well in control at the half way point when the score was 2-9 to 0-4.
Spoils shared in high scoring affair at Bodyke
Bodyke 3-17
O’Callaghans Mills 6-8
Venue: The Evicted Field, Bodyke
Neighbours Bodyke and O’Callaghans Mills played an exciting draw at Bodyke with the visitors striking late for a Mikey McMahon goal to earn a share of the spoils.
Colm Cleary and Sean Boyce each scored two goals while Darragh Moroney’s sideline cut went all the way to the net.
Cormac Keane, Tiernan Slattery and Jamie Howard were the home side’s goalscorers.
Four for Power as Blues win easily
Newmarket-on-Fergus 6-16
Parteen/Meelick 0-13
Venue: Fr Murphy Memorial Park, Newmarket-on-Fergus.
Newmarket-on-Fergus secured a comprehensive home victory over Parteen/Meelick to tee up a winner-takes-all showdown with Broadford.
With a more dominant attack, Newmarket-on-Fergus ensured their first outing in the U21B championship since 2019 was a successful one.
Four goals from Peter Power sent the Blues on their way to a comfortable victory over the South Clare side who lined out without county senior panellist Jack Kirwan for the second game in a row.
Tom Collins impressed at centre forward for the visitors who had pointed alongside Dara Nolan to give them an early two point advantage.
Power’s first goal swung the lead in favour of the Blues. He would have a hat-trick by half-time, the third major, an excellent individual effort arguably his best of the lot which left Newmarket ahead, 3-11 0-10.
It was effectively game over but the Blues continued to dominate and struck for three more green flags, two from substitute John Lynch who himself was unlucky not to finish with a hat-trick.
Cahill leads the way for Éire Óg
Éire Óg 1-14
Crusheen 0-8
Venue: Crusheen
Eire Og made it two wins from two outings when they proved too strong for Crusheen at the latter’s venue on Saturday morning.
Dual senior player with the club, Oran Cahill was in sparkling form, contributing 1-7 of his side’s total while Eoin Guilfoyle landed 0-4.
They will face their neighbours Banner in the final group game next week with the winners going through to the semi-final.
Under 21 C
Meanwhile, in the under 21 C title race there were wins for Cratloe, Ennistymon St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield and Tubber.
A fancied Cratloe side had to battle all the way for a three point win, 2-16 to 2-13, over Clarecastle’s second string outfit.
Ennistymon had their first outing in this season’s campaign and they proved too strong for their neighbours Inagh/Kilnamona, winning on a 4-15 to 2-7 scoreline while Tubber had to battle hard for a one point win over Sixmilebrige, winning on a 1-14 to 0-16 scoreline.
St. Josephs Doora/Barefield followed their first round draw with victory over Scariff/Ogonnelloe at Ogonnelloe where the final score was 2-19 to 3-10.
