*Liam Keane. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
GOALS proved vital for Clare’s minor footballers as they qualified for the All-Ireland tier two championship quarter-final.
Clare 3-11
Sligo 0-19
Venue: Kilcoyne Park, Tubbercurry
By Gavin Cawley
Down await Joe Hayes’ side next weekend. Clare played with the aid of the breeze in the opening half and the played a big part as they came away with victory as the visitors lead at the break by five points with two goals coming in the opening half from Liam Keane and Rian Cotter.
Clare opened the scoring after just two minutes of play with Liam Keane on target from a mark. Sligo soon settled as they scored three points on the spin with a brace coming from the lively Ryan Lang as Sligo lead by two points after nine minutes of play.
The first two pointer of the match came a minute later as the sides were level for the second time in the match with the score coming from Thomas Dillion from Doonbeg.
The sides were level two further occasions before the opening goal of the match came from Liam Keane as Clare lead 1-5 – 0-5 after nineteen minutes.
Clare were in full in control of proceedings as they tagged on further 1-1 without reply as they lead by seven points with goal this time coming from Rian Cotter to put the visitors in a very strong position.
Ryan Lang kept the home side in the contest with three points without reply before a point before the break from Liam Keane which left five between the sides at the break 2-7 – 0-8.
Sligo played with the aid of the breeze in the second half and they reduced the gap after the restart with Cian O’Flaherty firstly pointing for the Yeats men. Sligo with back within two points of Clare as Jack Kelly landed a two pointer for the home side with 35 minutes played.
Clare looked like they had withstood the Sligo comeback as they relied with a free from Liam Keane and point from substitute Darren Fitzpatrick ensured Clare lead by four points with 20 minutes to play.
After all good work from Sligo to get themselves back into the match this was undone on 46 minutes as Clare netted again as mix up in the Sligo defence was converted to the net Thomas Dillion scoring for the Clare men.
Points from Lang and point from Danny Feeney gave the home side belief of comeback as home side were back to within four points of Clare.
Lang cut that gap to three points with four minutes to play but Clare needed a respond and that’s what they got to kept that four point advantage in tacked with substitute Ryan Brody from Ennistymon on target.
The home side pushed again with a two pointer coming from Nathan McLoughlin to leave two points between the sides. The insurance score which was most important of the day came from Dillion to deny Sligo a chance of sending the game to extra time as Eanna Giblin did land another two pointer but too late for the home side as Clare were fully value for the win.
Overall the best team won on the day as Sligo were wasteful in procession and Clare was clinical in attack
Scorers for Clare Thomas Dillion (1-4,1tp); Liam Keane (1-3,1mark,1f), Rian Cotter (1-1); Robbie Kelly, Darren Fitzpatrick, Ryan Brody (0-1 each)
Scorers for Sligo Ryan Lang (0-9,5fs), Jack Kelly (0-2,1tp), Nathan McLoughlin (0-2,1tp); Eanna Giblin (0-2,1tp); Aodhan Hannon, Oisin Gormley, Cian O’Flaherty, Danny Feeney (0-1 each)
Clare:
1: Conor Griffin (Ennistymon)
2: Gavin Browne (Cooraclare)
3: Siney Neenan (Kildysart)
4: Tristan O’Loughlin (St. Breckans)
5: Tadhg Bane (Banner)
6: Caelum Killeen (Lissycasey)
7: Stephen O’Neill (Eire Og)
8: Shane Cahill (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
9: Paddy Neylon (Shannon Gaels)
10: Rian Cotter (Kilrush)
11: Robbie Kelly (Kildysart)
12: John Greene (Corofin)
13: Thomas Dillion (Doonbeg)
14: Liam Keane (Lissycasey)
15: Sean O’Callaghan (St Joseph’s Doona/Barefield)
Subs:
24: Zac O’Shea (Doonbeg) for Cotter (HT)
17: Darren Fitzpatrick (St. Breckans) for O’Loughlin (37)
22: Ryan Brody ( Ennistymon) for O’Callaghan (42)
19: Eoin Scoffe (Kilrush Shamrocks) for Bane (51)
20: Iarla Byrne (St. Breckans) for Neylon (54)
Sligo
1: James Brodrick (St. Farnan’s)
2: Jake Davey (Eastern Harps)
3: Jack Noone (Geevagh)
4: Matthew Gillen (St. Molaise Gaels)
5: Sean Og McDonagh (Tubbercurry)
6: Hugh O’Connell (St. Molaise Gaels
7: Brian McGauran ( Calry St. Joseph’s
8: Manus McManus (St. Patrick’s )
9: Éanna Giblin (Curry)
10: Oisin Gormley (Bunninadden)
11: Danny Feeney (St. Johns )
12: Cian O’Flaherty (Drumcliffe Rosses Point)
13: Aodhan Hannon (Eastern Harps)
14: Ryan Lang (St. Molaise Gaels)
15: Jack Kelly (St. John’s)
Subs:
21: Nathan McLoughlin (Curry) for O’Flaherty (42)
24: Ryan Healy (Eastern Harps) for Kelly (42)
23: Niall Willis (Easkey) for McManus (47)
18: Conor O’Dowd (Drumcliffe Rosses Point) for Hannon (52)
19: Donal McDermott (Eastern Harps) for Feeney (52)
Referee: Dermot Lyons (Roscommon)
