Aaron Griffin on the attack for Lissycasey. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
LISSYCASEY have sealed their place in the knockout stages of the Clare SFC for the fifth year in a row.
Lissycasey 2-13
Doonbeg 1-06
Venue: Cusack Park, Ennis
Aaron Griffin was in fine form as the 2007 champions secured the last of the coveted quarter-final spots in the TUS Clare SFC when accounting for Doonbeg on Sunday afternoon. Griffin had four points in the opening half, all from play and finished the hour with 1-7 to his name.
For their first run out in Cusack Park in this year’s championship, Doonbeg struggled to acclimatise to proceedings and were chasing the game from the off. Their main target man David Tubridy was curtailed by Connor Meaney hanging off him.
Such was Meaney’s commitment to his role as man marker than he would have even followed Tubridy to a meeting of the four-person committee that he is a part of which is tasked with appointing Colm Collins’ successor.
Doonbeg lacked the necessary fight which is ordinarily accustomed with their teams and as a result found themselves on the backfoot from the off.
Teenager Darragh Killeen goaled in Lissycasey’s first attack, palming the ball to the net after Aaron Griffin offered the assist, with the game less than four minutes old. David Tubridy did have a free and mark either side of a Darren Keane placed ball.
Eamon Tubridy produced an excellent save to stop Griffin from raising a green flag on eleven minutes but the Clare forward would hit the next two scores in a row with Shane Griffin also raising a white flag.
Darragh Burns with Doonbeg’s first score from play on twenty two minutes pulled one back before Lissycasey bit back with 1-2 on the bounce, Aaron Griffin again splitting the posts while wing back Cyril Sheehan had the goal, he received the ball from Killeen before rounding Eamon Tubridy and almost running the ball over the line before getting a gentle kick to put them in firm control. Aaron Griffin closed out the scoring in the opening half with his fourth point to see them hold a ten point half time advantage.
Although Darragh Burns got a goal immediately on the restart, it was a small glimmer of hope for the Magpies which quickly vanished as they never built on it, returning just 2-2 in the second half in their bid to stay in the championship. Their second goal,
Scorers Lissycasey: A Griffin (1-7), D Killeen (1-1), C Sheehan (1-0), C Finucane (0-2 2f), D Keane (0-1 1f), S Griffin (0-1).
Scorers Doonbeg: D Tubridy (1-2 1f 1M), D Burns (1-1), P Dillon (0-3 2f)
Lissycasey:
16: Killian Normoyle
4: Michael Meaney
3: Francie Hayes
2: Kevin Shivers
15: Niall Kelly
7: Cyril Sheehan
10: Connor Meaney
5: Daire Hill
9: Darren Keane
6: Matt O’Shea
17: Darragh Killeen
11: Enda Finucane
12: Shane Griffin
13: Aaron Griffin
14: Conor Finucane
Subs:
18: Fionn Cotter for Kelly (52)
Doonbeg:
1: Eamon Tubridy
4: Jason Linnane
3: Conor O’Mahoney
11: Eoin Killeen
7: Gavin O’Shea
2: Cian O’Mahoney
5: Cian Clancy
8: Kevin McInerney
9: Kevin Pender
17: Mikie Tubridy
15: David Tubridy
12: Cathal Killeen
10: Sean Conway
14: Paul Dillon
13: Darragh Burns
Subs:
23: Eoghan Tubridy for M Tubridy (17) (inj)
18: James Killeen for Linnane (HT)
24: Eoin Conway for Clancy (HT)
19: Brian Behan for O’Shea (51)
22: Eamon O’Donoghue for Dillon (52)
Referee: Chris Maguire (Wolfe Tones)
