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*Robert Loftus gets away from Keelan Hartigan and Paul Rodgers. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
Éire Óg’s title retention credentials were given their biggest evaluation when producing a late seven point turnaround to hold off a determined Scariff.
Éire Óg 2-20
Scariff 1-21
Venue: Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg
With their championship lives on the line following an opening reverse to Broadford, Scariff produced a rousing second half display to power as much as five clear entering the final quarter even without the services of talisman Mark Rodgers.
However, led by Robert Loftus, Éire Óg refused to panic but had to utilise all of their title winning experience to incrementally turn the tide in their favour coming down the final straight.
Points through substitute Tom Kavanagh, a Danny Russell free and Shane O’Donnell lessened the damage to just three before the latter’s superb fielding at the edge of the square teed up Luca Cleary for an emphatic equalising goal in the 53rd minute at 2-17 to 1-20.
From there, the champions had the experience and composure to see out victory as David Reidy, centre-back Aaron Fitzgerald and Darren O’Brien ensured that ten different scorers helped a relieved Éire Óg to their eighth successive championship victory.
Scariff meanwhile won’t take much solace that they were the better team for long periods of the second period as while it was their best display over the past two seasons, when you swing at the kings, you better not miss.
Of course, they’re not completely out of the running for a quarter-final place yet (depending on the result between Broadford and Crusheen on Sunday) but Scariff’s failure to hang on for what would be a championship igniting result ultimately leaves them without a regulation championship victory in six matches.
Scariff were in the ascendency in both halves but it was the Ennis side that started the better as despite a Luca Cleary shot being deflected for a ’65, Gerry O’Connor’s side raided for four of the first five points through Danny Russell, Aaron Fitzgerald, David Reidy and Marco Cleary to move 0-4 to 0-1 clear by the ninth minute.
And yet by the end of the opening quarter, it’ was Scariff who had snatched control as Rossa Keehan, Patrick Crotty and Keelan Hartigan regained parity before hitting the front for the first time in dramatic circumstances in the twelfth minute.
The inter-county partnership of Shane O’Donnell and David Reidy looked to have carved out the opening goal when the latter was put through but his attempt to pick out the killer pass across the square would be intercepted by Scott Cairns for Patrick Ryan to fire an inspirational point down the other end only seconds later.
Ryan and Conor Downes would inch the East Clare side 0-7 to 0-5 in front whereas Éire Óg’s continued efforts to grab a goal would be against thwarted when goalkeeper William Kavanagh instinctively repelled a Darren Moroney attempt in the 17th minute.
Instead it was Scariff that finally made the breakthrough in the 22nd minute when a Kavanagh puck-out was fielded by Patrick Crotty who played a one-two with Keelan Hartigan before firing an aged shot past Darragh Stack on their way to a 1-8 to 0-6 edge.
Crucially Ére Óg would grab a lifeline two minutes later when Danny Russell earned and clinically converted a penalty before a subsequent free and a Marco Cleary single fully repaired the damage by the 28th minute at 1-8 apiece.
Shane Kavanagh did arrow over an injury-time free to nudge Scarif back in front by the break at 1-9 to 1-8 but even as a psychological boost, it would be important as Donal Moloney’s side wouldn’t relinquish that advantage until Luca Cleary’s 53rd minute equalising goal.
Best forward Patrick Crotty, Paul Rodgers, Patrick Ryan and Keelan Hartigan all kept the scoreboard ticking over for the new half but they still found the holders difficult to break clear from as only two points separated the sides by the three-quarters mark at 1-15 to 1-13.
An unanswered trio of points through Hartigan, Paul Rodgers and Rossa Keehan did launch Scariff to new heights as they powered five in front for the very first time at 1-18 to 1-13.
Backed by a three year flawless group record, Éire Óg weren’t about to let the points slip without an almighty fight. With Robert Loftus starting to dominate the half-back unit, it was a platform for the Townies to build upon as they gathered momentum with a 1-5 to 0-1 rally over the next seven minutes to completely flip the script and give the champions plenty to think about ahead of their final pool outing against Broadford in a fortnight’s time.
Photographs by Gerard O’Neill.
Scorers for Éire Óg: Danny Russell 1-6 (1-0 Pen, 5f, 1’65), David Reidy 0-4 (2f), Luca Cleary 1-0, Marco Cleary 0-2, Shane O’Donnell 0-2, Aaron Fitzgerald 0-2, Darren Moroney 0-1, Robert Loftus 0-1, Tom Kavanagh 0-1, Darren O’Brien 0-1
Scorers for Scariff: Paul Rodgers 0-6 (3f), Patrick Crotty 1-3, Patrick Ryan 0-3, Keelan Hartigan 0-3, Rossa Keehan 0-3, Conor Downes 0-1, Shane Kavanagh 0-1 (f), Seanie Hartigan 0-1
Éire Óg
1: Darragh Stack
4: Fionan Treacy
3: Ciaran Russell
2: Jarlath Collins
5: Robert Loftus
6: Aaron Fitzgerald
12: Darren O’Brien
9: Oran Cahill
11: David Reidy
17: Luca Cleary
8: Darren Moroney
10: David McNamara
22: Shane O’Donnell
14: Danny Russell
13: Marco Cleary
Subs
15: Tom Kavanagh for McNamara (HT)
20: James O’Dwyer for Moroney (36)
7: Rian Mulcahy for M. Cleary (54)
19: Luke Vaughan for L. Cleary (58)
21: Conor Perrill for D. Russell (60)
Scariff
1: William Kavanagh
4: Daniel Treacy
22: Seamus McCaul
17: Scott Cairns
7: Shane Kavanagh
6: Matthew Crotty
8: Conor Downes
9: Liam Crotty
25: Seanie Hartigan
12: Patrick Crotty
11: Keelan Hartigan
23: Michael Barrett
10: Rossa Keehan
15: Patrick Ryan
13: Paul Rodgers
Subs
21: Paddy Nugent for Barrett (28)
5: Sean Collins for Downes (39, inj)
20: Eanna O’Brien for S.Hartigan (54)
24: Rory Ryan for P. Ryan (60, inj)
Referee: Niall Donovan (O’Callaghan’s Mills)
