*Seán Boyce takes on Matthew Crotty. Photograph: Ruth Griffin
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A perfectly timed brace of Sean Boyce goals ultimate proved decisive as O’Callaghan’s Mills eventually held off East Clare rivals Scariff to garner the Clare Cup honours after extra-time.
O’Callaghan’s Mills 3-26
Scariff 1-23 AET
Venue: Dr Daly Park, Tulla
A compelling derby showdown from start to finish was level for a ninth time after the first hour, only for the recent All-Ireland Under 20 winner Boyce to finally swing the pendulum of momentum the Mills’ way after popping up with a goal at the start of each half.
It had to take something special to separate these sides who craved pre-championship medals for varying reasons. Having re-established themselves as a senior force since emerging back up from intermediate in 2020, Scariff’s pursuit of a first senior trophy since their 1994 Clare Cup triumph seemed arguably more of a necessity than their opponents who had only claimed the Division 1 Hurling League honours on home soil as recently as three years ago.
However, having been relegated from senior twelve months later, there was a much different and more optimistic feel to this success as having bounced back to the top tier at championship level in October, this Clare Cup allied to an unbeaten 16 match domestic run is the ideal launch of their much-anticipated return to the race for the Canon Hamilton trophy.
Clare Under 20 star Boyce was exception when needed most in extra-time, scoring a whopping 2-4 to put clear daylight between the sides. He wasn’t alone though as Darragh Moroney, scorer of the pivotal first goal to kickstart O’Callaghan’s Mills challenge entering the final ten minutes of normal time was equally as influential as was Killian Nugent’s distribution. Fionn Hickey, Bryan Donnellan, Conor Henry, Cormac Murphy, Aidan O’Gorman, Sean Cotter and Conor Cooney were also impressive but the miserly performances of corner-backs Keith Donnellan and newcomer Niall Melody were just as essential as Boyce and Moroney’s scores at the other end.
The nine point final margin was flattering on the winners as there was only the minimum between the sides by the 73rd minute. Donal Moloney’s side will point to 17 wides, ten of which came with the aid of a sizeable wind in the opening period while they also passed up two glorious goal chances in extra-time which would be magnified when Boyce clinically found the net twice.
Keelan Hartigan set the way with a leadership display compete with seven points from play while Paul Rodgers stormed into the tie from half-time onwards and grabbed the goal of the game to keep Scariff in touch by the midway mark of extra-time. Matthew Crotty was exceptional at the back, preventing at least two certain goals, while Cathal McCaul, Sean Hartigan before his injury, Liam and Patrick Crotty were also effective throughout.
It didn’t start as a classic but warmed up to be an enthralling wrestle for supremacy as Scariff had as many wides as scores in the opening period.
Level four times in the first quarter, a brace each for Keelan Hartigan and Patrick Crotty nudged Scariff 0-8 to 0-6 in front by the 22nd minute. Conor Henry and Liam Murphy both opened their accounts to regain parity for the Mills by the half hour mark, only for Keelan Hartigan and a Shane Kavanagh free to provide a necessary 0-10 to 0-08 interval edge.
With the wind to come, O’Callaghan’s Mills would have expected to kick on but the opposite would be true as a more determined Scariff shot out of the blocks with three of the first four points including three-in-a-row for Paul Rodgers to get off the mark at 0-14 to 0-09 by the 35th minute.
Sean Boyce kept the Mills in touch but as the tie drifted into the final quarter, it was difficult to see where their fightback was going to come from until Darragh Moroney belied his young years to collect a Conor Henry pass and bear down on goal before unleashing an unstoppable effort to the far right corner at 1-14 to 0-17 by the 49th minute.
Boyce followed up with an immediate free to inch Sean Doyle’s side into the ascendency for the first time in almost 40 minutes, a position that would be replicated after a trio of Scariff points were match by an identical Mills rally before Paul Rodgers arrived over a 62nd minute free to level up the tie for the ninth and final time to force extra-time at 1-18 to 0-21.
With time to regroup and re-arm, the script was ripped up once more on the resumption when Conor Henry’s delivery was broken down by substitute Mark Pewter for the unmarked Sean Boyce to billow the net after only 20 seconds.
Scariff replacement Rory Ryan just shot agonisingly wide of the far left post before Donal Moloney’s side got an inspirational lifeline right on the stroke of half-time when Patrick Ryan’s crucial interception was moved through Keelan Hartigan, Paul Rodgers and Conor Downes who offloaded back to the Clare Under 20 to rifle a bullet off the underside of the crossbar and into the net at 2-21 to 1-22 by the midway mark of extra-time.
Patrick Ryan lessened the deficit to the minimum before Patrick Crotty race through and attracted the Mills last line before passing inside to Rory Ryan who instinctively flick towards goal, only to drift just outside the post.
Within 30 seconds, there would be a six point swing as the persistent Sean Boyce dispossessed Michael Scanlan to fire to the net and from there, there was only going to be one winner as a buoyant Mills tacked on the last five points, two from the electric Boyce to seal their second Clare Cup crown in four years.
Scorers for O’Callaghan’s Mills: Sean Boyce 2-9 (6f), Darragh Moroney 1-4, Bryan Donnellan 0-3, Conor Henry 0-2, Jacob Loughnane 0-2, Aidan O’Gorman 0-2, Sean Cotter 0-1, Liam Murphy 0-1, Cormac Murphy 0-1, Colin Crehan 0-1
Scorers for Scariff: Paul Rodgers 1-5 (3f), Keelan Hartigan 0-7, Patrick Crotty 0-3, Liam Crotty 0-3, Patrick Ryan 0-2, Rossa Keehan 0-1, Shane Kavanagh 0-1 (f), Conor Downes 0-1
O’Callaghan’s Mills:
1: Killian Nugent
4: Keith Donnellan
3: Conor Cooney
2: Niall Melody
5: Sean Cotter
6: Aidan O’Gorman
7: Aidan Fawl
8: Fionn Hickey
9: Cormac Murphy
12: Stephen Donnellan
11: Darragh Moroney
10: Conor Henry
15: Liam Murphy
17: Bryan Donnellan
13: Sean Boyce
Subs
14: Colin Crehan for S. Donnellan (41)
20: Jacob Loughnane for B. Donnellan (57)
19: Mark Pewter for L. Murphy (60+1)
18: Cathal McNamara for Fawl (62, inj)
15: Murphy for Cotter (80, inj)
22: Mike McGrath for Henry (80, inj)
Scariff
1: William Kavanagh
2: Cathal McCaul
3: Michael Scanlan
20: Sean Hartigan
5: Sean Collins
6: Matthew Crotty
7: Shane Kavanagh
8: Conor Downes
9: Liam Crotty
12: Rossa Keehan
11: Keelan Hartigan
10: Patrick Crotty
13: Paul Rodgers
26: Paddy Nugent
15: Ben Sweeney
Subs
24: Daniel Treacy for S. Hartigan (25, inj)
23: Rory Ryan for Sweeney (HT)
14: Patrick Ryan for Nugent (51)
28: Michael Vaughan for Collins (70)
17: Michael Barrett for Downes (71, inj)
Referee: Niall Malone (Éire Óg)
Gallery of photographs by Ruth Griffin
