Scariff seal senior status to send Corofin into relegation decider

*Mark Rodgers hit 1-13 for the winners. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill

SCARIFF justified favouritism when comfortably overcoming Corofin by sixteen points to seal their senior status.

Scariff 3-20
Corofin 0-13
Venue: Dr Daly Park, Tulla

The Clare Echo’s coverage of the Clare SHC is with thanks to The Temple Gate Hotel.

They were the better team throughout the contest but the final scoreline is somewhat flattering in their favour as they scored 2-1 in the final four minutes.

Both teams were forced to go without key players due to injury and, arguably, Corofin were more severely hit with the loss of Conor Leen and Marc O’Loughlin both of whom made an impact when introduced for the second half.

Liam Crotty, one of Scariff’s better players this season, was ruled out due to injury and he was replaced by his brother Matthew.

Playing with the aid of the breeze in the opening half, the East Clare men raced into an early lead and they were 1-6 to 0-1 in front after thirteen minutes, the goal having come from Patrick Ryan who punished a defensive error.

From here to the interval both sides added 0-4 to their tallies and Corofin were entitled to feel reasonably happy with the position at half time when Scariff led on a scoreline of 1-10 to 0-5.

Inter county star defender Conor Leen was at full forward for Corofin when play resumed and in his side’s first attack he landed a point. Gearoid Kelly followed with one from a free and Corofin supporters began to hope that their side might get back into contention.

Scariff had other ideas and they responded with four unanswered scores to extend their lead to ten points with twenty minutes remaining.

Two Gearoid Kelly frees followed before the mid point of the half but anytime Corofin looked like closing the gap, Scariff answered with a score, more often than not from their captain Mark Rodgers who finished the game with a tally, of 1-13.

Points were exchanged for much of the final quarter until Mark Rodgers took a pass from Patrick Crotty and blasted to the net.

The game was in injury time when substitute Ben Sweeney’s effort for a point deceived Liam Corbett in the Corofin goal and dipped into the top corner for his side’s third goal, giving a rather flattering look to the scoreline.

Michael Scanlan excelled at full back for the winners while Diarmaid Nash, Shane Kavanagh, Matthew Corbett and team captain Mark Rodgers were also to the fore.

The O’Loughlins, Damien and Marc, Sean O’Brien, Gearoid Cahill who filed the role of sweeper, and goalkeeper Liam Corbett who made a number of excellent saves, were to the fore for Corofin.