St Breckan’s book quarter-final place & Corofin facing relegation

*Colm O’Brien takes on Gearoid Cahill. Photograph: Burren Eye Photography

St. Breckan’s confirmed their place in the last eight of the TUS Clare senior football championship when accounting for their North Clare neighbours Corofin before a disappointing attendance at Cusack Park this Saturday evening.

St. Breckans 2-6
Corofin 1-6
Venue: Cusack Park, Ennis

However the game will not be remembered for the quality of its football and when both sides sit down to review their performances they will know that they have plenty room for improvement.

Both sides went into this tie short some key regulars. Jamie Malone and Diarmuid Cahill were out of the Corofin side due to injury while St. Breckan’s were without Raphael Considine, Denis O’Callaghan and Joe McGann but the latter did come in for the second half.

Based on possession alone, Corofin, who now face into a relegation play off, should have been ahead at the halfway point but poor finishing proved costly.

St. Breckan’s recognised that improvement was needed and the introduction of Joe McGann helped them get the upperhand in the second period.

Centre back Damien O’Loughlin opened Corofin’s account in the first minute with a good point but, in their first attack, less than a minute later, defender Colm O’Brien weaved his way past a number of Corofin defenders before shooting low to the net.

Fifteen minutes would pass before their next score and in the meantime Gearoid Cahill from a free and Kevin Keane had points for Corofin to level the tie.

The winners had their first point in the seventeenth minute when Jamie Stack converted a 30m free and they quickly followed with their first point from play which came from the boot of Liam Tierney.

When the half time whistle sounded the Lisdoonvarna men were a little fortunate to be ahead by the minimum margin, 1-3 to 0-5.

Joe McGann’s introduction made a big difference for St. Breckan’s and he bust through in the third minute for a point. They wouldn’t score again for eighteen minutes during which time Cillian McGroary had a Corofin point leaving the minimum still separating the sides with ten minutes to play.

Five minutes from the end Cian Burke made a blistering run through the heart of the Corofin defence before offloading to full forward Shane Fitzpatrick whose low effort found its way to the corner of the net.

Jamie Stack added a point to put six between the sides before Corofin were reduced to fourteen when Fionn Clancy was shown a straight red. They were awarded a penalty in the second minute of added time which Damian O’Loughlin converted but it was too late to alter the result.

Scorers St. Breckan’s: Jamie Stack (0-4, 3f); Colm O’Brien, Shane Fitzpatrick (1-0) each; Liam Tierney, Joe McGann (0-1) each

Scorers Corofin: Damian O’Loughlin (1-1, 1-0 penalty; Gearoid Cahill (free), Kevin Keane, Killian O’Connor, Michael Kelly, Cillian McGroary (0-1) each

St. Breckans;
1: Mark O’Donnell

2: Conor Burke
19: Padraig O’Dwyer
4: Paddy Doherty

5: Colm O’Brien
6: Cian Burke
7: Jack Sheedy

8: Padraig Kelly
18: Liam Tierney

10: Maccon Byrne
20: Eoin Guerin
12: Alan Sweeney

13: Jamie Stack
14: Shane Fitzpatrick
15: Rowan Danagher

Subs:
11: Joe McGann for Guerin (half time)
22: Cathal Guerin for Tierney (50)
17: Conor Shannon for Danagher (58)

Corofin;
1: Luke Neylon

2: Marc O’Loughlin
4: Ross Hayes
10: Fionn Clancy

5: Cillian McGroary
6: Damian O’Loughlin
7: Shay Malone

3: Cilléin Mullins
17: Kevin Keane

13: Killian O’Connor
11: Gearoid Cahill
12: Cian Doolin