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12 April 2009
Posted in
Hurling -
Senior
The Senior hurlers maintained their 100% record with a late,late show to secure a one-point win over Inagh/Kilnamona in Round 2 of the Clare Cup on Easter Sunday morning in Clooney..........
The early morning start seemed to suit the Combo side as they eased into an early two-point lead, Inter-county player, Tony Carmody opening the scoring with a point from their first attack, quickly followed by a Cathal Lafferty point a minute later.
Fergal Lynch pointed for the home side in the 5th minute, a score quickly followed by a point from Cathal Egan who brilliantly fielded a long Cillian Duggan free to tie the scores.
Brian Shally edged Clooney ahead from a free, followed by six minutes without a score, until Fergal Lynch once again converted a point following great work by Pa Reynolds who fed Padraig Ward who fed the Dangan man to score.
Carmody and Ward exchanged points by the mid-point of the half, with Carmody, reducing the margin to one in the 17th minute.
A minute later, Padraig Ward scored a brilliant point, when under intense pressure, he got off a snap swing with a number of defenders surrounding him to put Clooney two up.
Ger Arthur converted a free in the 26th minute, but a minute later, Brian Shally goaled from a 20M free to leave the half-time score at 1-6 to 0-5.
Usually, the side that are in arrears at the half-time break normally need to get stuck-in at the start of the 2nd half, and the Inagk/Kilnamona lads certainly did that.
By the 7th minute, they had gone from four points down to one ahead.
Carmody set them on their way with a point. Two minutes later he broke through the Clooney rearguard and hit a powerful shot which was brilliantly stopped by Clooney 'keeper Padraig Cunningham. However, as the ball flew up in the air, substitute,
Joe Griffin batted the ball which crept over the line to level. Arthur put his side ahead 1-7 to 1-6 in the 7th as the home side struggled to contain the visitors.
From a Clooney attack which was saved by Patrick Kelly at the expense of a 65, Derek Ryan levelled in the 10th minute. An Arthur free a minute later was was followed in the 16th with another Carmody score, the Combo now two ahead and looking as if they were on their way to the win.
Clooney were guilty of some poor wides at this stage of the game, but Pa Reynolds reduced the gap to one with a free in the 22nd minute.
Six minutes without a score followed, before Ryan converted from 45meters to level. As the clock ticked towards the full-time whistle, there was just enough time for Ryan to latch onto a loose ball to feed Martin Duggan with a clever hand-pass who pointed off his left to secure a valuable win for the Clooney/Quin side.
Next match is against neighbours, Tulla in a fortnights time before Round 1 of the County Championship which is just around the corner.
Clooney/Quin: Padraig Cunningham, Adrian Fleming, Conor Harrison, Shane McNamara, Pa Reynolds(1 Free), Cillian Duggan, Enda Harrison, Sean Conheady and Mike McNamara, Brian Shally(1-1 Free's), Fergal Lynch(2 Pts), Martin Duggan(1 pt) Padraig Ward(2 Pts), Cathal Egan(1 pt) and Mickie Daffy. Subs: John Earls for Mike McNamara, Derek Ryan (2, 1 65, 1 free) for Brian Shally and Seán Ward for Mickie Daffy.
