By: Kevin Corrigan
Tullamore Court Hotel Senior Football Championship Group 2 round 5
Clara 4-24
Durrow 3-13
It was more like a challenge game than a meaningful championship one in ways but full credit to Durrow who had nothing to play for but turned up and gave it a decent go. They conceded a very messy, damaging walkover to Rhode at the same stage last year but there was no sugegestion of that happening on this occasion and they put their best foot forward with their Ballinamere hurlers fielding, including Dan Bourke who has just come back from injury.
Two of their hurling stars Mark Troy and Brian Duignan were instrumental in them being competitive for much of the first half. Troy scored two excellent two point frees and Brian Duignan got three points, the first blazed over with the goal at his mercy in the 11th minute to give them a 1-3 to 0-5 lead.
Steven Doran scored their goal in the fifth minute after great approach play by Brian Duignan and it took Clara a while to warm into the game. They eventually did with Ed Cullen getting a 12th minute goal as they went 1-6 to 1-3 ahead.
Durrow fought hard and scores from Ciaran Burke, Troy and Duignan had them level at 1-8 each after 23 minutes.
That was the pinnacle of the afternoon for Durrow and by half time, Clara had opened daylight with a 2-13 to 1-8 at half time, Cullen getting an excellent second goal in the 27th minute and Graham Guilfoyle a fine two pointer.
Clara wanted top spot and a quarter-final against Shamrocks rather than Tullamore, who Ballycommon now face. A four point winning margin was required to get ahead of Ballycommon on scoring difference and Clara pushed the gap out to twelve points with quick two pointers from Ed Cullen and Adam Kelly.
It would have taken a serious collapse for Clara to lose top spot from here but they did wobble briefly. Heart attack defending allowed Ross Ravenhill punch home a 35th minute goal when the ball should have been cleared after his first attempt was blocked and he then hit the post.
However, the gap was still eight points and Clara only required to keep the scoreboard ticking over to secure that four point winning margin.
It looked all over but again Durrow displayed a commendable fighting instinct to make it interesting for a brief spell. They had concerted pressure for a few minutes with Brian Duignan getting in for a very good goal and Sam Bourke and sub goalkeeper Stephen Fitzgerald (free) pointing to bring the margin down to three, 2-18 to 3-12.
Clara had work to do and were very unimpressive for that few minutes but they found the right answers and showed the right stuff as they put the game to bed quickly. Cormac Delaney got a crucial two pointer and two goals in two minutes from the 48th to 50th minutes settled the issue.
The first was punched home by sub Colm Doyle after good Cormac Delaney work and the second was a harmless one, Stephen Fitzgerald put under pressure by Ed Cullen under a high Conor Doyle ball and it fell into the net.
That put Clara 4-21 to 3-12 ahead and as you would expect, they coasted to the finish line in third gear. They could have got another couple of goals but it didn’t matter and it was a satisfactory afternoon’s work by them, even if the watching Shamrocks contingent won’t have went home shaking with fear, despite a commendable 4-24 tally – Durrow’s big game is the relegation play off against Bracknagh and they showed enough here to suggest that they can stay up.
MATCH ANALYSIS
THE SCORERS
Clara: Ed Cullen 2-3 (1 x 2p), Cormac Delaney 0-6 (1 x 2p, 1f), Adam Kelly 0-5 (1 x 2p), Josh Fleming 0-4 (3f), Graham Guilfoyle 0-3 (1 x 2p), Colm Doyle and Conor Doyle 1-0 each, David Falsey 0-2, Eoin Gavin 0-1.
Durrow: Brian Duignan 1-3, Steven Doran 1-2, Mark Troy 0-5 (2 x 2pf, 1f), Ross Ravenhill 1-0, Ciaran Burke, Stephen Fitzgerald (f) and Sam Bourke 0-1 each.
THE TEAMS
CLARA: Adam Scanlon; Callum Bracken, Barry Egan, Alan Gavin; Conor Egan, Conor Doyle, Marcas Dalton; Ed Cullen, David Falsey; Josh Fleming, Graham Guilfoyle, Ciaran Doyle; Ben Loughran, Cormac Delaney, Adam Kelly. Subs – Colm Doyle for Ciaran Doyle (38m), Eoin Gavin for Conor Egan (43m), Bobby Mitchell for Dalton (50m), Paddy Phelan for Guilfoyle (58m)
DURROW: Dermot Colbert; Sean Hughes, Gavin Hand, Michael McDermott; Sam Bourke, Ciaran Burke, Jack O’Brien; Jack Fogarty, Ross Ravenhill; Aaron Maher, Daire Boland, Dan Bourke; Mark Troy, Brian Duignan, Steven Doran. Subs – Stephen Fitzgerald for Colbert (HT), Andy Fitzgerald for McDermott (42m), Joe Maher for Hughes (48m), Luke O’Dea for Hand (51m),. Niall McDermott for Boland (57m),
Referee – Adam Kinahan, Clodiagh Gaels.
STATISTICS
Wides: Clara – 5 (0 in first half); Durrow – 6 (5 in first half).
Yellow cards: Clara – 2 (Ben Loughran, Graham Guilfoyle); Durrow – 0
Black cards:
Red cards
By Offaly Secretary Sun 30th Aug
