By: Mary Dunne
Molloy Precast and Environmental Systems Senior B Hurling Championship Round 4
Clara: 3-18
Carrig & Riverstown: 1-19
Despite being pushed extremely hard in the second half Clara sent out a very clear signal to the rest of the teams in the Senior B Championship with a huge win over a fancied Carrig & Riverstown side in Moystown on Saturday afternoon last.
With the four semi final places still up for grabs, Saturday’s meeting between Clara and Carrig & Riverstown was all about sending out a message to the other teams and in particular the favourites for the title Seir Kieran and one thing is for sure a very sharp and hungry Clara set that bar.
While the second half was as dominant of a performance and Carrig & Riverstown came right back at them and even took the lead at one stage, Clara never panicked and they pushed back with some fine scores and equally as fine of player performances.
When they needed to take the game back, they had ample amounts of players who stood up to the mark. Conor Doyle commanded the half back position and along with some brilliant defending from Myles Handy and Alan Gavin, they drove their forwards on.
Up from Clara had the players with the capabilities of taking the scores. Cormac Delaney was their marksman, but not only from placed balls. They took scores from play too and his side line cut on the 54th minute was sublime.
This was massive win for Clara. They have struggled in the past to get one over on Carrig and Riverstown and while, both of them are still in the championship and will have a lot of say in the destination of the championship for 2026, this win will certainly boost Clara as they push on in a bid to make the step up to Senior A Hurling.
There is no doubt that Carrig & Riverstown, while they lost of Saturday will have a lot yet to offer. They have been there or there about for the last number of years and on Saturday while they weren’t at their best they still asked plenty of Clara.
They lined out minus their County star Cathal King, who was in a boot following an injury and when he returns to the fold, he will be a massive boost to their championship hopes.
Both sides will learn a lot from this game. Clara were guilty of a lot of fouling and were pulled on numerous of occasions for the hand pass, ones that certainly looked like questionable frees from where I was, but they were pulled up for them nonetheless and perhaps rightly when the referee is closer, so we will give the benefit of doubt on that one and say that it is something that they will have probably look at going forward.
This was a highly entertaining clash and from the off, it was Clara who drove at the opponents and really their four point leading margin at the interval was not a reflection on their dominance in the opening half.
Relying heavily on frees and some that certainly were very questionable from a Clara point of view, it kept Carrig & Riverstown in the game with their five last scores of the half all coming from placed balls.
Carrig & Riverstown who have been hunting Senior B glory for a number of years started well and with only fifteen seconds on the clock they were off the mark hanks to David Egan.
The Clara response was brilliant to say the least and it was from the puck out they attacked. Josh Fleming took the sliothar and turning his marker brilliantly he passed off to Cormac Delaney who made no mistake in driving the sliothar to the net, 1-0 to 0-1 after forty five seconds.
Patrick Bergin reduced the gap but only momentarily with John Ledwith and Cormac Delaney responding.
Liam Hoare with his trademark long range free had it back to two by the 7th minute but a fine score from Josh Fleming had the scores reading 1-3 to 0-3 a minute later.
Liam Hoare was on the mark again moments later but what he could do at tone end was matched by Cormac Delaney at the other end.
Then we had the break away and while it was against the run of play it was a great move. Conor Hanamy did all the donkey work and laid off a fine pass to Andrew Coakley who drove forward to land the sliothar to the back of the Clara goal. In the blink of an eye the sides were level at 1-4 each.
Clara had to regroup and fast. Cormac Delaney point a free to give them the lead and then with a brilliant move Conor Doyle executed a brilliant pass out of the half back line to Ross Brady and with a neat pass on to Barry Cushen he planted the ball to the net. Clara suddenly four clear 2-5 to 1-4 with seventeen gone.
Cormac Delaney and Liam Hoare traded further frees, before four on the bounce from Cormac Delaney left the scores reading 2-10 to 1-5 and it was all Clara.
But out of nowhere Carrig & Riverstown came and with Lee Hogan hitting the next five scores from placed balls in comparison to one for Clara from Barry Egan, the gap was four at the half time break, 2-11 to 1-10.
Carrig & Riverstown certainly were back in with a shout and on the resumption they were a lot livelier and hungrier.
Cormac Delaney stretched the Clara lead to five two minutes into the restart, but thanks to four scores from Lee Hogan (3) and a massive score from Mark O’Brien, the Clara lead was whittled down to one 2-12 to 1-14 by the 39th minute.
Then with forty two minutes on the clock Alan Gavin lunched in a high ball and with Barry Cushen pulling on it, it landed to the net. The goal was signaled, but within a minute the referee went to his umpires and they disallowed the goal.
It could well have been the margin that could have swung this game and with a fabulous score from Brendan Hoctor the sides were level forty four minutes in.
Clara needed a score and quick and with a lovely score Conor Egan it settled them and just before Cormac Delaney pointed again.
Mark O’Brien added his second of the half on the 48th minute and game was in the melting pot, but with a brace in quick succession from Cormac Delaney the gap was back to three again 2-16 to 1-16.
Andrew Coakley pointed but with a sublime sideline cut Cormac Delaney restored the three point lead for Clara as the 54th minute ticked over.
Clara had the upper hand again and with a brilliant run from the middle of the field Conor Egan tore through to rifle the net and with that Clara were six clear 3-17 to 1-17 with five minutes of normal time to play.
Lee Hogan was on the mark again but Cormac Delaney this time from play landed another score bringing this own personal tally to 1-14 for the hour.
Carrig & Riverstown did have the final say of the game with Patrick Bergin pointing after a wonderful save by Willie Fleming in the Clara goal, to bring the full time scores to 3-18 to 1-19 in what was a massive win for Clara.
The Scorers
Clara: Cormac Delaney 1-14 (0-10 Frees, 0-1 ’65, 0-1 side line), Conor Egan 1-1, Barry Cushen 1-0, Josh Fleming 0-1, Barry Egan 0-1, John Ledwith 0-1.
Carrig & Riverstown: Lee Hogan 0-9 (0-8 Frees, 0-1 ‘65), Andrew Coakley 1-1, Mark O’Brien 0-2, Liam Hoare 0-3 (All Frees), Patrick Bergin 0-2, David Egan 0-1, Brendan Hoctor 0-1.
The Teams
Clara: Willie Fleming; Myles Handy, Cathal O’Meara, Callum Bracken; Alan Gavin, Conor Doyle, Ciaran Doyle; Marcas Dalton, John Ledwith; Barry Egan, Cormac Delaney, Conor Egan (Capt.), Josh Fleming, Ross Brady, Barry Cushen.
Subs: Ed Cullen for Cathal O’Meara (37 mins), Scott Griffith for John Ledwith (50 mins), Liam Flynn for Ross Brady (55 mins), Colm Doyle for Barry Cushen (60 mins).
Carrig & Riverstown: Liam Hoare; Dylan Hogan, Caelum Larkin, Thomas Hogan; Sean Connaughton, Peter King, Brendan Hoctor; David Egan, Timmy Carey; Lee Hogan, Mark O’Brien, Patrick Bergin; Joe Hoctor, Conor Hanamy, Andrew Coakley.
Sub: Daniel England for Conor Hanamy (52 mins).
Referee: David McLoughlin (Shinrone).
By Offaly Secretary Sun 23rd Aug
