Following an inch-tight opening round, a much more one-sided Saturday enveloped the second series of group match in the Clare SHC. An average winning margin of just five points across eight matches two weeks earlier whet the appetite for the next instalment but Round 2 rather overpromised and underdelivered as Saturday’s average was stretched to 16 points across four matches.
The ‘Group of Death’ (Group 4) did throw up a leading contender though as Kilmaley exacted full revenge on Cratloe in their top of the table clash in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg. Level at half-time at 0-10 to 1-07, Kilmaley welcomed the wind to put four more goals past a flagging Cratloe whose last gasp heroics had knocked the same opponents out of last year’s championship.
Conor Cleary was a unmarketable target man at the edge of the square to directly set up three second half goals for Tom O’Rourke, Mikey O’Malley (penalty) and substitute James Fitzpatrick before Mikey O’Neill grabbed the clinching fifth in fortuitous circumstances as Cleary distracted goalkeeper Eoin Deegan for the delivery from halfway to find its way to the net in a 5-17 to 0-20 triumph.
Goals were also a major feature of Broadford’s even more impressive second half comeback in the first of a Cusack Park double header that eventually saw Paddy Meehan’s side complete a 24-point turnaround against a crestfallen Corofin by 5-25 to 4-10 in Group 2. Backed by the conditions, Kevin Keane’s aerial prowess saw him score a goal, tee up James Organ for two more before earning a penalty that Gearoid Kelly coolly dispatched to ensure an encouraging 4-06 to 0-12 half-time advantage for Corofin.
However, there would be a complete sea-change in the new half as Broadford gathered momentum, aided by Niall O’Farrell’s 38th minute goal that eventually saw Corofin’s cushion wiped out by the turn of the final quarter.
O’Farrell was superb with 1-13 as a wind-assisted Broadford edge two in front by the 50th minute but the best was yet to come from the east Clare side as newcomer Mikey Vaughan and Diarmuid Moloney scored two goals in as many minutes before the outstanding O’Farrell took his final tally to 3-14 with two further goals before the finish amidst a saved penalty at the other end from goalkeeper Cian O’Brien.
Danny Russell was equally on song in Group 3 as Éire Óg maintained their perfect start with a deserved 1-26 to 1-12 win over Wolfe Tones in Newmarket. The Ennis side led from start to finish, with Russell a guiding light with 1-13 as their Shannon opponents lost their composure and ended up with only 13 men following late dismissals for Stephen Donnellan and Aron Shanagher.
On Friday evening, defending champions Feakle finally dug out their first win of the next campaign with a battling 1-19 to 1-17 defeat of Newmarket-on-Fergus in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg. The Blues led by five points in the opening half and three entering the final quarter but were reeled on both occasions by an obstinate Feakle, with substitute Owen McGann firing the all-important equalising goal to get them back on track and eventually cling to victory while knocking their opponents out of the championship in the process.
2023 champions Clonlara also preserved their flawless start with a surprisingly facile 3-21 to 0-12 Group 1 success over St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield in Sixmilebridge on Saturday afternoon.
In the absence of Clare Cup winning captain John Conlon, Ian Galvin wore the armband to notch up a remarkable 2-10 as ten different scorers contributed to the win which puts one major foot in the last eight.
