Clare 4-20
Kerry 0-12
CLARE RECORDED THEIR biggest victory under joint-Managers Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor this afternoon as they successfully blew off the cobwebs of the new season against Kerry in the opening round of the Munster Hurling League.
Despite an eleventh hour change of venue from Sixmilebridge to LIT, goals from David Reidy, Cathal O’Connell, Shane O’Donnell and substitute Bobby Duggan effectively cement the points by the 50th minute as a new-look Banner side soared 23 points clear.
Clare started with five senior debutants in Niall Deasy, Rory Hayes, Ryan Taylor and last year’s minor duo Diarmuid Ryan and Gary Cooney, three more – Colin Guilfoyle, Mikey O’Neill and Daragh Corry – came off the bench while there were also senior returns for Mikey O’Malley and Cathal O’Connell.
Kerry also introduced three new starters in Niall O’Mahoney, Daithi Griffin and Shane Conway but the visitors would be blitzed by three first half goals that ensured that they would be chasing the contest in vein for the remainder.
O’Malley and Shane O’Donnell combined to tee up overlapping midfielder David Reidy for the first goal after only three minutes on his way to a handsome first quarter tally of 1-3. Niall Deasy was also prominent on the scoreboard before Clare hit their opponents with two late sucker-punches to hold a 3-11 to 0-05 interval advantage, impressively all stemming from play.
O’Donnell was again the architect as he offloaded to Cathal O’Connell for Clare’s second goal in the 30th minute while right on the stroke of half-time, Reidy returned the favour for his Éire Óg club-mate to billow the net and take a 15 point cushion into the dressing rooms.
Clare freshened things up for the new half with substitutes Bobby Duggan (1-1), Colin Guilfoyle (0-3) and Daragh Corry (0-2) maintaining their stranglehold on proceedings to soar 4-17 to 0-06 clear by the turn of the final quarter.
Kerry did finish strongly though with four of the last five points, all from the stick of Shane Nolan as Clare ended the tie with only 14 men when Cooney was forced to succumb to an injury after all their substitutions were used.
Clare host Cork next Sunday in a repeat of last year’s Munster Final while Kerry travel to Limerick for their Round Two tie.
Scorers for Clare: David Reidy (1-3), Niall Deasy (0-5, 1f) Shane O’Donnell, Cathal O’Connell, Bobby Duggan (1-1 each), Colin Guilfoyle (0-3), Daragh Corry, Ryan Taylor (0-2 each), Cathal Malone, John Conlon (0-1 each).
Scorers for Kerry: Shane Nolan (0-7, 5f, 1’65), Daithi Griffin, Daniel Collins (0-2 each, Collins 1f) Padraig Boyle (0-1).
Clare
1. Donal Tuohy (Crusheen)
2. Jack Browne (Ballyea)
3. Conor Cleary (Kilmaley)
4. Rory Hayes (Wolfe Tones)
7. Mikey O’Malley (Kilmaley)
6. David McInerney (Tulla)
5. Diarmuid Ryan (Cratloe)
8. David Reidy (Éire Óg)
9. Ryan Taylor (Clooney-Quin)
12. John Conlon (Clonlara)
11. Cathal Malone (Sixmilebridge)
10. Niall Deasy (Ballyea)
15. Gary Cooney (O’Callaghan’s Mills)
14. Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg)
13. Cathal O’Connell (Clonlara)
Subs:
19. Bobby Duggan (Clarecastle) for O’Connell (HT)
21. Daragh Corry (Tulla) for O’Donnell (HT)
20. Colin Guilfoyle (Newmarket-on-Fergus) for Conlon (HT)
22. Mikey O’Neill (Kilmaley) for Malone (47)
18. Oisin O’Brien (Clonlara) for Ryan (51)
Kerry
1. Martin Stackpoole (Lixnaw)
12. Jordan Conway (Crotta O’Neills)
4. Sean Weir (Crotta O’Neills)
2. Niall O’Mahony (Abbeydorney)
5. Dougie Fitzell (Kilmoyley)
7. Brendan O’Leary (Abbeydorney)
3. Jason Diggins (Causeway)
8. Shane Nolan (Crotta O’Neills)
9. Daithi Griffin (St Brendan’s)
23. Jack Goulding (Ballyduff)
11. Daniel Collins (Kilmoyley)
10. Colum Harty (Causeway)
13. Padraig Boyle (Ballyduff)
14. Brandon Barrett (Causeway)
15. Shane Conway (Lixnaw)
Subs
22. Philip Lucid (Ballyheigue) for Harty (HT)
24. Maurice O’Connor (Kilmoyley) for Goulding (HT)
26. Daniel Carroll (Ballyduff) for S. Conway (48)
25. John Buckley (Lixnaw) for Diggins (48)
19. Evan Murphy (Causeway) for Boyle (60)
Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):