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Clare senior star Colin Ryan bagged 1-7 today. Cathal Noonan/INPHO
Staying Up

Close shave! Clare's most successful hurling club preserve senior status with replay win

County senior star Colin Ryan was in excellent form for Newmarket-on-Fergus as they staved off the threat of relegation.

Newmarket-on-Fergus 2-11
Kilmaley 0-13

CLARE’S MOST SUCCESSFUL hurling club has retained senior status for 2017.

Newmarket-on-Fergus saw off Kilmaley by four points in a relegation play-off replay at Sixmilebridge this afternoon, as county star Colin Ryan scored 1-7, including six pointed frees.

At half-time, Newmarket-on-Fergus were in trouble against Kilmaley as they trailed by 0-5 to 0-7 but second half goals from Ryan and Mikey McInerney helped them over the line.

Newmarket, who’ve won the county SHC title on 23 occasions, were champions as recently as 2012, when they ended a 31-year wait for glory.

But they narrowly avoided the drop this year and Ryan, an All-Ireland senior medallist with Clare in 2013, had a big part to play for his club, as McInerney chipped in with a vital 1-1.

Sean O’Connor, Eoin Hayes and Darren O’Connor also scored vital points for Newmarket against a Kilmaley side who had Cian Moloney in prolific form again.

In the drawn game, Ryan scored 0-12 for Newmarket and Moloney collected 0-9.

Today, Moloney’s haul was seven points, including two from play, but it wasn’t enough as Kilmaley, county senior champions in 2004, were relegated.

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