Southern Gaels warm up for semi-final with win over Clonkill

Southern Gaels 2-19, Clonkill 0-15

Southern Gaels warmed up for their upcoming Intermediate Hurling Championship semi-final with a ten-point victory over Clonkill in Rochfortbridge last Saturday evening.

There was little between the teams in the opening half of this last round group game with the scores level at 0-8 apiece. The early stages of the second half were also closely contested but two goals in four minutes from Southern Gaels had the Athlone team in command against Clonkill's second team heading into the last quarter.

Despite there being little at stake - with Southern Gaels assured of a semi-final place and Clonkill out of contention - the entertainment levels were high and enthusiasm admirable. The game was not totally free flowing though with fouls from both teams otherwise disrupting the rhythm.

Southern Gaels opened the scoring but were never in front thereafter for the remainder of the first half. Cian Geary popped over the first point after two minutes of play but four unanswered points soon had Clonkill on top. Enda Morrison opened Clonkill's account with further points from Evan Scally, Senan O’Driscoll and Christopher Austin leaving it 0-4 to 0-1 with eight minutes gone.

Sean Dowd and Diarmuid Martin reduced the deficit to the bare minimum but a further point from Scally left two between the teams after the first quarter had elapsed. Clonkill were punished though any time they committed a foul and Chulainn Dowd had the sides level with two successful frees.

Further points were then exchanged as the half-time score saw the game level at 0-8 each. Two further frees from Dowd and a point from play by Kevin Dolan were the Gaels' remaining scores in the half, with O’Driscoll, Scally and Eoin Kenny replying for Clonkill.

There was nothing to separate the teams in the early stages of the second half, but Southern Gaels crucially raised the first green flag after seven minutes, which changed the complexion of the contest.

Two early frees from Dowd edged the Gaels into a two-point lead but Scally was equally as accurate with frees as he fired over twice to again level matters.

The Athlone team though had the next score which proved crucial and never looked back thereafter. Sean Dowd scored the first goal with a strike to the net past the keeper's right side and it handed Tony O’Keeffe’s men a major boost.

Another free from Chulainn Dowd and then a point from play by the number 15 had the Gaels ahead by five points. The second goal came in the 40th minute, Dolan raising the green flag with a crisp strike along the ground, leaving it 2-12 to 0-10. Clonkill were now facing an uphill battle.

Christopher Austin pulled a score back for the men in green with a point after 11 minutes to leave it 2-12 to 0-11. Chulainn Dowd and Scally were then successful with frees at either end but a point from play by John Martin restored Southern Gaels' eight-point lead heading into the last quarter. A further point from Sean Murphy increased it to nine but Clonkill were still fighting and Scally fired over another free to leave it 2-15 to 0-13 with 51 minutes gone.

Their next score though was not to arrive until stoppage time as Southern Gaels eased to victory in the closing stages. Another Chulainn Dowd free and points from play by Murphy and Cian McCarthy killed off Clonkill's challenge.

The Gaels held an 11-point lead on the hour mark and while Clonkill outscored them in the time added on, it mattered little to the final outcome. Clonkill's first score in ten minutes, an Enda Loughlin free, was quickly cancelled out when Geary sent over Southern Gaels' last point.

Clonkill completed the scoring with a point from Eoin Kenny to leave it 2-19 to 0-15 when the final whistle soon sounded as Southern Gaels' strong second-half performance proved to be a winning one.

Scorers - Southern Gaels: C Dowd 0-10 (9 frees); K Dolan and S Dowd 1-1 each; C Geary and S Murphy 0-2 each; C McCarthy, D Martin and J Martin 0-1 each. Clonkill: E Scally 0-7 (4f); S O’Driscoll, C Austin and E Kenny 0-2 each; E Morrison 0-1; E Loughlin 0-1 (f).

Southern Gaels: Jonathan Keogh; Luke O’Connell, Kieran Duncan, Diarmaid Murtagh; Dermot Treacy, Eamon Martin, Maurice Fitzgerald; Sean Dowd, Cian McCarthy; Diarmuid Martin, Chulainn Dowd, Sean Murphy; John Martin, Cian Geary, Kevin Dolan. Subs: Fionn Dowd for Fitzgerald (H-T); Eoin Hardiman for J Martin (48 mins); MJ Kelly for Dolan (55).

Clonkill: Cillian Doyle; Scott Murtagh, Cian Egerton, John Fagan; Nathan Sleator, Mark Keegan, Ciaran Morrison; Riley Sheahan, Shane Power; Christopher Austin, Evan Scally, Senan O’Driscoll; Eoin Kenny, Enda Morrison, Alex Smyth. Subs: Adam Brady and Enda Loughlin for E Morrison and Egerton (46 mins); Fergus Fagan for Smyth (53); Thomas Daly for Austin (55).

Referee: Raymond Farrelly.