Clonmore got off to a flying start but Eire Og found the way later on.
2024 Michael Lyng Motors SFC, Group 2, Round 1
Eire Og 2-9, Clonmore 1-7
By Stephen Bambrick
The reigning Senior and Intermediate Football champions faced off in the first of Friday night’s double header in Netwatch Cullen Park, Eire Og shaking clear eventually from a dogged Clonmore outfit who though down some key players from their double championship winning teams of 2022 and 2023 (Matt Cullen, James Whelan, Shane McGrath, Con Murphy) showed they weren’t here to just make up the numbers.
Clonmore were a deserved 1-2 to the good by the 7th minute courtesy of Jordan Kane’s 45m , Aaron Kelly’s close in free and a well taken Oisin Doyle goal all before Darragh O ‘Brien steadied Eire Og nerves with a free closely followed by a Mark Furey effort from all of 45 m out , 1-2 to 0-2 on the 10th minute.
Shane Murphy lead by example with a sweet strike off the left in the 11th minute which restored their 2 score advantage but not for long though, Colm Hulton showing good footwork on the edge of the Clonmore square to find the net , this all taking place during a torrential downpour.
Eire Og eventually drew parity in the 19th minute through another O’Brien free but credit to Clonmore who finished the half the better , Kelly liveliest to a skidding rebound in the 21st minute and a 27th minute free bringing his tally to 3 and a deserved 2 point half time lead, 1-5 to 1-3.
The new half saw O’ Brien register a brace of frees either side of Murtough Ware’s effort so by the 37th minute Eire Og now hit the front for the first time in the game. Hulton and Dunphy added more hurt to the Clonmore cause, their first half efforts allied to that injury list possibly starting to tell, 1-8 to 1-5 Eire Og now, but Oisin Doyle offering hope from a placed ball though to bring it back to a 2 point game in the 46th minute.
With Eire Og emptying the bench one of these, Niall Quinlan with a rising effort restored the 3 point gap in the 49th minute. We then entered a score free 13 minutes, with Clonmore pushed up a gap then appeared in their rearguard, Sean Gannon seemed destined to kick the insurance point but using all his experience took an extra second and put the game to bed with a well taken goal, Dylan Doyle’s free in reply leaving Eire Og victors on a final scoreline of 2-9 to 1-7.
Scorers
Eire Og
D O’Brien 0-4 ( 0-3f)
C Hulton 1-1
S Gannon 1-0
M Furey 0-1
M Ware 0-1
R Dunphy 0-1
N Quinlan 0-1
Clonmore:
O Doyle 1-1 ( 0-1f)
A Kelly 0-3 (0-2f )
S Murphy 0-1
J Kane 0-1 (45m)
D Doyle 0-1f
TEAMS
Subs
Eire Og
E Byrne
Kyle Nolan
Kieran Nolan
N Quinlan
Clonmore
A Byrne
D Doyle
Referee – David Hickey
