Clare SHC: Sixmilebridge progress as last-eight line-up takes shape

Shane McGrath contributed a whopping personal tally of 4-10 as Feakle also progressed

Alex Morey shot 11 points over the hour for Sixmilebridge. File photo by Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile

Current champions Sixmilebridge are through to this year’s quarter-finals thanks to 0-20 to 1-13 victory over Whitegate at Cusack Park on Saturday evening. The title-holders did have to endure a spirited last quarter from their East Clare opponents but experience won out in the end. 

The Bridge held a 0-11 to 0-8 advantage at the break thanks in the main to Alex Morey who provided six of those first-half scores. The number 14 shot eleven points over the hour. 

Trailing by 0-18 to 0-11 with five minutes remaining, Whitegate were thrown a lifeline. Goalkeeper Andrew Fahy blasted a penalty to the net, to put the wind up their opponents. But thanks to valuable late scores by Morey and Shane Golden, Sixmilebridge held on.

Earlier in the day at the same venue, Feakle had a facile victory over Clarecastle on a final scoreline of 5-20 to 2-12. Man-of-the-match Shane McGrath contributed a whopping personal tally of 4-10 with one of his goals coming from a penalty. The East Clare side were comfortably in front by 2-12 to 0-7 at half-time. Feakle will now be quarter-finalists, a feat that they also achieved last season. 

Last year’s intermediate champions Broadford announced their return to senior ranks with a 0-17 to 0-15 triumph over neighbours Clonlara at Cusack Park Sunday afternoon. A ten-point haul by Diarmuid Moloney helped the Jimmy Browne managed outfit into the last-eight. They led by 0-10 to 0-9 at the interval and had amassed a five-point lead (0-15 to 0-10) by the 40th minute. 

Clonlara did put in a strong finish but three wides in succession by Ian Galvin late in the game means that they are now out of this year’s championship.

Inagh-Kilnamona made it two wins out of two when they impressively defeated Newmarket-on-Fergus at Cusack Park on Friday evening. They had seven points to spare at the whistle, finishing 1-21 to 1-14 in front. The club from west of Ennis reached the semi-final in 2019, going down to eventual winners Sixmilebridge. 

Early scores from corner-forward Kealen Guyler, Aidan McCarthy from a free, and his brother Jason McCarthy from play saw Inagh-Kilnamona take a three-point lead inside the opening seven minutes. They held the upper hand until the break, when they led by 0-10 to 0-8. 

Pushing on in the second period, they had victory in sight by the 41st minute as they enjoyed a 1-15 to 0-8 advantage. An Aidan McCarthy goal sealed it when he smashed to the Newmarket net following good play by Conner Hegarty and David Mescal.

Neighbours Kilmaley were also impressive over the weekend. A 4-13 to 1-17 win over Wolfe Tones na Sionna saw them through to the last-eight in an entertaining game staged at a sunny Cusack Park on Saturday. 

Both sides played with abandon from the off and a Tom O’Rourke goal after just 20 seconds for the winners set the tone. Daire Kean had a second in the eighth minute before the Shannon side struck back with an Aaron Cunningham three-pointer moments later as Wolfe Tones trailed by 2-9 to 1-9 at half-time. 

Keane struck for a third Kilmaley goal just seconds after the restart and when O’Rourke broke through for his second and his team’s fourth midway through the half, the scoreboard read 4-11 to 1-13.

O’Callaghan’s Mills proved too good for Crusheen on Sunday, gaining victory by 3-17 to 0-17. At the break, they found themselves 2-8 to 0-9 in front, with first-half goals by Gary Cooney and Bryan Donnellan. A third goal late in the second half sealed it for the Mills when substitute Cormac Murphy soloed through the Crusheen defence and rattled Donal Tuohy’s net.

In the final game of the weekend, 2018 champions Ballyea made it through to the quarter-finals as they totally outclassed Clooney-Quin by 2-28 to 0-11. Tony Kelly, who scored a personal tally of 1-7 over the hour, grabbed a first-half goal to put his team 1-15 to 0-5 ahead at half-time. Garry Brennan flicked to the Clooney-Quin net from a Tadgh Lynch delivery to cement a deserved victory.

The clash between Cratloe and Éire Óg scheduled for Shannon on Sunday did not go ahead due to a positive case of Covid-19 being identified in recent days in Cratloe GAA.