Clare SFC: Gary Brennan hits 0-9 for Clondegad as they make quarters

SHARPSHOOTER: Gary Brennan may have retired from intercounty action but shows no signs of slowing down. File pic: INPHO/Tommy Dickson

It wasn’t a good weekend if you donned the colours of clubs with St Joseph’s in their name — Miltown Malbay and Doora-Barefield footballers bore witness to this as they both crashed to demoralising defeats to Doonbeg and Clondegad respectively as the Clare SFC group stages concluded with two crucial play-off games.

The last of the eight quarter-final places was claimed by Clondegad as they cantered to a 1-15 to 0-8 win over St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield in Cusack Park on Sunday afternoon, while Saturday evening in Cooraclare saw Doonbeg kick clear of St Joseph’s Miltown in extra-time to score a fully merited 2-19 to 1-16 win.

Former Clare captain Gary Brennan’s retirement from inter-county duty may have been two years ago, but he showed yet again that he’s as good as ever when inspiring Clondegad to their facile victory that puts them in Monday's quarter-final draw.

Operating at full-forward he hit 0-9 over the hour as Clondegad put in a dominant performance to end Doora-Barefield’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages.

Five of those points came in the first half as Clondegad opened up a 0-9 to 0-3 lead, with the Doora-Barefield challenge effectively grinding to a halt after an early flurry of enthusiasm yielded points by Tom McDonald (2) and Dara Nagle and had them 0-3 to 0-2 ahead after 15 minutes.

With Shane Brennan, Barry Toner, Ryan Jennings and Eoghan Donnellan also contributing to the scoresheet there was no way back for Doora-Barefield after Donnellan struck for the only goal of the game on 51 minutes as they eased to a ten-point victory.

What Gary Brennan did for Clondegad, it was a case of David Tubridy doing more for Doonbeg, as his haul of 0-10 helped the 18 times champions secure their senior status for 2023 with an impressive six-point win over St Joseph’s Miltown.

The veteran of 15 years at inter-county level was the difference between the sides that pushes Miltown to the brink as they now face a relegation decider in two weeks time.

Doonbeg had the upper hand for most of the game, with Tubridy scoring freely they led at half-time by 1-6 to 1-2 after a goal by Eoin Killeen just before the break put daylight between the sides.

And they held sway for much of the second half until a determined Miltown comeback inspired by Clare captain Eoin Cleary, who contributed 0-7, ensured that matters finished level at 1-13 apiece after 60 minutes. 

However, a goal mid-way through the first period of extra-time effectively decided the game. Luke Conway fired home past Eoin O'Brien to help Doonbeg into a 2-17 to 1-14 lead, a six-point advantage they jealously guarded to the end.

For Miltown, this season's fall has been spectacular — the 15 times champions have won three titles since 2015 and contested the Munster club final as recently as 2018, but four successive defeats this term means they must beat Kilmihil if they're to avoid the drop to the intermediate ranks for next season.