Wasteful Abbeydorney let O’Callaghan’s Mills off the hook
Clare 2013 captain Patrick Donnellan featured for O'Callahan's Mills. Picture: Barry Cregg / SPORTSFILE
While Abbeydorney pushed O’Callaghan’s Mills all the way in this cracking Munster IHC quarter-final played in Cusack Park, Ennis, there will be Kerry regret at letting a glorious chance slip after leading all the way to the 45th minute.
The Clare side displayed more composure down the stretch after not really performing in the opening half. A fortuitous goal in the 39th minute from wing forward Jacob Loughnane gave O’Callaghan’s Mills a shot in the arm and Abbeydorney appeared deflated as they failed to post a score for a 22-minute spell. That fallow period ultimately cost them victory.
In that spell, Abbeydorney shot seven wides including some scoreable frees. They fell five points adrift, with Conor Cooney, Sean Boyce, Bryan Donnellan, Aidan Fawl, and Gary Cooney all adding points as O’Callaghan’s Mills led 1-17 to 0-15 entering added time.
Mike O’Leary finally got his radar working to reduce the gap from a free, but Garry Cooney replied with a point from play. Then drama as Oisin Maunsell and Michael Slattery combined for Abbeydorney substitute Kevin Varian to score a goal and make it a two-point game.
Man of the match Sean Boyce settled the Clare side’s nerves with his fifth point but there was still time for more drama as Mike O’Leary fired over the bar and Oisin Maunsell saw his effort at a goal taken off the line by keeper Killian Nugent. That was that.
Kerry champions Abbeydorney made a dream start with Michael O’Leary dominating the aerial combat along with his brother Brendan, while midfielders Jamesie O’Connor and Callum O’Sullivan were winning crucial possession. Mike O’Leary set up Jack Sheehan to fire over the opening score, before Callum O’Sullivan doubled the lead in the fifth minute.
O’Callaghan’s Mills were profligate from the outset with four early wides, with Jacob Loughnane guilty of giving up 1-2. After a wonderful catch Michael Slattery
fired over a beauty and when Mike O’Leary converted a 50-metre free from the near the sideline, O’Callaghan’s Mills were rattled.
The Clare side’s captain Aidan O’Gorman got them up and running from centre back and Loughnane from a free and Sean Boyce with a beauty saw Abbeydorney lead 0-6 to 0-3 at the end of the opening quarter, thanks to an Oisin Maunsell monster point.
Boyce was tormenting the Abbeydorney full-back line and he fired over three points from play while it took great defending from Jack Clifford to force Boyce to shoot into side netting.
O’Callaghan’s Mills were guilty of rank bad shooting with a total of nine first-half wides to Abbeydorney’s two and the Kerry side retired the happier at half time, leading 0-12 to 0-10.
However that barren spell without scoring proved costly as O’Callaghan’s Mills finished the game the stronger with 2013 Clare All-Ireland winning captain Pat Donnellan coming on to steady the ship late on.
S Boyce (0-5), J Loughnane (1-1, 1f), G Cooney (0-3), A O’Gorman, A Fawl, D Moroney (0-2 each), C Cooney, C Cleary, C Henry and B Donnellan (0-1 each).
M O’Leary (0-8, 6fs), K Varian (1-0), O Maunsell (0-3), C O’Sullivan, J Sheehan, and M Slattery (0-2 each).
K Nugent; C McNamara, C Cooney, K Donnellan; S Cotter, A O’Connell; F Hickey, C Murphy; J Loughnane, D Moroney, C Henry; S Boyce C Cleary, G Cooney
B Donnellan for C Murphy (38), P Donnellan for C Henry (47), M Pewter for J Loughnane (57)
C Bohane; J Maunsell, S Egan, M Clifford; D Hogan, R Donovan, N O’Mahoney; J O’Connor, C O’Sullivan; J Sheehan, M O’Leary, R O hAinifein; B O’Leary, O Maunsell, M Slattery.
D O’Leary for B O’Leary (40), D Egan for R O HAinifein (45), K Varian for J Sheehan (56), K Sheehan for C O’Sullivan (58)
K Guina (Limerick)
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