Wolfe Tones squeeze into Clare SHC quarter-finals on scores-for tiebreaker
Wolfe Tones qualified for the Clare SHC quarter-finals by scoring one point more than Sixmilebridge in the group stage. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
The wafer-thin margins between elation and deflation in this year’s Clare SHC were exemplified by only a single score deciding the final quarter-final berth on Sunday evening.
Kilmaley soared to top spot in Group 4 thanks to a 0-25 to 1-18 win over Sixmilebridge in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg to maintain their flawless start but ironically the majority of the focus was more on the loser than the winners.
All because at the same time in Broadford, Newmarket-on-Fergus edged out Wolfe Tones by 1-22 to 2-17, leaving a three way stalemate for the second quarter-final spot behind Kilmaley.
Indeed, Newmarket, Sixmilebridge and Wolfe Tones finished level on points as well as score difference in the games between each other, thus ensuring that an unprecedented ‘scores for’ criterion eventually had to be utilised to finally separate these neighbours.
Even that was marginal as Wolfe Tones (+50) just scored one more point than Sixmilebridge (+49) and three ahead of Newmarket-on-Fergus (+47) who would end up in the relegation play-offs.
Remarkably, one more point would have catapulted the Blues into a quarter-final rather than a demotion semi-final. And it’s an outcome that Mike Cummins’ side will rue as they were as much as seven points clear entering the final five minutes due to a Peter Power goal when Wolfe Tones only had 14 men following a red card for goalscorer Aron Shanagher at 1-20 to 1-13.
However, an Aaron Cunningham goal sparked a fightback that eventually saw the Shannon club lessen the final damage to just two and initiate a truly compelling series of permutations.
It wasn’t all good news for Wolfe Tones though as their reward for reaching a first quarter-final in four years is a meeting with defending champions Éire Óg who preserved their flawless three year group record with a 4-20 to 0-23 win over Broadford in Shannon.
Three goals in the first 11 minutes proved decisive as the Cleary brothers Marco and Luca both found the net to sandwich a superb solo goal for Shane O’Donnell to power as much as eight clear by the end of the opening quarter.
To their credit, Broadford did respond strongly, with Diarmuid Moloney’s frees and the leadership of Niall O’Farrell eventually whittling down the deficit to just a goal by the 28th minute at 3-10 to 0-16.
However, that renewed optimism soon evaporated on the resumption when despite Broadford welcoming the conditions, it took less than a minute for the unstoppable O’Donnell to cut in from the left wing before being hauled down for a penalty that top scorer Danny Russell coolly dispatched to the bottom left corner (1-10).
There would be no way back for Paddy Meehan’s Broadford from that juncture as Russell predominantly kept the scoreboard ticking over to clinch Group 2 in style. Despite a second successive defeat, Broadford still looked likely to inch into the quarter-finals on score difference until Scariff mounted a rousing second half surge against Crusheen in Tulla in the other Group 2 final showdown to prevail by 2-27 to 2-14.
Without a single point heading into the final round, Donal Moloney’s Scariff required a ten point victory to be able to catapult themselves into the quarter-finals once Éire Óg also sustained their winning start.
The holders did their part and consequently so did Scariff as despite seeing a healthy cushion slashed to just two at the three-quarters mark, sheer necessity saw them unearth a 1-9 unanswered blitz culminating in a Patrick Ryan goal to completely flip the script.
Scariff now take on Group 3 winners Clooney-Quin in the Clare SHC quarter-Finals in three weeks' times, Éire Óg meet Wolfe Tones and Inagh-Kilnamona are pitted against Cratloe while Group 4 winners Kilmaley were handed the toughest draw when being pooled with 2023 champions Clonlara.
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