2018 Clare Senior Hurling Championship Round 1

18th August @ Sixmilebridge

by Mike Brennan

Éire Óg 3-19 Tulla 2-13

Éire Óg got their 2018 senior hurling championship off to a scintillating start with an exciting 3-19 to 2-13 win down in Sixmilebridge today. Although slow to get into rhytm-this was a fine display marred only by a late straight red card to inter county star, David Reidy. It was a call that left many scratching their heads as the card followed a dubious challenge by the Tulla corner back. The card was rightfully rescinded following a hearing during the week when all the facts came to light.

After a league campaign that started so well with a couple of victories but stuttered with away losses to Smith-O’Briens and Scariff, then fizzled out with bad losses to Crusheen and Clarecastle-leaving Éire Óg in the latter half of the Clare Cup 1B table but without any threat of relegation. The most bizarre aspect of the league campaign was the fact that Éire Óg had to take the field 3 times against Tulla before finally garnering the win in mid-June. The ways of the Clare County Board are a mystery to us all at times. To be fair the bulk of the league campaign was played without both our hurling and football inter players so it was hard to judge where Éire Óg truly were at form wise prior to the start of this year’s championship.

After last week’s narrow loss to Lissycasey, Éire Óg fans headed south today to Sixmilebridge with optimism and trepidation in equal measure. There were no real surprises in the Éire Óg starting 15 with the men in white today going with a young mobile line up, particularly around the middle third of the field.

The Townies were first out of the blocks with a Danny Russell free in the 2nd minute. This after the referee had let some robust and high tackling by the Tulla men go unpunished, this set the tone for the game. Tulla responded with a fine score by inter county star, Darragh Corry in the 4th minute. The game then entered a period where both sides were easing their way into the game. Éire Óg pulled Tom Downes back into a 3rd man midfield role while Tulla were going with 2 up front as well and dropping a man deep in defence in front of the Éire Óg front two danger men of Shane O’Donnell and Tadhg Connellan.

Tulla clawed their way on top with 3 points from the Tulla full forward, Emmet Bolton who was proving a handful. Éire Óg replied with a 65 from the deadly accurate Danny Russell. This left the Tulla men 2 points in front at 4 points to 2 at the end of the 1st quarter. But a tactical switch that moved David Reidy in on top of the spare Tulla man in defence created more space around the middle of the field and allowed Éire Óg to gain more parity possession wise in the final third.

Danny Russell added 3 more points, 2 from frees to 2 more to the Tulla men before Aaron Fitzgerald burst out of defence before finishing off a flowing up field move by splitting the posts. David Reidy quickly added another point to put the Townies in front again at 7 points to 6. The Tulla goal keeper Daniel Vaughan regularly put his puck outs down the left side on top of Mikey Moloney and Tulla man Trevor Vaughan as the half wore on, Mikey’s strength started to tell and he burst forward in the 27th minute after just such a puck out to place the ball over the black spot to leave the score line 0-8 to 0-6 in Éire Ógs favour. Clearly Mikey’s recent sojourn in the USA was time well spent.

Both sides came out in the 2nd half without any changes but Tulla added 2 quick fire points from Corry and yet another Bolton free to draw level at 8 points apiece. The game hung in the balance at this stage. The next score was vital.

A Danny Russell free in the 7th minute edged the men in white in front again. 3 quick points in succession from Tadhg Connellan, David Reidy and Nially McMahon put Éire Óg in a commanding lead before 2 more frees from full forward Bolton reduced the lead again. Éire Óg were starting to get a firm grip in midfield now with Eimhin Courtney and Dara Walsh driving forward. Another free from Danny followed by points from Dara Walsh and Shane O’Donnell. Shane was starting to come into the game, winning ball after ball before laying it off. A resulting break through the middle put Nially McMahon in position to drive the ball into the Tulla net to put Éire Óg in a commanding lead in the 18th minute of the 2nd half. All Tulla could muster was 2 more frees from Bolton before in the 20th minute, David Reidy added a 2nd goal from a pass by a Shane.

From here it should have been plain sailing but a goal by corner forward David Meehan brought Tulla back into the game and gave them a glimmer of hope. Try though Tulla might the Éire Óg defence held firm with Reidy adding another point for the Townies.

The Townies were cruising now, a late goal by David Meehan was cancelled out a goal by Shane O’Donnell who danced through the Tulla defence to add another Éire Óg goal.

Before this in tangle of legs and flailing hurlies, David Reidy and Tulla corner back Eugene Cooney became involved in a tussle out on the side line with time ebbing away that in what only can be described as a bizarre decision to those with a full view of the incident, the referee awarded a yellow card to the Tulla corner back and a straight red card to star man David Reidy.

Shane added the final point in the 34th minute to seal a great opening championship win for Éire Óg on a score line of 3-19 to 2-13. A great and hard fought first round win that sees Éire Óg in the winners pot for the second round draw.

The Townies were best served today by Liam Corry, Mikey Moloney and Dara Walsh in defence. Eimhin Courtney grew into the game at midfield. Danny Russell was imperious at the frees today while David Reidy continually probed the underbelly of the Tulla defence all day. Nially McMahon did his job perfectly today by shadowing star man David McInerney all day. But Shane was the standout performer, in the 2nd half he won and distributed ball after ball before waltzing through the opposition defence to land the final blow.

Éire Óg scorers - Danny Russell 0-8 (6 frees and 1 65); David Reidy 1-3; Shane O’Donnell 1-1; Nially McMahon 1-1; Tadhg Connellan 0-2; Aaron Fitzgerald 0-1; Mikey Moloney 0-1; Dara Walsh 0-1; Eimhin Courtney 0-1.

Éire Óg team - Philly Walsh; Liam Corry, Aaron Fitzgerald, Aidan McGrath; Mikey Moloney, Dara Walsh, David McNamara; David Reidy, Eimhin Courtney; Davie O’Halloran, Nially McMahon, Danny Russell; Tadhg Connellan, Tom Downes, Shane O'Donnell; Subs - Ronan Keane and Kieran Malone for Davy O’Halloran and Danny Russell both 23 minutes 2nd half.