AIB Munster Club SFC Quarter-Final

ÉIRE ÓG 2-11 LOUGHMORE-CASTLEINEY 0-12

By Eoin Brennan at Cusack Park, Ennis

Éire Óg put a major dent in Loughmore-Castleiney’s remarkable dual run after a brace of extra-time goals finally secured a first provincial victory in 21 years in Cusack Park, Ennis this afternoon.

In front of a crowd of 1,589, the Clare champions managed to up the ante at the perfect time after being agonisingly pegged back by the never-say-die visitors following an inch-tight opening hour. Full-back Aaron Fitzgerald’s superb overlapping run was spotted by fellow defender Ciaran Russell to fire low to the far left corner of the net in the 65th minute before a similar counter-attacking move unleashed Mark McInerney to double the Ennis side’s bounty only three minutes later at 2-9 to 0-10.

True to form, the dual Tipperary champions belied their 18th consecutive week of action to hit back through substitute Evan Sweeney and lower the arrears to just three once more by the 72nd minute. However Éire Óg’s fresh legs from the bench would also prove impactful as Eimhin Courtney and Ikem Ugwueru sealed their side’s passage to the penultimate stage in Munster.

While Loughmore-Castleiney’s unyielding defiance has to be admired, overall Éire Óg deservedly edged victory having led for all but four of the 80 minutes. Five points without reply early on, three through captain Gavin Cooney boosted the hosts 0-6 to 0-2 clear by the 19th minute. However, despite Loughmore-Castleiney temporarily being reduced to 14 players just before the water break following a black card for midfielder Eamon Connolly, Éire Óg failed to capitalise as instead the McGrath cousins Noel, Liam and Aidan cut the deficit to the minimum by half-time at 0-6 to 0-5.

With Loughmore-Castleiney kicking five wides on the restart, Éire Óg did restore a three point cushion by the 50th minute after worthy points through Cooney, McInerney and box-to-box wing-back Einne O‘Connor at 0-9 to 0-6.

However, it only seemed to motivate the visitors even more, as back-to-back frees from Liam Treacy were boosted by the dismissal of home midfielder Darren O’Neill.

With Éire Óg failing to convert an insurance free on the hour mark, a buoyant Loughmore-Castleiney would punish royally from the kick-out as John McGrath raced through for a rousing equaliser at 0-9 to 0-9.

In hindsight, the dual Tipperary champions’ best hope of a victory was in injury-time as even though they got themselves in front for the first time since the fourth minute in extra-time, those clinical home goals proved just a step too far for even Loughmore-Castleiney’s almost incredulous powers of recovery.

Having only ever won one previous provincial tie against Fr. Casey’s in 2000, Éire Óg’s memorable season following a 15 year absence from a Clare crown, goes one significant step further when facing St Finbarr’s of Cork for a place in the Munster Senior Final in a fortnight’s time. 

Loughmore-Castleiney are up first in Munster next Sunday though when making the journey to Dungarvan in an attempt to end their 14 year Munster Club hoodoo against Waterford champions Ballygunner in the Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship Semi-Finals in what will be their 19th weekend-in-a-row.

Scorers for Éire Óg: Mark McInerney 1-2 (1f), Gavin Cooney 0-4 (2f), Aaron Fitzgerald 1-0; Philip Talty 0-1, Darren O’Neill 0-1, Einne O’Connor 0-1, Eimhin Courtney 0-1, Ikem Ugwueru 0-1

Scorers for Loughmore-Castleiney: John McGrath 0-3 (1f), Evan Sweeney 0-3 (1f); Liam Treacy 0-2 (2f), Eamon Connolly (m) 0-1, Noel McGrath 0-1, Liam McGrath 0-1, Aidan McGrath 0-1

Éire Óg: Nathan Murray; Ronan Lanigan, Aaron Fitzgerald, Manus Doherty; Ciaran Russell, Conall Ó hAiniféin, Einne O’Connor; Darren O’Neill, David McNamara; Niall McMahon, David Reidy, Aidan McGrath; Mark McInerney, Gavin Cooney, Philip Talty. 

Subs: Ikem Ugwueru for McMahon (40), Dara Walsh for Talty (47), Tadhg Connellan for McGrath (54), Eimhin Courtney for Cooney (61), Jarlath Collins for Cooney (75), Gavin D’Auria for Reidy (77, inj), Talty for Ó hAiniféin (81).

Loughmore-Castleiney: Shane Hennessy; Lorcan Egan, Joey Hennessy, Willie Eviston; John Ryan, Ed Meagher, Brian McGrath; Eamon Connolly, John McGrath; Conor McGrath, Liam Treacy, Aidan McGrath; Conor Ryan, Noel McGrath, Liam McGrath.

Subs: Evan Sweeney for Conor McGrath (39), Ciaran McGrath for Connolly (44), John Meagher for E. Meagher (47), Tomás McGrath for C. Ryan (47), Ed Connolly for A. McGrath (65), E. Meagher for Egan (70), Eamonn Connolly for Treacy (70).

Referee: David Murnane (Cork).