Rathgormack Signal Intent

Rathgormack signalled their intent on Sunday evening last when they easily accounted for Clashmore in round two of this year’s County Senior Football Championship.

The Comeragh men went into the game as a club on somewhat of a high after they beat Ballinacourty in this year’s County Minor Football Championship decider at the same venue just over a week earlier.

They are a club on the up as they have now won a number of Minor and Under 21 titles in the last number of years and they will feel that if they can gel these players together with some of their more household names that they could well become a force to be reckoned with in the years to come and maybe break the dominance of the big three within the game over the past two decades.

The winners in this game won the toss and with a strong wind blowing into the town goal at the Shandon venue and wisely took the advantage in the opening thirty minutes and used it to their full advantage, going in at the break leading 1-11 to 0-3.

On an evening when a number of players from the winning side impressed they finished the game with no fewer than nine different players getting their name on the score sheet and in doing so clocking up a very impressive 4-19 on the score board, a tally that most hurling sides where it often easier to score, could only dream off.

They hit their first score of the game after just twelve seconds through the very impressive Conor Murray.

Paul O’Connor cancelled out that score from a free less than three minutes later, but this would be as close as Clashmore would get to the winners on the evening.

Padraig Larkin, Michael Curry, Conor Murray, Jason Murray from about fifty five metres out, Conor Murray with a monster free struck from the sideline 45 metres from goal and Michael Curry again all landed scores for the winners in a  six minute spell either side of the half way point in the first half to give the victors an 0-7 to 0-1 lead and even at this point they looked out of reach of Clashmore even if they were to have the wind at their backs in the second half.

Paul O’Connor landed his second of the game on eighteen minutes for Clashmore but Rathgormack would hit the next three points in a row through Jason Curry, Conor Murray and Michael Curry who was very impressive in the number six shirt.

The first goal of the game came with three minutes of the first half to play when Billy Power played the ball to Jason Gleeson who gave Fintan Walsh no chance.

Tadhg Bourke hit Clashmore’s final score of the half a minute from the end of normal time but it was Jason Gleeson that knocked over the final score of the half deep in stoppage time, one which gave his side an eleven point advantage.

Clashmore faired considerably better in the second half but they still had to give second best to Rathgormack.

Jason Curry opened the second half scoring with a fisted effort thirty seconds after the restart. Brian O’Halloran got his first score of the game on thirty five but Rathgormack would hit the next three scores through Jason Curry, Paul Drohan and Conor Murray that gave their side a 1-15 to 0-4 lead with thirty eight minutes played.

Paul O’Connor hit a brace of scores for Clashmore, but with the next attack any chance Clashmore had of staging a fight back were ended when Jason Crotty crashed the ball off the crossbar it came back to Rathgormack who from the bank side of the field played it into Jamie Kirwan who was pulled down resulting in a penalty which Billy Power who blasted one to the net in the minor county final a week earlier placed the ball low and hard into the left hand side of Fintan Walsh’s net to give his side a 2-15 to 0-6 lead.

Michael Curry pointed for Rathgormack on forty six minutes and a minute later Declan Allen had a goal attempt for Clashmore saved by Padraig Hunt, but the Still Men scored two minutes later through Brian O’Halloran.

With eight minutes to play Rathgormack struck for the third goal when Conor Murray passed to Billy Power who finished to the net.

Michael Curry pointed in between a brace for Brian O’Halloran. Brian Lynch and Jack Nugent raised white flags for the winners after which Sean Fleming got his name on the score sheet.

Jason Gleeson pointed a minute from time and on the hour mark Stephen Curry who had only came on as a sub finished to the net for his sides fourth goal of the game.

The last score of the game came a minute into stoppage time when Paul O’Connor put over his fifth score of the game and second from a free.

Rathgormack: Padraig Hunt; Billy Power (Bally), Padraig Larkin, Michael Crotty; Robbie Flynn, Michael Curry, Jamie Kirwan; Brian Fogarty, Ronan Cahill; Jason Curry, Jason Gleeson, Conor Murray; Ronan Crotty, Paul Drohan, Billy Power (Cool). Subs: Gavin Nugent for Robbie Flynn (50), Brendan Behan for Billy Power [Bally] (53), Jack Nugent for Brian Fogarty (55), Declan Hennebry for Billy Power [Cool] (58), Liam Connolly for Jamie Kirwan (59), Stephen Curry for Jason Gleeson (59).

Scorers: Billy Power (Cool) 2-0 (1 pen), Jason Gleeson 1-2, Conor Murray (2f), Michael Curry 0-5 each, Jason Curry 0-4 (2F), Stephen Curry 1-0, Padraig Larkin, Paul Drohan, Jack Nugent 0-1 each.

Clashmore: Fintan Walsh; Eric O’Connor, Ciaran Bourke, Ronan Fitzgerald; Aidan Trihy, Gavin Dower, Sean Bourke; Jason Seward, James O’Leary; Brian O’Halloran, Tadhg Bourke, Edmond O’Halloran; Paul O’Connor, Declan Allen, Ciaran Connery. Subs: Sean Fleming for James O’Leary (HT), Brian Lynch for Gavin Dower (36).

Scorers: Paul O’Connor 0-5 (2f), Brian O’Halloran 0-4, Tadhg Bourke, Brian Lynch, Sean Fleming 0-1 each.

Referee: Alan Kissane