Stricken Clodiagh Gaels put out by Wicklow champions

CLODIAGH Gaels missed a great opportunity of progress in the Leinster Club Intermediate Hurling Championship in Tullamore on Saturday but it is not one that will cause them one iota of lost sleep.

Leinster Club Intermediate Hurling Championship round 1

Carnew Emmets 1-11

Clodiagh Gaels 0-11

Having won the Offaly Senior “B” Hurling Championship in terrific style a few weeks ago, Clodiagh Gaels had achieved all their ambitions for the season and were very much in bonus territory. It wouldn't have took much more for them to have beaten the Wicklow senior champions, Carnew Emmets but Clodiagh Gaels struggled most of the way, playing with very little fluency and had no complaints at their loss.

With automatic starters in Dylan Hyland, Mark Dillon and Emmet Curley all out of the country for this, Clodiagh Gaels operated off a very restricted panel. They had 35 players listed in the programme but with them playing St Rynagh's in the Junior Hurling Championship final on Sunday, almost all of these were “unavailable”. They listed their manager Ned Casey as a late sub but at 46 years of age, the Killurin man was only going to throw himself in if there was an absolute emergency.

It meant that they brought in only one sub,. Peter Walsh, who only returned recently after being away and on a day crying out for fresh legs, it showed where Clodiagh Gaels' priorities lay – they were very much with their junior team and with former Kilkenny giants James Stephens in this grade, Clodiagh Gaels knew that they would have been unlikely to win a first provincial title.

They gave an honest, determined effort but on an awful day for hurling, they didn't play well enough and Carnew were marginally the better team. Having said that, Clodiagh Gaels could very easily have won it and when they got the gap back to four points with 46 minutes gone and a strong wind on their backs, they were in a very good position.

The score was 1-9 to 0-9 at that stage but Clodiagh Gaels never got into a real run of scores, never enjoyed a sustained spell of pressure – even when they were on top, they were not convincing and never looked like getting the goal they needed.

The outstanding Padraig Doran settled Carnew with a 54th minute free and a four point gap was a huge one at that stage. Liam Langton got it back to three with a 55th minute free and there was ample time for Clodiagh Gaels but their race was ran as Doran and Langton exchanged late frees to send Carnew into the quarter-finals.

With rain falling most of the way, Carnew had first use of the strong wind and struggled to make it count early on. They didn't score until Padraig Doran converted a 10th minute '65' but they followed this with three points in the next two and a half minutes.

It was 0-5 to no score when Liam Langton got Clodiagh Gaels' first point from a 20th minute free. Tom Brennan got a crucial goal in the 23rd minute and Carnew went to 1-7 to 0-1 ahead before Clodiagh Gaels finished well with points from Cathal Brady and Langton (free) to make it 1-7 to 0-3 at half time.

It was 1-9 to 0-5 three minutes into the second half and Clodiagh Gaels played their best hurling in the next few minutes. Langton got three frees and Joey Keenaghan pointed from play to make it 1-9 to 0-9 after 46 minutes. There was every chance for Clodiagh Gaels but they struggled to score from play, Carnew were able to slow it down and crowd the ball, which was exactly the right policy on a day best for ducks and they held on with a degree of comfort.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Padraig Doran (Carnew): Carnew centre half back, Padraig Doran was the standout player on the pitch. He scored two of his five points from play, cut out and gathered a lot of ball and used most of it very well.

Tom Brennan and Fionn Darcy caused plenty of problems for the Clodiagh Gaels' defence and the losers had reason to be grateful to their goalkeeper Kevin Kinahan. He made a great save to deny Fionn Darcy a goal a minute into the second half and also did very well to turn Tom Brennan away with ten minutes left. These kept Clodiagh Gaels alive but as a unit it didn't happen for Clodiagh Gaels, though Liam Langton did a lot of work out the field, Joey Keenaghan had good moments and Aaron Flanagan and Clint Horan impressed in defence.

THE SCORERS

Carnew: Padraig Doran 0-5 (2f and 1 '65'), Tom Brennan 1-2, Fionn Darcy 0-2, Daniel Redmond and Thomas Collins 0-1 each.

Clodiagh Gaels: Liam Langton 0-7 (7f), Joey Keenaghan and Cathal Brady 0-2 each.

THE TEAMS

CLODIAGH GAELS: Kevin Kinahan; Caolan Flanagan, Clint Horan, Conor Berry; Ruari Dunne, Aaron Flanagan, Conor Langton; Eoin Dunne, Diarmuid Walsh; Sean Dunne, Liam Langton, Joey Keenaghan; Cathal Brady, Sean Rattigan, Sean Brady. Subs – Peter Walsh for Rattigan (54m),

CARNEW EMMETS: Robert Fitzgerald; Cormac Remond, Conall McCrea, Conor Byrne; Rian Rooney, Padraig Doran, Thomas Collins; Rory Stokes, Aaron Kinsella; Kenneth Cullen, Wayne Kinsella, Daniel Redmond; Fionn Darcy, Eoin Kavanagh, Tom Brennan. Subs – Jack Doyle for Kavanagh (HT), Paudie McGing for Cullen (46m), Justin House for Rooney (60m),

Referee – Colin Bailey, Laois.

REFEREE WATCH

Colin Bailey had a good game. He penalised steps regularly but was very consistent while he applied the advantage rule the same way. It wasn't easy to referee in the conditions – they deteriorated in the second half with a lot of rucks developing and the referee threw the ball in on a few occasions to break these up.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Tom Brennan's 23rd minute goal separated the sides throughout the second half and was a huge factor in Carnew's win.

VENUE WATCH

Winter arrived in O'Connor Park on Saturday with regular rain and a stiff wind. The venue, however, was very playable and the big impact was that it kept some supporters at home.

WHAT'S NEXT

Carnew are away to Dublin champions Fingallians on November 7.

STATISTICS

Wides: Clodiagh Gaels – 6 (2 in first half); Carnew Emmets – 11 (7 in first half).

Yellow cards: Carnew – 1 (Padraig Doran); Clodiagh Gaels – 0.

Red cards: 0