Clongeen on course
Pat’s have one chance to avoid drop
CLONGEEN ARE set for a south county battle with Kilmore in the quarter-final of the Joyces Expert Intermediate ‘A’ football championship after seeing off the persistent challenge of St. Patrick’s by a four-point margin in this Group B tie in St. Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy, on Saturday.
The Ballyoughter crew needed a win to have any hope of sneaking into the last eight, but instead they will now have to prepare for a relegation decider with near neighbours Kilrush.
Clongeen could call upon the services of a couple of former county Seniors in Páraic Curtis and Collie Byrne, as well as a member of the current squad in Paul Curtis, and all three were prominent in a workmanlike effort from a side eager to make an immediate return to the second tier of club football.
Paul Curtis was a particular threat when he put his head down and ran straight and hard at the opposition defence, kicking three points with his left peg and punching another two over the bar.
The sides were level (0-3 each) at the end of the opening quarter after Clongeen scores from Robert Farrell, Curtis and a Jim Bennett free were matched by Niall O’Brien (two, one free) and John Doyle (free).
The New Ross District side had moved 7-4 clear by the 23rd minute following further points from Paul Curtis, Leon Stafford, Richard Rochford and another Bennett free, sandwiched by just one in reply from another O’Brien dead-ball.
However, St. Patrick’s drew level on their next attack when Tommy Dunne found James Cousins in the right corner, and his handpass across the square was palmed to the net by targetman Shane Finn (1-4 to 0-7).
Clongeen responded well to the adversity though, hitting 1-1 without reply before the break and also seeing teenage netminder Jack Quinn deny Paul Curtis two more goals with a couple of excellent saves.
Those missed chances for the eventual victors came on either side of a Leon Stafford point and a well-worked Adam O’Sullivan goal, with the Cahills, Paudie and Shane, combining to split the defence in the build-up (1-8 to 1-4).
The margin remained the same with less than nine minutes left after eight points were shared on the re-start, with Shane Cahill, Páraic Curtis, Paul Curtis and Paudie Cahill obliging for the leaders, while Niall O’Brien (three, one free) and substitute Tomás Morris kept St. Patrick’s in the hunt.
Another fisted Paul Curtis point then made it 1-13 to 1-8, but the Gorey District side showed the battling qualities that should stand to them in the relegation game as John Doyle (free), Stephen Ryan and Tomás Morris narrowed the gap to two with under four minutes to go.
In fairness, Clongeen always seemed to have an answer when their rivals threatened, and so it proved once more as Willie McDonald (free) and Paul Curtis hit the target before a late exchange from placed balls by John Doyle and McDonald again.
Clongeen: Stephen Bennett; Stephen Curtis, Anton Stafford, Jamie Keating; Ger Foxe, Páraic Curtis (0-1), Richard Rochford (0-1); Collie Byrne, Robert Farrell (0-1); Paudie Cahill (0-1), Paul Curtis (0-5), Shane Cahill (0-1); Adam O’Sullivan (1-0), Jim Bennett (joint capt., 0-2 frees), Leon Stafford (0-2). Subs. - Enda Murphy for Farrell (39), Shane Kilkenny (joint capt.) for Byrne, inj. (43), Willie McDonald (0-2 frees) for L. Stafford (46), Jamie O’Grady for J. Bennett (52), Farrell for P. Cahill (59).
St. Patrick’s: Jack Quinn; James Cousins, Michael O’Brien, Joe Cousins; Tommy Morris, Daryl Murphy (capt.), Hughie Doyle; Richie Flood, John Farrell; Andrew Doyle, John Doyle (0-3 frees), Tommy Dunne; Niall O’Brien (0-6, 3 frees), Shane Finn (1-0), Stephen Ryan (0-1). Subs. - Tomás Morris (0-2) for A. Doyle (36), Glen Carton for Dunne, inj. (58).
Referee: Kevin Carty (Sarsfields).