PHOTO: Clonard's Mikie Mullen
‘A’ League Division 4 - Round 11
Clonard 0-6 Longwood 1-14
A dry and breezy August bank holiday evening brought local clubs Clonard and Longwood together for the final league game of 2017. The importance of the game varied dramatically for both teams as Longwood required a win to secure promotion to Division 3 and to setup a final date against Cortown, while Clonard’s mixed league campaign and mid-table position meant it was nothing more than preparation for the weekend’s championship encounter with Drumconrath. However, local derbies are never insignificant affairs, for either team involved, and with both clubs amalgamated at juvenile level with great success over the past 6 years it added extra importance for all those players involved.
Both sides had their influential county men in their starting line-ups as Adam Flanagan and Damien Healy locked horns at midfield, only 48 hours since they lost out together to Kerry in the All-Ireland Junior final in Portlaoise. Longwood talisman Micky Burke took his customary position at centre back, while county minors Brian O’Reilly, Mikie Mullen, and Niall Mulvey also lined out on opposing sides. The number of county representatives on show was indicative of the great progress being made by both clubs in the past few years.
Longwood’s desire for victory was obvious from the start as they raced to an early lead that would never be relinquished. After just ten minutes the men in white led 0-6 to 0-0, as they kicked long range points from various angles all over the pitch. Sean Coloe’s early score being the pick of the bunch, but his Clonard father may have looked on with mixed emotions.
Clonard eventually got on the scoreboard after 13 minutes when Gary Raleigh lofted over a free from close range. However, it didn’t spark a comeback for the Clonard men as Longwood continued to take their scores down the hill and in to the road end, clearly benefiting from the stiff breeze at their backs. Adam Flanagan was winning plenty of possession in midfield but Longwood were clinical with their shooting efforts while Clonard’s old failings in the forwards showed again as the wides count rose.
The lively Ryan Raleigh and hardworking Eoin Treacy added two more scores before the break, but it was Longwood who went off the far happier, leading 0-11 to 0-3 at half-time.
A Kenneth Darby point from play inside the first minute of the second half raised the hopes of the Clonard support but possession once again didn’t count for the men in blue and amber as Mikie Mullen and Darby kicked wide, while Longwood punished Clonard’s profligacy at the other end with more pointed efforts.
Longwood’s hunger for a league final place was satisfied on 52 minutes when their goal put the outcome of the game beyond doubt, as Aaron Ennis showed a clean pair of heels to Brian O’Reilly for the first time in the game. Consolation scores from a Mikie Mullen free and Jason Moore from play left the final score-line Clonard 0-6 Longwood 1-14. There was no doubting who was the intermediate side on the night, as Clonard were shown the intensity levels that they need to reach to join Longwood at that grade.
Both sides look forward to crucial championship encounters this weekend, as Longwood take on Ballinlough and Clonard travel to Bohermeen to play Drumconrath. Clonard players know that a win will almost guarantee a quarter final spot, but they will also know that a win will require far more effort and conviction than was shown tonight. Clonard GAA would like to wish Longwood all the very best in the final.
TEAM: 1.Robbie Quirke 2.Brian O’Reilly 3.Paddy Daly 4.Paul Boland 5.Jason Moore (0-1) 6.Ger Foley 7.Eoghan Connolly 8.Adam Flanagan 9.Jason Dowdall 10.Mikie Mullen (0-1 0-1f) 11.Gary Raleigh (0-1 0-1f) 12.Ryan Raleigh (0-1) 13.Ken Darby (0-1) 14. Eoin Treacy (0-1) 15.Johnny Fitzsimons
Subs: Dylan Flanagan for P.Daly, Stephen Connolly for J.Fitzsimons, Alan O’Donoghue for K.Darby Chris Doyle for Mikie Mullen, Shane Dunne for R.Raleigh, Cyril Treacy for S.Connolly.
