Daingean full value for fine win over below par Clara
A VERY hungry Daingean had a richly deserved win over a fancied Clara side to top group 2 of the Senior “B” Football Championship in Durrow on Saturday evening.
Tullamorre Court Hotel Senior “B” Football Championship Group 2 Round 3
Daingean 1-11
Clara 1-7
Displaying a ferocious work rate, hunting in packs and retaining the ball well, albeit flirting with danger in their own defence late on, Daingean's reward is a quarter-final with Ballycumber while Clara will have to go back to the drawing board ahead of their derby with Tubber.
Daingean were the better side on the day and this was a very important win for a side who won intermediate last year. With three wins out of three, they have adapted very well to the higher grade and are certainly title contenders.
Of course, the real football only starts from here on and the defeat is by no means fatal for Clara. Instead, it provided a wake up call that may serve them very well as they bid to return to the top flight. Clara are many people's favourites to win this title but that is based on an expectation that they should have a senior football side, rather than hard evidence of their current state of health.
They have a lot of work to do do get back to the top, even if senior football goes to ten teams next year and both senior B finalists are promoted. A final place is far from assured on the basis of this below par performance and they will be disappointed at the way they played.
Daingean on the other hand will be delighted with their win, performance and the honesty they displayed in all sectors. They seemed to work harder than Clara in the first half and that is the reason they won.
Daingean led by 1-7 to 0-5 at half time and that was a fair reflection of the way it went. They were the better side by a good distance in the first half as Clara struggled to get motoring. Daingean quickly closed down the man in possession with space very limited and Clara found it very hard to break them down.
The sides were level at 0-3 each after 12 minutes and Daingean struck for 1-3 without reply in the next eight minutes. Those scores transformed a lively and entertaining game with the goal punched to the net by Danny Mangan in the 20th minute. The architect was last year's intermediate footballer of the year, Shane Tierney, who first created the space by selling a wonderful dummy and then turned down a simple point by fisting across goal for Mangan to find the net.
A Charlie Hayes free put Daingean six clear early in the second half but Clara got a lifeline with a 41st minute penalty goal from Cormac Delaney, awarded for a push on Delaney by Cathal Ryan. With a three point gap, there was an opportunity there for Clara and their work rate noticeably improved in the second half. However, they again found it hard to breach Daingean's very efficient defensive structure with Ciaran McEvoy thriving as an extra defender.
Daingean still needed scores to win it and Cian Bracken stepped up to the plate with three breathtaking strikes from frees off the ground in the closing quarter. Two of them were from over 45 metres and the final one was from a way more acute angle on the right wing. The first two gave Daingean a 1-10 to 1-6 lead while a big moment was a Clara goal chance in the 52nd minute. Full back Cathal O'Meara was probably the wrong man in the right place as he was sent in but screwed his left foot shot wide at the near post.
Impressive sub Alex Egan got the gap back to a score, 1-10 to 1-7 with five minutes left but they didn't score again. Daingean lived on their wits a small bit late on, trying to hold onto the ball but inviting Clara onto them and leaving themselves open for trouble. They got away with it, however, and Bracken's wonderful free from the wing after Charlie Hayes was fouled gave them a four point gap going into into injury time. Clara pushed hard late on but needed two scores and tried to work a goal that was always going to be hard to get against a packed Daingean defence.
MATCH ANALYSIS
MAN OF THE MATCH
Charlie Hayes (Daingean): Most of the contenders were on the Daingean side and the pick is Charlie Hayes. The experienced full forward was especially influential in the first half, scoring a frees, from play and a mark. He won a lot of ball, was fouled for frees and gave simple passes. Hayes drifted out of it a bit in the second half but showed his experience and won that crucial late free.
Cian Bracken was also a contender and his second half frees were instrumental in the win while his influence also increased in open play. Charlie McEvoy was excellent in a roving defensive role for Daingean and Shane Tierney's composure on the ball was very important as it wore on.
Marcas Dalton and the veteran Graham Guilfoyle really tried to drag Clara out of the mess in the second half while Adam Kelly did a lot of simple things very well and Christian McKeon impressed in defence but it was an overall substandard display by the losers.
THE SCORERS
Daingean: Charlie Hayes 0-6 (4f and 1 mark), Danny Mangan 1-0, Ciuan Bracken 0-3 (3f), Ciaran McEvoy and Odhran Connolly (mark) 0-1 each.
Clara: Cormac Delaney 1-2 (goal from a penalty and 2f), Marcas Dalton and Alex Egan 0-2 each, Adam Kelly 0-1.
THE TEAMS
DAINGEAN: Conan Curley; Adam Bolger, Ryan Conway, Cathal McKnight; James Kelly, Cathal Ryan, Casey Evans; Danny Mangan, David Walsh; Odhran Connolly, Shane Tierney, Cian Bracken; Aaron Byrne, Charlie Hayes, Ciaran McEvoy. Subs – Shane Marsden for Byrne (36m), Sammy Wright for Walsh (38m), Cian O'Reilly for Mangan (45m), Scott Milne for Kelly (57m).
CLARA: Mark Fallon; Kevin Minnock, Cathal O'Meara, Christian McKeon; Ryan Carroll, Alan Gavin, Darragh McKeon; Ed Cullen, Conor Doyle; Robert Mitchell, Marcas Dalton, Barry Egan; Graham Guilfoyle, Cormac Delaney, Adam Kelly. Subs – Matthew Mitchell for Carroll (36m), Conor Egan for Barry Egan (36m), Myles Handy for Robert Mitchell (41m), Alex Egan for Doyle (49m), John Ledwith for Cullen (54m).
Referee – Ger Keyes (Shamrocks).
REFEREE WATCH
Ger Keyes once again let play run and it meant that some frees were not awarded but he was very balanced in the way he applied it. He was in control and was consistent in his application of the advantage rule, though Daingean began to complain as the game wore on. Adam Kelly got a yellow card after Shane Tierney tangled with a man on the ground early in the second half. Tierney was the main instigator there while Clara's Ed Cullen could have got one after coming in and pushing a player. The Clara penalty was a big call but Cathal Ryan did push Cormac Delaney and it was the correct decision. On the other side of the coin, even Clara supporters were shaking their heads when Scott Milne wasn't awarded a late free in and was penalised for over carrying but again, these did balance over the hour.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH
Each of Cian Bracken's second half frees were huge moments as they were against the head while Cathal O'Meara's missed goal chance also had a huge influence on the result.
VENUE WATCH
Durrow were once again excellent hosts and there were no issues.
WHAT'S NEXT
Daingean play Ballycumber in the quarter-final while Clara meet Tubber.
STATISTICS
Wides: Clara - 9 (5 in first half); Daingean – 4 (0 in first half).
Yellow cards: Clara – 3 (Alan Gavin, Adam Kelly, Conor Egan); Daingean – 1 (Shane Tierney).
Black cards: 0
Red cards: 0