Free scoring Clara put up huge scoreline to down Walsh Island

AFTER an opening weekend of contrasting results, Clara travelled to Walsh Island aiming to further stamp their authority as the team to beat in this year’s Senior B Championship and did so in convincing fashion on Saturday evening. 

Tullamore Court Hotel Senior B Football Championship Group 2 Round 2

Clara 5-22

Walsh Island 1-8

Clara continued their 100% start to the Championship season after they saw off Walsh Island on a scoreline of 5-22 to 1-8 in Walsh Island on Saturday afternoon. The win leaves them on four points after two games and their opponents left still searching for a first point. 

Coming off the back of a tough opening day hammering against Daingean, Walsh Island needed to get off to a good start in order to put the previous game behind them and it was actually the Clara men who started off the brighter with the two opening points of the game from Graham Guilfoyle and Cormac Delaney. 

Cormac Delaney sent over a close range free before Graham Guilfoyle found space to get his second from play and Clara were looking very dominant early on. William Mulhall did convert his effort from 30 yards out to give Walsh Island their opening score, with Marcus Dalton slotting over his first of the afternoon moments later. 

The two sides then exchanged scores through a Adam Kelly mark and a 45 from Alan Mulhall, before Walsh Island opened up and allowed Conor Egan to slot over a 30 second brace and extend their lead to five. William Mulhall did convert a moments later but Clara then responded with three scores on the bounce thanks to Myles Handy, Conor Doyle and a close range free from Cormac Delaney. Delaney then saw his effort towards goal come crashing off the post again Alan Mulhall who was in goal for Ian Duffy following his 21st minute black card for a last man tackle. 

Clara were in full control all over the pitch and were looking very comfortable in possession as they went forward at every given opportunity presented to them. Adam Kelly was impressing across the forward line and was linking up especially well with Cormac Delaney who was able to find space and with his left send two points over in the space of a minute and suddenly the gap was nine points approaching half time. 

Darragh McKeon’s free from a tricky angle was the first half’s final score and Clara looked set to have the game won already.

Half time Clara 0-14 - 0-4 Walsh Island.

From the throw in Clara won the breaking ball and no sooner was Graham Guilfoyle through on goal, the ball was buried past Ian Duffy and into the net, all but sealing victory for Clara and their lead was further extended thanks to Marcus Dalton, before Cormac Delaney was in open space from some lovely play and took effort expertly to leave Walsh Island with a mountain to climb. 

To Walsh Island’s credit they stuck at it with Alan Mulhall playing through a delicious ball inside towards Oisin Murphy and he coolly dispatched his effort into the net, however their joy was soon short lived as Darragh McKeon’s perfectly waited pass found John Ledwith who had an open goal to get their third in the space of five minutes, before a goal mount scramble saw a ball brake loose across the goals allowing Adam Kelly to tap home the simplest of chances for their fourth goal. 

Marcus Dalton’s final act of the game was a scintillating score from outside the foot, with Edward Cullen and Cormac Delaney free tagging on further scores. William Mulhall was still fighting hard as he saw his effort sneak in by the post and over with Oisin Murphy also completing a well worked move with a nicely taken score. 

The game started petering towards its conclusion with the final result inevitable but Walsh Island kept going regardless and popped over another score through substitute Killian Duffy. However, Clara showed no sign of slowing down themselves as Adam Kelly’s good work once again proved crucial as his overhead pass towards Myles Handy ended in the corner forward burying the chance calmly.  

 The final 10 minutes saw Walsh Island just one more point through Mulhall and Cormac Delaney turned on the style with four unanswered points to add his already impressive tally for the day to give Clara a satisfying win and a day to forget for Walsh Island heading into round 3. 

Full time Clara 5-22 - 1-8 Walsh Island.  

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Cormac Delaney (Clara): Adam Kelly, Darragh McKeon, Conor Doyle, Marcus Dalton and Cathal O’Meara all impressed hugely for Clara. While William Mulhall was by far Walsh Island’s most influential player. 

Graham Guilfoyle was also exceptional both in the full forward line and in the middle of the field, ending with a total of 1-2 and contributing to many more. 

I’m giving it to Cormac Delaney. He had the freedom to express himself out there and his shooting was superb from the start to the finish ending with 1-10 and 1-6 from play.

THE SCORERS

Clara: Cormac Delaney 1-10 (3frees, 1mark); Graham Guilfoyle 1-2; Myles Handy and Adam Kelly (1 mark) 1-1 each;  John Ledwith 1-0; Marcus Dalton 0-3; Conor Egan 0-2 each; Conor Doyle, Edward Cullen and Darragh McKeon (1free) 0-1 each. 

Walsh Island: William Mulhall 0-5 (3 frees); Oisin Murphy 1-1; Killian Duffy and Alan Mulhall (45) 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

Clara: Joey Deehan; Kevin Minnock; Cathal O’Meara (JC); Christian McKeon; Ryan Carroll; Matthew Mitchell; Darragh McKeon; John Ledwith; Conor Dolye; Graham Guilfoyle (JC); Marcus Dalton; Conor Egan; Myles Handy; Cormac Delaney; Adam Kelly. Subs- Edward Cullen for Ledwith (34m); Alan Gavin for Doyle (36m); Alex Egan for Dalton (39m) John Ledwith for Carroll (52m) .

Walsh Island:Ian Duffy; Evin Galvin; Colm Galvin; Daniel O’Keeffe; Reece Cuddihy; Ryan McKenna; Chris Mulhall; Tommy Brereton (JC); William Mulhall JC); Sean McCloskey; Oisin Murphy; Dara Cuddihy; James Dunne; Alan Mulhall; Jack Haverty. Subs- Killian Duffy for Havertz (39m); Emmet McKenna for Dunne (42m);  .

REFEREE WATCH

Eamon O’Connor refereed the game well and didn’t have any major decisions to make apart from the black card for Ian Duffy in the first half which was correct. 

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Clara’s six minute spell of four goals killed the game as a contest and they dispatched their chances very well with Walsh Island completely falling apart at the back. 

VENUE WATCH

Walsh Island hosted the game very well. Stewards around everywhere for parking and the pitch was as in very good knick on a beautiful day for football. 

WHAT'S NEXT

Clara face Daingean in round 3, meanwhile Walsh Island take on Gracefield. 

STATISTICS

Wides: Walsh Island – 7  ( 3 in first half, 4  in 2nd half); Clara –  9 (4 in first half, 5 in 2nd half).

Yellow cards: Walsh Island - (1) Chris Mulhall; Clara – (0) 

Black cards: Walsh Island - (1) Ian Duffy.

Red cards: Walsh Island– (0 ); Clara – (0)