IFC quarter-final: replay joy for Clan
August 31, 2015
Clan Na Gaels Mark Newell gets away from Ciaran Deane (St Brides)
CLAN NA GAEL 2-11
ST BRIDES 1-6
Clan na Gael set up a meeting with Hunterstown Rovers in the Intermediate Championship semi-final after coming through their replay with St Brides at Darver on Friday night.
The Dundalk men turned in a vastly improved display second time round and were good value for their eight-point win against a St Brides team who failed to get into any real rhythm over the course of the hour.
Good openings to both half proved the difference between the teams but it was a two-goal burst in as many minutes just after the restart that did the real damage for the Clans. Robbie Curran and Mark McGeown were the men to find the net and at that stage gave their side an unassailable 2-6 to 0-3 lead.
The Brides did battle to the end and hit back with an Emmet Kirk goal but against a very disciplined Clans defence, they were never really in a position to threaten a comeback.
The Dundalk men were quick out of the blocks and had points on the board from Ray McCabe, McGeown and Billy Smith before Mark Hoey got the Brides off the mark on 11 minutes.
However, the Clans continued to dominate and further efforts from Paul Martin (2) and McCabe had them 0-6 to 0-1 in front on 16 minutes. The Knockbridge outfit had the better of the second quarter but could only convert one chance when Kirk pointed a free on 22 minutes to reduce the gap to four at the break.
The Brides should have brought themselves back into contention right after the restart but Kirk blazed over the bar when through on goal. To make matters worse, the Clans went straight up the other and saw Curran fist the ball home from a JJ Quigley centre.
Less then two minutes later, Mark Newell won a kick-out and set up McGeown to round the keeper and slip the ball into the net. Kirk then had another goal effort superbly saved by Gavin Neary.
Curran and Conall McKeever pointed for the Clans to make it 2-8 to 0-3 and even when Kirk did fine the net for the Brides on 46 minutes, there was little to suggest they could mount a comeback.
The Clans added scores from McGeown (2) and Martin before the Brides finished with a flourish as Kirk (2) and Cathal McKenna rounded off the scoring.
CLAN NA GAEL: Gavin Neary; Stephen Fitzpatrick, Paul Gartland, Kevin Carroll; JJ Quigley, Paul Crewe, Leo Martin; Ray McCabe 0-2, Billy Smith 0-1; Mark Newell, Conall McKeever 0-1, Robbie Curran 1-1; Paul Gore, Paul Martin 0-3, Mark McGeown 1-3. Subs: Brendan Begley for P Gore BC, Drew Duffy for P Martin, Paul Boyle for K Carroll, Stephen Coleman for M Newell, Craig Long for S Fitzpatrick.
ST BRIDES: Alan Meegan; Ronan Bailey, Cillian Kirk, Stephen Kettle; Paraic Marry, Alan Dunne, Padraic Mackin; Paddy Reilly, Mark Hoey 0-1; Richard Halpenny, Aaron Hoey, Niall Mackin; Donal McNally, Shane Kerrigan, Emmet Kirk 1-4. Subs: Michael Keane, Pearse Murphy, Cathal McKenna 0-1.
