Beaten 2015 County finalists are on the road to redemption having booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the Clare SHC.
Clonlara 2-13
Clooney/Quin 1-11
Venue: O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge
Goals from Darach Honan and Nicky O’Connell sent the Clonlara men on their way to victory over Clooney/Quin who still remain in the championship and await Monday’s draw to find out their Round Three opponents.
With less than a minute on the clock, Honan tore through the Clooney/Quin defence to strike home the opening goal of the game. He added a white flag a minute later. Peter Duggan got Clooney out of the blocks five minutes in with a point and they were level soon after as Michael Daffy struck for goal.
Duggan put Ger O’Halloran’s side in front on fourteen minutes. Clonlara replied through Nicky O’Connell, the former Clare player gained possession forty five metres from goal and had no room to strike so opted to run as far as the thirteen metre line before sticking the sliotar past Keith Hogan for their second goal.
Two scores from Peter Duggan in additional time lifted Clooney/Quin as did a collaboration between the O’Donovan twins that was finished off with a point from Cormac to leave it 2-02 1-04 in favour of the South East Clare side.
Padraic O’Loughlin was on target for Clonlara after the resumption when he struck over a score despite being on his knees. Duggan once more led the Clooney fight but his effort was cancelled out as Clonlara hit three unanswered scores via Cathal Tots O’Connell, Cormac O’Donovan and James Hastings. For the final quarter Clonlara outscored their opponents 7-6 to seal their place in the last eight.