Cloughjordan 'A' 4 - Rearcross 1

Rearcross travelled to Cloughjordan last Sunday in search of a much needed three points but came home empty handed after losing on a 4-1 score line. Rearcross made a promising start and had the first chance of the encounter when Liam Ryan found space on the left to pull the ball back across the goal mouth with Derek O'Toole unlucky not to make headed contact. Cloughjordan's first incision was thwarted when PJ McLoughlin did well to clear off the line with eight minutes gone. It was going to prove a difficult afternoon for the visitors when defender Diarmuid Sheehy received a yellow for a late tackle five minutes later. The exchanges were being well contested at this stage and Kevin Kennedy fired wide of the Rearcross post minutes later. The turning point of the game came on 21 minutes for a luckless Rearcross side when Liam Ryan controlled on the edge of the box and slotted to the back of the Cloughjordan net, however play was call back for a handball infringement and then seconds later Diarmuid Sheehy was unlucky to be sent to the line for a second bookable offence. Cloughjordan got on top after this and Sean Sheehy proved his worth with a smart reflex save. The visitors were dealt a succour blow when Cloughjordan pounced for a double strike within the space of a minute with eight minutes remaining in the half, first up was David Byrne who got a vital headed touch on a long range free kick that saw the ball nestle in the back of the net. Worse was to follow for a hapless Rearcross side second laters when Cloughjordan produced the trickery out near the corner flag before the ball was squared to Kevin Quinlan who drilled home from the edge of the six yard box. The visitors would have been further behind only for a breath taking save from Sean Sheehy who stretched full length to turn the ball around the post on the stroke of half time. Full credit to a Rearcross side that dug deep in the second half to reduce the deficit despite the numerical disadvantage, Michael O'Gorman shot wide of the post two minutes after the restart. Cloughjordan defended sternly, however Rearcross came close again on 65 minutes when PJ McLoughlin found space just outside the box and was luckless to see his effort drag away from the upright. Cloughjordan made it three nil a minute later when the ball was delivered from the left to Kevin Kennedy who made no mistake from close range. It was proving to be one of those days for Rearcross when Derek O'Toole picked out Robert Harrington, however the ball bobbled as the ball was being struck and the chance skewed away from the target. Rearcross did pull goal back with seven minutes to go with a smashing left footed Derek O'Toole effort from all of twenty yards. Cloughjordan copper fastened the win on the 89th minute when Brendan Costello reacted to latch on to a deflected delivery to send a well directed header to the top corner of the net.

 

Cloughjordan 'A' : Shane Williams, Colm Williams, Diarmuid Kennedy, Niall Farrell, Ruan Casey, Donal Costello(Capt.), Brendan Costello, Seamus Williams, Kevin Kennedy, Stephen Murphy, Kevin Quinlan
Subs: David Byrne for Kevin Quinlan, Eoin Killackey for Seamus Williams, Kieran Gohery for Diarmuid Kennedy

 

Rearcross: Sean Sheehy, Tommy Ryan Luke(Capt.), Diarmuid Sheehy, Martin McLoughlin, John Ryan Luke, Robert Harrington, Derek O'Toole, PJ McLoughlin, Greg Kennedy, Liam Ryan, Michael O'Gorman
Subs: Declan O'Toole for Liam Ryan (45th minute), Matthew Ryan Luke for PJ McLoughlin (77th minute), Tommy Kennedy for Robert Harrington (85th minute)

Sub not used: Eamon Wade, Davy Ryan Luke

 

Referee: Shay Donnelly