Clogherinkoe claim top spot and quarter final place with victory over Confey in Kildare SFC

Joe Mallon Motors Senior Football Championship Group D, Round 3

Clogherinkoe 3-10

Confey 1-9

Clogherinkoe beat Confey and claimed top spot in Group D of this year’s Senior Football Championship. Confey were already destined for a relegation play-off prior to this round of games but to their credit gave their best until the very last in this game.

Clogherinkoe were really up for this one and instead of being tense under the pressure of attempting to claim top spot were instead buoyed by this fixture. The Clogher’s put on their best display of this Championship so far and their intentions were clear early on as they raced into the lead.

Their first goal of the day came from a likely source, one of their star forwards in the form of Jack Robinson.

Robinson slowed himself and his marker down while he was in possession. As his marker came to a stand still Robinson took off again and accelerated past and finished calmly past Eoin Fallon in the Confey net.

If Jack Robinson was a likely source then corner-back Michael Barea maybe was not. Clogherinkoe midfielder Mark Grehan looked up and saw the advancing Barea’s run from deep. Grehan found his man brilliantly over the top of the Confey defence and Barea was through on goal following the huge ball in.

Barea finished expertly to put his side into a 2-5 to 0-2 lead just past 20 minutes.
The conversation on the sideline had now shifted to the score difference in the St Laurence’s game, a concern that would ultimately diminish as Larries and Kilcock would play to a draw.

However the Clogherinkoe men out on the Hawkfield pitch had no idea of such news one way or the other and were still pushing for more. Not to be out done by the other star forward for the Clogher’s Cein McMonagle would get in on the goal-scoring act.

McMonagle got himself through on goal and rounded Confey keeper Eoin Fallon to get his tally to an impressive 1-4 on the day. There was late drama from the resulting kick out as McMonagle stood next to the keeper as he lined up his kick. The frustrated goa with lkeeper Fallon appeared to make contactMcMonagle and did so right in front of two umpires.
Fallon saw red and a tough day out for Confey had just got some added sting.

The kick-out clash would be the last major action of the game and attention turned once again to refreshing Twitter feeds to hear news of the Larries game. The news was positive for Clogherinkoe and they secured top spot and an automatic quarter final place.

Larries needed a last minute free-kick to ensure they didn't fall out of the top two but they survived the late scare to grab second and a preliminary quarter-final opportunity.

Athy edge Eadestown by a point as both sides progress in Kildare SFC

Scorers

Clogherinkoe, Jack Robinson 1-5, Cein McMonagle 1-4, Michael Barea 1-0, Mark Grehan 0-1.

Confey, James Gately 1-6, Paddy Griffin 0-2, Jack Donegan 0-1.

CLOGHERINKOE: Keith Wilkinson; Michael Barea, Joe Mulraney, David Hill; Killian Galligan, Jamie Boyle, Dean Hanley; Mark Grehan, Daniel Grehan; Caelum Flanagan, Aedan Boyle, Robbie Dunne; Jack Robinson, Cein McMonagle, Mark Nolan. Subs: Rory Phelan on for Robbie Dunne (54), Imad Mirza for Fergal McGeough (56), Ben O'Boyle for Conor Jennings (56).

CONFEY: Eoin Fallon; Cian Butler, Connor Dennehy, Joe Kilbane; David Slattery, Conor Jennings, Paddy Griffin; Ciaran Lyons, Paul Divilly; Niall Cawley, Shane Dineen, Fergal McGeough; Niall Carney, James Gately, Ian Devane. Subs: Eoin Dennehy for Niall Carney (38), Brian Grimes for Niall Cawley (45).
REFEREE: Henry Barrett