Niland does the damage in big win for Clarinbridge

Clarinbridge 1-20

Carnmore 0-12

David Killarney at Kenny Park

CLARINBRIDGE registered their first win of the county championship on Friday night, overcoming Carnmore by an 11 point margin in Athenry. Eight different scorers contributed for the 2011 All-Ireland champions whose overall team work was far superior to Carnmore’s, with Evan Niland (1-12) putting in an impressive display at corner forward.

Carnmore struggled to find any fluid rhythm throughout the 60 minutes with their game plan relying on a constant long ball strategy into the full forward line which proved unsuccessful throughout the encounter. A variety of weapons in Clarinbridge’s arsenal proved too much for their opponents to handle, with basic errors also preventing Carnmore from keeping up with the frequent scoring of Clarinbridge.

The game got underway with Carnmore taking the lead when Barry Hanley fired over his first free of the game from 60 yards. Clarinbridge hit right back and went ahead through wing forward Barry Daly, who struck over after being picked out by keeper Aaron Bindon, before Sean Kilduff got his name on the score sheet from distance.

Both teams then exchanged scores from frees with Hanley and then Niland’s first of the contest, to leave the gap at one point in Clarinbridge’s favour. The winners then went further two ahead thanks to two more points from Niland – another free along with a great point from the left touchline from all of 60 yards.

George Hanley narrowed the lead back down to two after being found by Ciaran Fahy and firing over from 35 yards, followed by some quick thinking from Clarinbridge’s Kilduff who found Eoin Forde with a line out ball which Forde returned back to Kilduff, who struck his second point from the right.

Barry Hanley and Niland once more exchanged frees to leave the gap at three points on the 20 minute mark with sloppy fouls which Niland punished at every turn costing Carnmore.

Clarinbridge then went six points ahead with three quick-fire points from Forde after being picked out by midfielder Billy Lane, followed by two more frees from Niland. Hanley got his fourth of Carnmore’s five points, to finish off the half with Clarinbridge heading into the dressing rooms with a more than comfortable five point lead.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.