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November 8 @ 1:15 pm - 2:30 pm Banner GAA Ennis Referee: Jonathan Hayes (Limerick)

Competition:

AIB Munster Club Intermediate Football Championship Quarter-Final

Description:

Banner (Clare) defeated Brickey Rangers (Waterford) by 2-13 to 1-13 in the AIB Munster Club Intermediate Football Championship Quarter-Final on Sunday November 8th at Banner GAA, Ennis.

Match Highlights

Thomas Meenaghan inspires Banner to late turnaround against Brickey Rangers

Report by Eoin Brennan courtesy of the Irish Examiner newspaper

Munster Club IFC quarter-final: Banner 2-13 Brickey Rangers 1-13

Banner left it late but better late than never as they crowned their first ever provincial home tie with a gritty victory to advance to the last four in Ennis.

Despite possessing the greater amount of scoring chances and being level four times, frustrating Banner simply couldn’t get their noses in front as Brickey Rangers clung to a 1-9 to 1-8 advantage entering the final quarter.

Experience wasn’t an issue as despite being their first ever Munster football tie, this was actually Banner’s fifth consecutive season to represent Clare on the provincial stage after four junior hurling campaigns.

Persistence was key to finally making the breakthrough though as Sean McMahon’s long delivery was fielded by Cian O’Connor to take on Brickeys defence before offloading to Thomas Meenaghan to roof to the net and catapult Banner into the ascendency for the first time.

Their attacking triumvirate of Sean McMahon, Shane Meehan and Thomas Meenaghan stretched that newfound advantage to five by the 55th minute while also seeing goalkeeper Mark Cleary inspirationally stop a Paddy McCarthy penalty at the other end.

That appeared to be the clinching blow but a never-say-die Brickey Rangers paid no heed to the home script and duly laid siege in their hosts half for the remainder.

David Nyhan’s teasing delivery was deflected goalswards and had to be instinctively tipped away by goalkeeper Cleary while chief threat Tom O’Connell caught the resulting ’45 only to see his shot blocked amidst a packed goalmouth.

O’Connell did arrow over a two-pointer before earning a free for McCarthy to convert in injury-time. However, it was perhaps fitting that Shane Meehan who scored Clare’s winning point in the 2024 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final, would also provide the insurance point for his club’s greatest hour as he soloed through to seal victory to a rousing cheer from the 850 attendance.

Up to Meenaghan’s second goal, the Waterford champions always seemed to match anything that the eager hosts could throw at them, with an early tap-in goal through Callum Royale, following good work from Tom O’Connell and Conor McGrath to soar 1-2 to 0-1 clear after seven minutes.

Banner steadied the ship with the next four points, bookended by a brace from the ever-impressive Sean McMahon to regain full parity by the end of the opening quarter. However, it only sparked the Brickeys back into action as a Daithi Colleran two-pointer was accentuated by a brace of Tom O’Connell points to move 1-6 to 0-5 in front by the 18th minute.

Five first half wides homered the hosts’ challenge but they did finally get a break in the 21st minute when Thomas Meenaghan intercepted and passed inside to Liam Hughes whose flick was somehow stopped by goalkeeper Mike Dwyer, only for Meenaghan to follow up himself and kick the rebound to the net.

Shane Meehan opened his account to drag Banner level for the third time but an injury-time Paddy McCarthy free just inched the visitors into a 1-7 to 1-6 interval edge.

The same seesaw pattern was maintained on the resumption when Sean McMahon equalised for a fourth time only to see McCarthy nudge Brickeys back in front at 1-9 to 1-8 nearing the two-thirds mark.

It was going to have to take something special to finally unlock the door for the Clare intermediate champions and it was Meenaghan who ruthlessly coaled entering the final quarter to irrevocably alter the narrative.

It provided the Ennis side a new lease of life at just the perfect time. SO while there were a few anxious moments amidst a frantic finale, crucially Banner held on to seal a semi-final trip to Kerry champions Fossa in a fortnight’s time.

Scorers for Banner: T Meenaghan 2-1; S McMahon 0-5 (3f); S Meehan 0-3; R Kilroy 0-2; C Dennehy, C O’Connor 0-1 each.

Scorers for Brickey Rangers: T O’Connell 0-5 (1tp); P McCarthy 0-3 (3f); C Royale 1-0; D Colleran (1tp) 0-2; C McGrath, C Browne, C Curran 0-1 each.

BANNER: M Cleary; C O’Toole, C Rynne, O McMahon; J Coakley, E Walsh, C Dennehy; F Akinwale, R Kilroy; J Martin, S Meehan, S McMahon; L Hughes, T Meenaghan, C O’Connor.
Subs: S Hegarty for Hughes (38), B O’Halloran for Martin (41), E Fitzpatrick for O’Connor (56).

BRICKEY RANGERS: M Dwyer; S Lennon, C Deevy, J Cooney; C Whelan, C Brown, C Ryan; D Colleran, C Curran; D Nyhan, P McCarthy, C Keane; C Royle, T O’Connell, C McGrath.
Subs: J Hahessy for Cooney (40), S Collins for Royale (55), N Brett for Keane (57), P Walsh for McGrath (57), C Phelan for Lennon (61).

Referee: J Hayes (Limerick).

Ticket Information

Adults: €15
Students / OAPs: €10
Under 16’s: Free

Tickets are available from participating Centra and Supervalu outlets or online via the link below.

Click here to buy tickets

Team Sheets

Venue:

  • Banner GAA Ennis