GAA Hurling All Ireland Minor Championship Semi-Final – Dublin 4-14 Clare 2-17

Dublin minors edge out Clare at the death

Report from the GAA.ie web site

GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Semi-Final: Clare 2-17 Dublin 4-14

Dublin are through to the All-Ireland minor final for the second year running after a dramatic semi-final win over Clare at Croke on Sunday. The game was level and looking like it was going to extra time when, two minutes into added time, Oisín O’Rorke pounced for his second goal of the game to hand victory to his side. Clare had dominated the game for long periods and were 1-11 to 2-6 ahead at half-time, but they failed to capitalise on their dominance and threw away a game they might well have won. Clare moved 0-5 to 0-1 after just 12 minutes, with Jamie Shanahan and Bobby Duggan scoring two points each while Dublin hit an alarming number of early wides.

The opening goal of the game came on the quarter hour mark when Dublin ‘keeper Cian MacGabhann fouled Shane Taylor and Shanahan drilled home the resultant penalty. Dublin responded brilliantly, with O’Rorke bundling home a goal after Caolán Conway’s delivery into the danger area. Conway went for goal himself minutes later but he was denied when Clare goalkeeper Eibhear Quilligan dived full length to stop his shot. Dublin did get their goal a minute later, and it was Conway who outsmarted Quilligan at the second time of asking, catching a high ball and smashing a shot to the back of the net. Clare still led by 2-6 to 1-11 after a highly entertaining first half.

Dublin were level within minutes of the restart, but Clare found the net for a second time in the 41st minute, when Shane O’Donnell finished expertly to put his side 2-14 to 2-9 ahead. Clare were in control until, with five minutes left, Dublin pulled a goal back through Cian Boland, who jabbed Donal Gormley’s effort, which had fallen just short, to the back of the net. Conor McHugh then put Dublin ahead but Clare were level thanks to a score from David Conroy.

However, the game finished in the most dramatic circumstances imaginable, with Clare’s Bobby Duggan putting a free just wide and then O’Rorke popping up with the winning goal two minutes into added time, applying the finishing touch to a free which had fallen short.

Team News

The Clare Minor Hurling team to play Dublin is as follows –

1. Eibhear Quilligan Feakle

2. Shane O Brien Clonlara Capt

3. Brian Carey Sixmilebridge

4. Gearoid Ryan Clarecastle

5. Aidan McGuane Kilmaley

6. Conor Cleary St Josephs Miltown

7. Eoin Quirke Whitegate

8. David Conroy St Josephs Doora/Barefield

9. Jamie Shanahan Sixmilebridge

10. Shane Taylor Broadford

11. Alex Morey Sixmilebridge

12. Aidan O Gorman O.C.Mills

13. Bobby Duggan Clarecastle

14. Niall Deasy Ballyea

15. Shane O Donnell Eire Og Ennis

Clare make one change in personnel, and a number of positional changes, from the team that lined out against Down in the All Ireland Quarter Final in Mullingar.

Alex Morey returns from injury, and take up the Centre Half forward position for the first time this year, Jamie Malone reverts to the bench. Niall Deasy moves from wing forward to Full, Jamie Shanahan moves from wing forward to Mid- Field. Aidan O Gorman who started that game at mid –field, moves to wing forward .

Clare are playing in their third All Ireland Minor Hurling Semi – Final in 3 years.

2010, they defeated Dublin in the semi – final, losing out to Kilkenny in the final.

2011 lost to Galway in the semi – final, after extra time.

This will be their 6th game in this years championship, Lost to Waterford in the first round of the Munster Championship. Defeated, Cork and Limerick, to reach the Munster Final, which Clare lost to Tipperary, Defeated Down in the All Ireland Quarter Final.

DUBLIN MH: Cian Mac Gabhann (Kilmacud Crokes); Shane Barrett (Na Fianna), Cian O’Callaghan (Cuala), Eric Lowndes (St Peregrine’s) ; Eoghan O’’Donnell (Whitehall Colmcille), Robert Murphy (Kilmacud Crokes), Seán McClelland (Lucan Sarsfields); Cormac Costello (Whitehall Colmcille), Colm Cronin (Cuala); Conor McHugh (Na Fianna), Seán Treacy (Cuala); Caolan Conway (Kilmacud Crokes); Oisín O’Rorke (Kilmacud Crokes), Cian Boland (St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh), Paul Winters (St Brigid’s)