Bel’ tolls for Claremorris as Ryan leads the charge
Belmullet's Fionn O'Donogue holds off the challenge of Claremorris defender Johnny Cummins during Sunday's senior quarter-final at Canon Gibbons Park. Pictures: Conor McKeown
Age-old failings for Claremorris came back to haunt them and Belmullet were all too happy to make devastating use of them as the men from the Barony secured a first county senior semi-final appearance since 2021.
Claremorris won all three of their group games but warning signs of their fragility at the back were ruthlessly exposed last Sunday afternoon in front of a capacity crowd in Canon Gibbons Park. In addition to the five goals they conceded, goalkeeper Darragh Fallon was called into action to deny another three while they also kicked a dozen wides – nine in the first-half alone – and not even a return to action for All-Ireland hero Darragh Beirne could turn the tide in their favour.
In comparison, Belmullet’s efficiency was superb. The full-forward line for Mayo of Beirne, Ryan O’Donoghue and Kobe McDonald generated countless headlines over the summer but O’Donoghue’s line at club level appears just as effective. Between Anthony Barrett, Fionn O’Donoghue and Ryan O’Donoghue, they kicked all but 2-2 of their 5-13 tally, and Garrymore’s watertight defence will be pushed to their limits should the Erris men find anything near this sort of form in two weeks’ time.
Shortly after Niall Hurley opened the scoring for the home side, Claremorris were dealt an early blow to their backline on two minutes when James McCormack limped off with injury. A minute later, Belmullet had 1-1 on the board thanks to a Shane Nallen ’45 and Fionn O’Donoghue’s first major of the day, guiding his effort under the legs of Fallon.
The red-hot Niall Hurley would continue his ruthlessness in front of the posts as he fired over three of Claremorris’ next five points to put them back in front, but Belmullet raised a second green flag on 11 minutes when James Ivers set up Fionn O’Donoghue for his second of the day.
Claremorris would score only three more points in the half through Mark Maloney and the Hurley twins, Niall and Dara, as they racked up nine wides between David Hurley’s score on 10 minutes and half-time.
Those three points across 20 minutes were matched by Ryan O’Donoghue, two frees included, inside two minutes at the start of the second quarter. The movement and power of Belmullet was consistently cutting Claremorris open, from the runs of the impressive Riain Concannon from corner-back to the drive of Seamus Howard in midfield, and it was the Mayo midfielder who got a crucial score – a third Belmullet goal – on the stroke of half-time. Jamie Reilly picked out Howard’s run, and he coolly slotted the ball past Fallon to make it 3-4 to 0-9 in favour of Belmullet at the break.
The respective centre-forwards, Belmullet’s Eamon McAndrew and Dara Hurley of Claremorris, traded the opening points of the second-half, when McAndrew would inflict a hammer blow on Claremorris with 33 minutes played. Howard won possession and started the move and found Fionn O’Donoghue, who turned provider on this occasion for McAndrew to net Belmullet’s fourth goal.
Niall Hurley and Anthony Barrett then exchanged scores on 35 and 37 minutes to leave it 4-6 to 0-11. At this stage, Claremorris introduced Darragh Beirne to a rapturous reception and his first touch saw him slip Seamus Howard for a point seconds after his introduction.
Maloney and Beirne, a free, made it a four-point game with 42 minutes gone and it appeared Beirne’s presence had given Claremorris a much-needed shot in the arm, but a free brought forward for indiscipline allowed Ryan O’Donoghue to send over a two-point free to halt their moment, while a poor kickout was almost punished by McAndrew but Fallon came to the rescue.
At the other end, Claremorris were presented with a golden opportunity to bring it back to a one goal game as Niall Hurley and Beirne combined but the latter’s effort on goal from close range was cleared off the line by Eoin O’Donoghue.
Instead, another Ryan O’Donoghue free pushed the gap back out to seven before a two-point free was converted by Beirne to keep Claremorris in the game. However, the Blues saw their hopes end on 53 minutes as Anthony Barrett fired in 1-1 to all but seal their progress into the last four.
Claremorris kept the board ticking late on through Niall, a free, and Dara Hurley, as well as a Beirne two-point free, but Belmullet signed off in style with a two-point free from Ryan O’Donoghue preceding Fionn O’Donoghue finishing the day as he started it, with a score, to keep Belmullet dreaming of a maiden Moclair Cup.
Scorers – Belmullet: Ryan O’Donoghue 0-2-4 (2tpf, 2f), Fionn O’Donoghue 2-0-1, Anthony Barrett 1-0-2, Eamon McAndrew 1-0-1, Seamus Howard 1-0-0, Shane Nallen 0-0-1 (’45).
Claremorris: Niall Hurley 0-0-8 (1f), Darragh Beirne 0-2-2 (2tpf, 1f), Dara Hurley 0-0-3, Mark Maloney 0-0-2, David Hurley 0-0-1.
Claremorris: Darragh Fallon; Mark Noonan, Daragh Fitzpatrick, David Slattery; Paul Gilmore, James McCormack, MJ Duffy; David O’Reilly, Conor McGuinness; Cathal Joyce, Dara Hurley, Johnny Cummins; Jack Noone Mark Maloney, Niall Hurley. Subs: David Hurley (for McCormack 2, inj), Colin Gill (for Cummins ht), Darragh Beirne (for C Joyce 37), Darragh Joyce (for Duffy 39).
Belmullet: Shane Nallen; James Lavelle, Colin Barrett, Riain Concannon; James Ivers, Eoin O’Donoghue, Padraic Cowman; James Kelly, Seamus Howard; Darragh Dixon, Eamon McAndrew, Jamie Reilly; Fionn O’Donoghue, Ryan O’Donoghue, Anthony Barrett. Sub: James O’Donnell (for Lavelle 42).
REF: Paul Lydon (Kiltimagh)
