Corbet class sees Clonaslee claim another intermediate final

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Clonaslee 1-13 Crettyard 1-10
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Niall Corbet was the star of the show as he kicked 1-6 as Clonaslee avenged last year’s final defeat against Rosenallis to claim intermediate glory this evening in O’Moore Park.

However, that doesn’t even begin to tell the story of a game that simply had everything.

For the second year in a row, Clonaslee finished with 12 players but this time two of their dismissals were black card and the third, a straight red for Conor McEvoy, came deep in injury time.

They actually had a numerical advantage for almost 15 minutes as Crettyard wing back Patrick O’Reilly was the first to see the line when he was dismissed following two yellow cards after 43 minutes.

But in what was a very entertaining game to watch, Clonaslee just about shaded it and Niall Corbet was deservingly man of the match.

Clonaslee began the game against the wind and they instantly dropped Jack Owens back as a sweeper to double up with Will Young on Evan O’Carroll.

That largely worked as the pair cut out the supply to O’Carroll and limited him to two points in the half.

While they caught fire themselves down the other end. John Rigney, Liam Senior and a brace of frees left them 0-4 to 0-1 ahead at the water break.

Patrick Brennan landed Crettyard’s second on the resumption of play but they caught with a real sucker punch down the other end when Liam Senior burst forward and set up Niall Corbet who blasted the ball to the net.

Crettyard responded with points from O’Carroll and Cormac Murphy but a late Crobet score left Clonaslee 1-5 to 0-4 ahead at half time.

Clonaslee hit three wides at the start of the second half before John Rigney edged them five head before, from nowhere, Crettyard got a goal.

Evan O’Carroll’s shot dropped short and it fell for Lee Salter who volleyed it, soccer style, into the back of the net.

Evan O’Carroll then landed his third point and all of a sudden there was one between them – 1-6 to 1-5.

Niall Corbet responded for Clonaslee with a free from a tight angle and then Crettyard were reduced to 14 men after 43 minutes.

Patrick O’Reilly, who was booked in the first half, received a second yellow for a trip on Bob Downey and Crettyard would now have to play with a man less for the time that remained.

But it was Crettyard who got the final score before the second water break through Patrick Brennan as Clonaslee led 1-7 to 1-6 at it.

Clonaslee got going after the water break though and kicked three in a row through Bob Downey, Ger Dunne and Mark McEvoy.

Crettyard were in trouble and they tried to respond with an Evan O’Carroll mark but they still trailed by three with 55 minutes on the clock.

O’Carroll cut the gap to two a minute later with a free and the margin was still that after 58 minutes when Corbet and Salter traded efforts.

Corbet took his tally to 1-6 as four minutes of injury were signalled – and how dramatic they were.

Clonaslee lost both Jack Owens and Will Young to black cards. The sides traded points through Bob Downey and Ciaran Hosey but a row broke out in the aftermath of the Owens black card that saw Clonaslee reduced to 12 men as Conor McEvoy was shown a straight red.

Crettyard through everything at them in search of an equalising goal but Clonaslee held on to win.

SCORERS: Clonaslee: Niall Corbet 1-6 (three frees), John Rigney 0-2, Liam Senior 0-1, Bob Downey 0-2, Ger Dunne 0-1, Mark McEvoy 0-1 Crettyard: Evan O’Carroll 0-5 (one free, one mark), Lee Salter 1-1, Patrick Brennan 0-2, Cormac Murphy 0-1, Ciaran Hosey 0-1

CLONASLEE: Barry Kelly; John Rigney, Mark McEvoy, Will Young; Conor McEvoy, Diarmuid Conroy, Will Murray; Liam Senior, Sean Condon; Michael Hyland, Ger Dunne, Bob Downey; James McRedmond, Niall Corbet, Jack Owens. Subs: Oisin Murray for W Murray and Glen McEvoy for Dunne (Both 52), Cian Barrett for McRedmond (57)

CRETTYARD: Eoin O’Shea; Sean O’Shea, Ciaran Hosey, Eoin Delaney; Conor Mulhall, Cormac Phelan, Patrick O’Reilly; Ciaran Burke, Cormac Murphy; Niall Purcell, Patrick Brennan, Michael Nash; Lee Salter, Brian Brennan, Evan O’Carroll. Subs: Cristoir Maher for Brennan (23), Michael Jordan for Mulhall (36)

Referee: Clifford Ward (Portarlington)

SEE ALSO – What’s it like where you are? Four Laois people living abroad on their new Covid lifestyles

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source https://www.laoistoday.ie/2020/10/03/corbet-class-sees-clonaslee-claim-another-intermediate-final/