Clane find their form to reach the last eight

Clane 2-10

Eadestown 0-9

Clane finally came good in the SFC and disposed of Eadestown to book a place in the quarter-final and a date with Celbridge following this impressive display at Manguard Park on Sunday.

Clane had been struggling to find their form heretofore but they certainly did and while Eadestown can look back on a dozen wides (eight in the opening half) they were in the end somewhat disappointing, the loss of Conor McCarthy certainly a telling factor.

Tom Cribbin will be delighted with this result, their big names came good when it counted with midfielder Brian McLoughlin particularly showing his true form.

Adam Fanning, very lively in that opening half, raised the first white flag before a Ben Fitzsimons free had the sides level for the first time.

Clane had an early chance of a goal but Hugh Prendergast finish was a poor one and the danger cleared.

Cian Boran had Eadestown in front on seven but a minute later Clane found the Eadestown net, Adam Fanning putting Sam McCormack in and the big no. 11 made no mistake from close range to make it 1-1 to 0-2 on eight minutes.

Rian and Cian Boran had the sides level again on 12 minutes, a perfect response to that Clane goal.

A Brian McLoughlin free mid-way through edged Clane ahead, Shane McCormack hit a lovely point from an acute angle to put two between them.

Eadestown missed a 46m free, Shane O'Sullivan added a Clane point and Shane O'Sullivan left three in it on 24 minutes.
A few more wides from Eadestown before Sam McCormack converted a free with the half-time whistle on the way.

Eadestown had a goal chance, Sean Callan denying them with the resultant 45 going wide of the posts. Half time score: Clane 1-6 Eadestown 0-5.

Sam McCormack fired over a free on the resumption to extend the lead but on 38 minutes Cian Burke made a brilliant diving save to deny Jack Sargent, in what was certainly a pivotal moment in the game.

Brian McLoughlin increased the Clane lead to six on 40 minutes before Eadestown finally got their first point of the second half, a Pauric Touhy white flag.

Influential corner back Sean Hynes, got forward, again, this time his goal attempt when just over, Cian Bolton converted his only free of the day to reduce the lead back to three with ten minutes remaining.

A brilliant long range point from the mercurial Brian McLoughlin eased Clane four ahead, Shane O'Sullivan added another and while Pauric Tuohy got one back for Eadestown a late goal put the icing on the it for Clane after a Brian McLoughlin effort was balooned left and heading wide but was kept in play by Stephen Breteton who found substitute Cathal O'Brien who found the net.

The final score line may be a bit tough on Eadestown but have no doubt the honours went where they belong and the winners can now look forward to a quarter-final clash against Celbridge this weekend.

Scorers: Clane, Sam McCormack 1-2 (2 frees), Cathal O'Brien 1-0, Shane O'Sullivan 0-3, Brian McLoughlin 0-3 (free), Shane McCormack 0-1, Adam Fanning 0-1.

Eadestown, Pauric Tuohy 0-2, Conan Boran 0-1, Rian Boran 0-1, Ben Fitzsimons 0-1 (free), Cian Boran 0-1, Eoin Conneff 0-1, Cian Bolton 0-1 (free), Sean Hynes 0-1.

CLANE: Cian Burke; Harry O'Neill, Sean Callan, Hugh Prendergast; Conor Walsh, Cian Shanahan, Sam Reilly; Shane McCormack, Brian McLoughlin; Sean Tighe, Sam McCormack, Rhys Vaughan; Tadhg Montgomery, Adam Fanning, Shane O'Sullivan. Subs: Cormac Vizzard for Sam Reilly (15 minutes); Danny Egan for Cormac Vizzard (43 minut4s); Cathal O'Brien for Sean Tighe (44 minutes); Stephen Brereton for Hugh Prendergast (54 minutes); Oisin Tighe for Adam Fanning (56 minutes).

EADESTOWN: Shane Sargent; Conan Boran, John Lawlor, Sean Hynes; Darragh Jameson, Jack Sargent, Rian Monaghan; Rian Boran, Niall Cummings; Ben Fitzsimons, Cian Bolton, Cian Boran; Fiachra Bracken O'Brien, Pauric Touhy, Eoin Conneff. Subs: Eoin Woods for Fiachra Bracken O'Brien (40 minutes); Harry Carroll for Ben Fitzsimons (49 minutes); Eoin Doyle for Rian Monaghan (54 minutes); Niall Grainger for Darragh Jameson (61 minutes).

REFEREE: Paddy McDermott.