Confey survive in senior grade as Clane are relegated

UMPC SHC Group B Round 3

Confey 0-18

Clane 2-10

Confey retained their senior status for 2024 but they were forced to draw on all their experience and then endure almost ten minutes of injury time before securing the vital two point win over Clane in the UPMC Senior Hurling Championship Group B tie.

Wonderful displays from Anto Hoare,Eoin Lynch Frank Bass, with ten points and Paul Divilly were the catalyst for this huge win.
For Clane it is a return to Senior B for next year but they will be bitterly disappointed they didn't take advantage of their half-time lead as they could only hit four second half points.

Frank Bass had Confey in front with an opening free but Sam Donovan levelled for Clane from the resultant puck out.
Frank Bass and Paddy McKenna swapped frees to keep parity.

Points from Eoin Lynch and Paul Divilly pushed Confey two ahead..Two Paddy McKenna frees regained parity before Frank Bass shot over his third.
McKenna hit his fourth on 22 to again level it.

Confey hit a purple patch with four in a row in four minutes.Shane Lawless, Paul Ferrick, Eoin Lynch and Frank Bass building up a deserved advantage as half time approached.

Clane always hit back turning a four point deficit into a two point lead before the break.

Hugh Muldoon pointed and when Paddy McKenna's free dropped under the Confey crossbar Simon Healy was on hand to fire home the game's opening goal.We were level again but only momentarily as Frank Bass capitalised on a throw ball to fire Confey in front.

All eyes were on Eamon Kelly for the half-time break just as the rain arrived but Clane were granted a late chance to regain their lead. Simon Healy got possession 30 metres out and as he drove at the Confey defence his momentum took him inside the Confey square.Kelly pointed to the spot and Paddy McKenna rattled home the penalty to leave Clane 2-6 to 0-10 ahead at the break.

Premium
Scoring chances were at a premium in the opening minutes and it was a long range McKenna free on 37 that pushed Clane three ahead; Sam Donovan made that four. However Clane would only hit three further points over the closing 32 minutes.

Confey regained control adding points from Frank Bass, two, and Colm Chan and Aidan Ryan to level it.
Paddy McKenna regained the lead with a sixty metre free for Clane.

The Leixlip men regained their composure and with Paul Divilly seemingly everywhere they outscored Clane by five points to one over the closing minutes.

Two Frank Bass white flags and one from Divilly was enough to push Confey two ahead and despite Paddy McKenna adding a seventh free deep in injury time to reduce it to the minimum it was Frank Bass who shot over a simple free on 69 to see out the victory.

CONFEY: Shane Quinn,Ian Baker,Anto Hoare,Kevin Chan,Eoin Lynch 0-2, Sean Leamy, Colm Chan 0-1, Fiachra Lynch, Aidan Ryan 0-1, Frank Bass 0-10 (6 frees), Paul Ferrick,Philip Quigley,Shane Lawless 0-1, Ben O Boyle, Paul Divilly 0-2. Subs: Mark Waldron 0-1 for Fiachra Lynch 7; Neil Ryan for Paul Ferrick 48; Enda Bannon for Colm Chan 63.

CLANE: Mark Doyle, Adam Donovan, Michael Cahalan, Sean Malone, Cillian Ryan, Cian Shanahan, Sam Donovan 0-2, Sean Christanseen, Daniel Malone, Paddy McKenna 1-7 (1 penalty,7 frees), Hugh Muldoon 0-1, Cormac Vizzard, Sean O Rourke, Eimhin Gillman, Simon Healy 1-0. Subs: Tom Malone for Sean O Rourke 26; Eamon Little for Sam Donovan 60; Ben Muldoon for Hugh Muldoon 60.

REFEREE: Eamon Kelly.