Cloonacool secured their first victory in this year’s Connacht Gold Junior A championship with a well merited victory in a hard-fought game against Owenmore at Ballinalack Community Park on Saturday last.

The game was played in a strong breeze that had an influence in the flow of events.

Owenmore played with the benefit of the wind in the first half and used it to good effect to build up an early three points to one lead. 

An opportunist goal from Eoin Carty mid-way through the half, from a shot that dropped short in the square, brought Cloonacool right into the game to take the lead for the first time. 

Owenmore Gaels responded with a sequence of good points in the run in to half time while Cloonacool responded added points from Jason Brennan and Hughie Marren to be just one behind, 0-7 to 1-3 at the break  

Defences were on top again in the second half again, but Owenmore started well with a point to increase their advantage.

From there however, with the benefit of the elements, Cloonacool gradually came into the game with Jordan Brennan and Eoin Carty winning the midfield exchanges and added a series of four unanswered points to move into the lead 1- 7 to 0-7 halfway through the second half. 

Owenmore got one back but that was quickly cancelled out by another Cloonacool point before the Cloonacool attack took advantage of a misplaced Owenmore Gaels kickout and a to put Hughie Marren through on goal.  His initial shot was well saved but he finished the rebound to put six points between the sides.

The sides exchanged two further points each but the combination of the clock and the elements was too much for the Collooney men so Cloonacool took the spoils 2-10 to 0-10.                                 . 

Cloonacool: Niall Brennan, Liam Carty, Fergus Leonard (0-1), Ciaran McIntyre (0-1), Padraig Murtagh (0-1), Oisin Grehan, Conor Prendergast, Eoin Carty (1-0), Jordan Brennan, Ronan Leonard, Jason Brennan (0-4), James Lawrence (0-1), Aaron Moylan (0-1), Hughie Marren (1-3), Sean Carnahan. Subs: Rian Moylan, Gerard Mullarkey, Oisin Hunt.

Owenmore Gaels: Diarmuid O’Grady, Shane Maye, Liam Gilligan, Garrett Lavin, Kyle Mullen (0-1), Pa Murphy, Cian Whiteside, Roly Anderson (0-2), Mark Walsh (0-1), Rory Dillon, Ryan Phillips (0-5), Aaron Walsh, Gary Anderson, Nathan O’Malley (0-1), Peter Wynne. Subs: Conor Davey, Ciaran Harvey, Michael Casey.

Referee: John Niland (Curry)