An Riocht beat Burren on Friday night. We led four one early on before four successive Burren points put the visitors ahead. A good finish to the half saw us regain the lead six points to five up at the break. It was seven all six minutes into the second half before we played some fine football to dominate the final twenty minutes and win by eight points.

Michael Harper and John Clarke opened the scoring with points apiece before Jimmy mc Alinden got Burren on the scoreboard in the twelfth minute. Liam mc Veigh denied Aidan mc Givern a goal chance as the Burren threat intensified. Clarke again and his county colleague John Lavery made it four one as An Riocht moved the ball with speed and directness. Burren enjoyed a good spell with four points from Padraig Bradley and Gavin Murdock frees and from play from Sean O’Hare and Eoin mc Cartan.

An Riocht rallied before the break. James Colgan and John Clarke combined for Colgan to fist us level then Aidan Flanagan caught a ball in the middle of a group of players and fired over an inspirational point for six five at half time.

Colgan placed Clarke to extend the lead before Garnet mc Ferran and Murdock (45) levelled at seven all. Clarke forced a save from Mark Rocks with Harper returning the ball over the bar, then Clarke touched on a Harper pass into the path of Neil Doran and he shot to the net. Jim Clarke, John Clarke, Flanagan and Ciaran Walsh (2) added points and Flanagan almost grabbed a second goal as the game was pushed beyond Burren.

Six minutes from time Bradley placed Mc Alinden for a Burren goal but John Clarke and Martin Clarke with frees apiece and Colgan after a fifty metre Doran pass restablished the lead. Murdocks third free offered little consolation to Burren.