This article is from page 70 of the 2011-06-07 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 70 JPG
Kilmurry Ibrickane 2-11 – O’Callaghan’s Mills 0-03 at Ballynacally
THE LAST time these sides met in the champonship in August 2009, the Mills won out by two points on their way to the semi-finals and within a point of reaching a county final. Kilmurry Ibrickane meanwhile nosedived in the opposite direction that year and only saved themselves from relegation in a play-off with Michael Cusacks.
Two years on and the football landscape for both sides has altered considerably as Kilmurry Ibrickane, backed by the senior experience of Odran O’Dwyer, Vinnie Talty, Brendan Moloney and Gary Donnellan and the guile of Seamus Lynch, are a much more formidable opposition as demonstrated by their dis- mantling of the Mills on Sunday.
The same passion or interest cannot be attributed to the east Clare side who were without up to eight first team starters, including county senior hurlers Patrick Donnellan and Conor Cooney, the latter of which only made a second half cameo.
Bizarre that the Mills should pass up arguably their best chance of silverware this year but that mattered little to Kilmurry Ibrickane who could only beat what was put in front of them and after a getting-to-knowyou first half, they really opened up on the turnover.
An unanswered 2-7 put paid to any doubts of where the first points were heading, with chief marksmen Odran O’Dwyer and Seamus Lynch deservedly cutting through the heart of the Mills defence for the goals.
It was a much more tentative start however with Kilmurry Ibickane shading the first half efforts at 0-4 to 0-2, with Odran O’Dwyer settling into the new grade with two points. Meanwhile, the Mills had goal chances for Billy Donovan, whose fisted flick was saved by the head of goalkeeper Darren Sexton, and a James Hook punch at the back post that was also twarted by the county minor netminder.
The Mills had relative success in drawing their half-forward line back to crowd out the middle but those tactics quickly went out the window as Kilmurry Ibrickane found their range on the restart.
With Seamus Lynch expertly pulling the strings and picking off four of the first five points, they opened up a 0-9 to 0-2 advantage before the Mills were decisively killed off by Odran O’Dwyer’s 46th minute goal. It was a superb back-to-front move, involving John Sexton, Vinnie Talty and Senan McCarthy whose crossfield pass picked out O’Dwyer to turn his man and head for goal.
The Mills woes worsened when Seamus Lynch weaved through the last line to score a 53rd minute goal, a fitting end to a superb individual display that puts the ‘Bricks in the driving seat in the group and the Mills sinking in the opposite direction.
Kilmurry Ibrickane
Darren Sexton (7), AndrewDarcy (7), John Sexton (7), Eamon Dunne
(7), Gary Donnellan (8), Brendan Moloney (8), Patrick Sexton (7),Thomas O’Connor (7) (0-1), VinnyTalty (7),Thomas Lernihan (7) (0-1), Seamus Lynch (9) (1-6 4f), Brian Callinan (7) (0-1), Senan McCarthy (6), Odran O’Dwyer (8) (1-2), Colm Donnellan (6)
Subs
Thomas Greene (6) for McCarthy (48 mins), Mark Moloney for Callinan (51 mins), John McNamara for O’Dwyer (51 mins), Diarmuid Donnellan for G. Donnellan (54 mins, inj)
O’Callaghan’s Mills
Enda McNamara (6), Gary Neville (7), Niall Donovan (6), Gerry Cooney (6), Jonathan Lyons (6), John Cooney (7), Sean O’Gorman (6), Conor Cooney (8), Bryan Donnellan (7) (0-2 1f), Fergus Donovan (7), Paul Lynch (7) (0-1f), Mickey Madden (7), James Hook (6), Billy Donovan (6), Paul Murphy (6)
Subs
Conor Cooney (7) for Murphy (35 mins), Flannan McMahon (6) for N. Donovan (37 mins), Declan Donovan for Hook (50 mins), Martin McMahon for B. Donovan (51 mins)
Man of the Match
Seamus Lynch (Kilmurry Ibrickane) Referee John Hannon (Michael Cusack’s)