This article is from page 76 of the 2011-09-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 76 JPG
Braodford 1-12 – Killanena 0-09 at Cusack Park, Ennis
BROADFORD booked their passage into the quarter-final stage for the second time in three years thanks to this workmanlike victory over a Killanena on Saturday evening.
It was a turgid affair throughout, with Killanena’s fourth successive defeat ensuring that they go into their relegation battle on the back of a depressing campaign in their first year back in the senior ranks in over 100 years.
For Broadford, it’s a totally different hurling world as they can now look forward to trying to build on their 2009 performance when they so nearly reached a first county semifinal in 64 years.
That’s for another day – this was about getting over the line, something they did thanks in the main to a first half when they forged a 1-5 to 0-4 clear courtesy of a brilliant individual goal from Padraig Hickey.
The All-Ireland intermediate winner is the main plank of the Broadford attack, something he showcased when bursting into the game in the closing minutes of the half when putting daylight between the sides for the first time.
First he lofted over a great point into the Stamer Park goal from underneath the shed terrace in the 25th minute to edge his side 0-4 to 0-3 clear; two minutes later he showed his determination in bursting through two tackles before blasting to the net from 15 yards to change the complexion of this game completely.
Up until then a brave, however, limited Killanena team had taken the fight to the favourites, more than holding their own in the first 20 minutes until a protracted delay of over five minutes after Mark Flaherty suffered a serious knee injury took the wind out of their sails.
Points by Flaherty and David McNamara to a reply from a Padraig Hickey free had them 0-2 to 0-1 ahead after ten minutes, while Niall Moloney and Mikey Noone then swapped points in the 16th minute before Broadford finally moved up a few gears in the final ten minutes before the break.
James Gunning’s long range free levelled matters in the 22nd minute before Hickey’s 1-1 blast put four points between the sides. That gap was still intact at half-time after Donie Whelan and John O’Mara traded points, while the game was effectively put out of Killanena’s reach inside seven minutes of the second half thanks to points from Hickey and Aonghus O’Brien that put them 1-7 to 0-4 clear.
All that was left for Broadford was to avoid conceding goals, something they managed comfortably despite Killanena’s valiant attempt to claw their way back into the game in the closing 20 minutes.
They did have the gap back to five with 15 minutes still on the clock after a David McNamara free was followed by points by Eoin McMa- hon and Mikey Noone, while further points by McNamara and Martin Glynn after Padraig Hickey’s fourth of the hour ensured there was only four points between the sides entering the last ten minutes.
But the goal they needed to have any chance of avoiding a whitewash in this group never came, leaving Broadford comfortable winners after Padraig Taylor and Alan McMahon added points in the closing minutes.