Newmarket-on-Fergus 1-10 – Inagh/Kilnamona 1-08 at Cusack Park, Ennis
THE Blues are back on the honour roll, capturing their first Clare Cup in 37 years, following a hard fought two point win over the dogged Inagh/Kilnamona combination in Cusack Park on Sunday. This was an important win for Newmarket, one that gained them senior silverware of significance for the first time since their last championship success of 1981 and gives them momentum heading into 2012.
This fixture bucked the recent trend as it was switched from Sixmilebridge to Cusack Park because of a playable pitch! Headquarters was in better shape that a fortnight previously when the County Final was played on a saturated surface. While Sunday’s pitch was heavy, it was eminently playable and as a result the crowd were treated to patches of decent hurling in crisp, dry weather.
Newmarket were ahead throughout and were the better side, yet they had to sweat the closing minutes as Inagh/ Kilnamona won a late free and summoned goalkeeper Pat Kelly to go for goal. His blazing shot skimmed over the crossbar, referee Ger Hoey calling a halt to proceedings immediately after this.
Inagh/Kilnamona had stayed in the game thanks to the doggedness that has seen them ultra competitive this year. With their backs in particular standing up to attack after attack, as usual they went down with their boots on. Indeed it would almost have been fitting if Kelly had goaled from the 21 yard free as he had been outstanding throughout the match, making three point blank saves of the highest quality.
Newmarket opened the livelier and took an early lead they would never lose. Colin Ryan pointed from a placed ball in the first minute and Eoin Hayes followed with a white flag from play a minute later. Niall Arthur answered for Inagh/Kilnamona with a free of his own after five minutes but soon after shot the first of seven first half wides, a stat that would come back to haunt the combo, who played a nervy opening half. With Colin Ryan landing ninety yard frees and both half backlines on top, it soon became clear that chances would be at a premium, Newmarket’s scorer in chief Ryan proving the value of a free taker. He finished with five first half point, four of them from frees, all of them from decent distances.
Haulie Vaughan had the combo’s only point from play in that first half and it was sandwiched between two similar scores for Newmarket, one from a Ryan free and one from Blues half forward Enda Kelly. A Niall Arthur free brought Inagh/Kilnamona within two at 0-5 to 0-3 before the games most crucial score on fifteen minutes. A long delivery from James McInerney seemed meat and drink to an Inagh/Kilnamona full backline that looked comfortable to that point, but the ball broke kindly for full forward Anthony Kilmartin. Almost twenty yards out the Blues man still had work to do but he blasted to Pat Kelly’s right hand side for a green flag of quality. This was the daylight that Newmarket would keep between the sides for the rest of the game, a goal that would light up any match, all the more precious as Kelly really had his eye in between the posts.
With the Inagh/Kilnamona forwards stuttering when shooting opportunities arose and Niall Arthur missing two frees, his brother Ger took over the placed ball duties for one free which he duly dispatched to close the gap to four, 1-5 to 0-4 before a period of backs dominence.
This would be the pattern for most of the second half as well as both half backlines won and cleared ball at will. Alan Barrett and Darren O’Connor were prominent throughout for the Blues, providing great support to the strong presence of James McInerney at centre back. His opposite number in the Inagh/Kilnamona half backline David Heagarty also stood out, giving a commanding hour at centre back.
With the half coming to a close Colin Ryan grabbed three quick points for Newmarket, two from play and one from a free, but only two counted. Following his long range effort from play Inagh/Kilnamona took a quick puck out which was intercepted by Ryan and duly desptached back over the bar, but referee Ger Hoey, after consultation with his umpires disallowed the score as a Newmarket forward had hindered Kelly on the attempted quick puck out. No matter, Ryan added a free a minute later.
Down six points now and with the half time whistle imminent, Inagh/ Kilnamona conjured up a goal of their own, Kieran Devitt saving well from a blast from Eamon Glynn, but helpless to prevent Eoin Vaughan from pulling the rebound to the net. The short whistle followed imediately and the combo headed for the dressing rooms only three points behind at 1-7 to 1-4 despite having shot seven wides, many from long range, while the Blues had been economical in the opening thirty with just one wide from play.
The second half began in a carbon copy of the first, a Newmarket goal chance within seconds. In the first half Kelly saved brilliantly from a Colin Ryan volley, on this occasion he could only watch as Eoin Hayes shaved the far post with a shot.
What followed was ten minutes of ping pong between the opposing back divisions, each unit totally on top. Newmarket played centre forward David Barret, along with brother Enda deeper in the second half and this extra manpower helped them stifle any space for Inagh/Kilnamona forwards.
After ten minutes of this Anthony Kilmartin struck for his second important intervention of the day, a point from play stretching the lead to four. Sporadic breakthroughs by forwards followed, but all of the shooting was long range.
With a few minutes to go two Niall Arthur frees and a Conor Tierney point from play had maintained the gap at three as Colin Ryan (free) and Sean O’Connor with an excellent effort from play, had kept the Blues three in front at 1-10 to 1-7.
With time almost up Kilmartin again burst through on goal but Pat Kelly somehow deflected his shot clear to keep his side in the game. Within a minute of the wonder save Conor Tierney was foulded close the Newmarket goal and Kelly was sent for with instructions to go low and try and win a replay for the combo. With the goal lined, he blasted hard but the shot was rising and it cleared the crossbar. There wasn’t time for the puck-out, Newmarket had held on by two in a game they never really looked like losing.
As usual Colin Ryan was the scoring star with six points, five from frees, but Anthony Kilmartin’s return of 1-1 off the combo’s always impressive Brian Glynn was crucial. All of the Blues forwards gave everything, with Sean O’Connor, David Barrett, Enda Kelly and Eoin Hayes battling hard against a very solid combo back line.
It was in their rearguard that the game was won however, the six backs all coming out on top in their personal battles, O’Connor and Barret really catching the eye at wing back. The full backline of O’Brien, Kelly and Niall O’Connor was also solid and strong throughout. Captain Enda Barrett and Eoin O’Brien hurled manfully in midfield and both played plenty of ball.
Inagh/Kilnamona, as they have been all year, are an extremely difficult side to shake off. Still young in years, their forwardline in particular will benefit from another year’s physical growth. Their backs are rock solid, guaranteeing they will stay in most games til the end. They’ll look at a total of eleven wides against three for Newmarket, but very few of these were clear cut chances.
Best for Inagh/Kilnamona was certainly goalkeeper Pa Kelly, who kept his side in the game with four top drawer saves. Elsewhere the backs were also impressive, with captain Dermot Lynch and Ronan O’Looney adding support to the imperious David Hegarty. Paul O’Looney battled manfully at midfield while the combo’s forwards struggling to impose themselves physically on Newmarket, their effort however was total.