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Ballyea 2-18 – Clarecastle 1-06 at Fr Murphy Memorial Park, Newmarket-on-Fergus

IT ALL went according to the form book on Saturday as championship favourites powered their way to the final, following an convincing victory over their nearest neighbours.

It was always going to be a tough ask for the Magpies who were the only side in the semi-finals not to have had a player on the Munster minor winning panel this year.

Ballyea had more than enough county experience at that level with Jack Browne, Gearoid O’Connell, Niall Deasy and Tony Kelly in particular proving too hot to handle for the Magpies.

Under 16 Bobby Duggan was Clarecastle’s main scoring threat throughout and it was his 17th minute goal from a 20 metre free that provided a glimmer of hope for the Magpie supporters.

However, they failed to build on it and the revolution was soon quashed as Ballyea finished the half strongly with Kelly and Deasy doing the main damage on their way to a 0-12 to 103 half-time lead.

Ballyea’s focus on the final strengthened significantly after the break when Tadgh Lynch punished a defensive error to give his side a nine point advantage.

And when Niall Deasy struck a second major at the turn of the final quarter, there was only going to be one outcome, a comfortable success as was the case when these two met in the group stage.

From that juncture to the finish, it was damage limitation for the young Magpies who were predominantly made up of 16 and 17 year olds.

However, that was no concern of Ballyea’s as they ruthlessly closed out the game to put themselves to within touching distance of a historic title.

Waiting for them in the final will be the all conquering Sixmilebridge and a clash of epic proportions is expected. With stars of Clare underage hurling on show like Tony Kely and Jamie Shanahan, a large crowd can be expected for this contest.

Clarecastle
Jamie Coughlan,Tommy Howard, Mark McGuane, Dylan Broderick, Pat Tuohy, Gearoid Ryan, Padraig Callinan, StephenWard, Joseph Barry, Robert Duggan (1-5), Michael Casey (0-1),Aaron Green, Mark Foley, Conor Galvin, Kevin Scanlon.

Subs
Shane Galvin, Seanie Lynch, Johnathan Griffey,AdamCrowe, Eanna Cooney, John McInerney, Justin Neville, Brian Gilroy, Conor

Ballyea
Conor Harkins, Darragh Crowe, Jack Browne (0-2), Eoghan Donnellan,Aonghus Keane, Gearoid O’Connell, Joe Nylon, Stan Lineen,Tony Kelly (0-08) (right), Michael Nagle, Martin O’Leary, Tadgh Lynch (1-2), Lee Brady (0-1), Niall Deasy (1-5), Martin Quigley,

Subs
Shane Harkins, Ryan Griffin, Stephen Longe,Aaron Nugent, David Brassil, Niall Lynch, Lee Sherlock, Diarmuid Lorigan, Eoghan O’Leary

Referee
KevinWalsh (WolfeTones)

THE bottom line for Michéal McDermott and his management team after they won a year’s extension to their term in charge of the county senior team is that Clare wins promotion to Division 3 and reaches the Munster final.

That’s according to former Clare selector of 25 years Noel Walsh, who was part of John Maughan’s backroom team in 1991 to ’94 when the county won All-Ireland B honours, the Munster senior title and reached the semi-final of the National League.

“He should get one year,” said Walsh in backing the nomination of McDermott’s ratification, which was proposed by county chairman Michael O’Neill and seconded by Irish Officer Tom Burke.

“And if it’s successful it should be reviewed – if he does a good job there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be extended.There’s no doubt they gave everything over the past two years.

“I believe they have a great chance this year because they have five games at home in the league, which should obviously give them an advantage and the open draw in Munster favours them – playing either Limerick or Waterford, who we would be our equals, so we would this year be hopeful of going to a Munster senior football final.

“Who knows what will happen there – we know what happened in ’92.

“Those two objectives are reasonable – promotion from Division 4 and an appearance at least in a Munster football final,” added Walsh.

The chairman revealed that McDermott is still hopeful of adding another member to the backroom, something he intimated would be the case back in September when saying “

“It’s three at the minute – he hopes to get another selector as well. He hasn’t been earmarked officially yet,” said O’Neill.

“I would suggest that he would get a local man,” said Walsh.

WHAT COULD he really say?

St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield selector James Hanrahan had just witnessed his beloved club suffer a heartbreaking county final day defeat and the losing margin of twelve points certainly did not make it any easier.

The players who had served him so well this year were distraught and at the point of breaking as they painfully watched the Kilmurry Ibrickane celebrations explode around them. A disappointed but proud Hanrahan still had a trickle of optimism in his post-match analysis.

“Look we didn’t perform at all on the day. Fair play to Kilmurry they really played a great brand of football. They really showed us how to do it out there. We just couldn’t get our hand on the ball so what could we do?

“Of course there experience was huge for them and after all this was our first final but we’re hugely disappointed now. This is not the end though and for sure we’ll come back. We’ll be back again next year. We’ll be there or there abouts again. This year has been a huge learning curve for us and the experience we got out there today can only stand to us again in the future.”

Amid the many offers of condolence from members of both clubs players and fans alike his never quelling pride and honour returned again when talking about the younger members of the club and the bright footballing future they can possess.

“We have some very young players involved and they can only get better from games like this. They are young so they will obviously be very disappointed and it will take time to get over this loss but they will get over it eventually. We will rally again and this won’t be the case of a one and only appearance in a county final. I really believe that!”

WHEN the history of Kilmurry Ibrickane is written – presumably in time for their centenary in 2014 – there’ll be couple of chapters or more on the never-ending story that is the contribution of the O’Dwyer Clan from Bonivella in Mullagh to green and red army.

Patriarch Patrick as the only man in the barony of Ibrickane to win county finals on the field of play and as a manager – not once but twice over; first son Odran who now has six medals on the field of play; Peter and Michael now have five; Odran, Peter, Robert and Michael winning Munster clubs; Odran being captain in the county and Munster club winning year of 2004……….

On this day it was Peter’s turn to lift Jack Daly, like Odran had done after those two memorable jousts with Éire Óg seven years ago. Peter’s turn may have been in a canter, but just as memorable because all county finals wins are.

“It is a very proud moment for me,” he says when alighting from Cusack Park’s Ard Comhairle with Jack Daly firmly in hand. “It’s a very proud moment whatever way you look at it. I was delighted when Odran lifted the cup and very proud to follow in his footsteps, but all that’s really important is winning. I wouldn’t mind if I was looking up at one of the other boys lifting the cup,” he adds.

Therein probably lies the secret, because as with all great teams it’s a case of ní neart go cur le chéile – the team over the individual all the time, especially on days like this when the Kilmurry train built up a head of steam they haven’t really produced in knockout competition in Clare since their destruction of St Senan’s Kilkee in the 2008 semi-final.

“Everything went for us on the day,” admits O’Dwyer. “I said in my speech that Doora-Barefield were a fine team, but everything went for us. That’s why we won so easily. We kicked three points in three minutes and that set up a platform for us.

“We haven’t been playing good football all year – we haven’t been playing consistent football, so it was good to get a good hour’s football in. We were focused from the throw in because we were conscious that we’ve had a lack of consistency.

“We weren’t happy with that and it’s something we’ve worked on in training to try and play at a high intensity level for 60 minutes. We achieved that today. You have to build momentum, you can’t peak all the time and I think we peaked for this game today.

“We have a good bunch of players and with that you believe that you can win it every year you go out – last year was part of the motivation. It wasn’t the main motivation, but it was part of it. Definitely it was.

“It was their first county final and after ten minutes they were chasing the game. They needed the start we got and if they had got it, it would have been a completely different game,” he adds.

As for the future, he knows Odran followed up Jack Daly with the Munster Cup – of course it would be nice to double up, but in the first flush of victory, all O’Dwyer was thinking about was the Hand Hill, the first bonfire and the first pint in McCarthy’s Bar.

“We will do our celebrating for the week,” he says, “and we will knuckle back down to work again and look forward to the Munster campaign and give that a lash.”

THIS must have been a dream come through for Kilmurry Ibrickane star player Ian McInerney. Of course he has seen it all before but the feeling of bringing Jack Daly home and putting another county medal in your back pocket never gets old. Add in scoring a variety of brilliant free kicks with a hundred percent accuracy and scoop- ing the man of the match award this day could not have gone better for the forward with a number seven jersey on his back.

“It’s absolutely great. It’s wonderful. Our experience was definitely a huge help to us today. We really wanted this so bad. We hadn’t really played well this year so we really wanted to put in a great performance today. We have a great bunch of lads there.”

Leading on a score of 0-8 to no score at the interval must have left the possibility of complacency setting in after the restart. How was such a scenario prevented from happening?

“We just said at half time that we’d have to keep going and really drive it on. We’ve had early leads in the past and let them go and ended up in a dogfight so we didn’t want that to happen all over again. So we did what we planned and kept driving on.

“It’s a great day for Kilmurry Ibrickane especially all of our supporters. We really had great support again today so it was nice to earn the win for them.”

One very important supporter was missing from the stands for McInerney but she was very much in his thoughts and acted as the inspiration for his incredible county final day performance.

“Unfortunately my girlfriend is in hospital at the moment. She is very sick so I tried my best to put in a bit of performance for her today.”

Well he certainly managed to that and as well as doing her proud he surely was and will be the toast of many supporters in the barony for the weeks of celebrations ahead.

A HUGE smile was etched upon the delighted face of Colm Collins after Cratloe’s hard-fought 2-10 to 2-7 victory over Ennistymon in the curtain raiser of county final day last Sunday afternoon. The U21 manager had experienced a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the match as he watched on from the stands due to a recent suspension but he could not hide his excitement in the surroundings of the post-match celebrations.

“I am absolutely thrilled with them. They are a fantastic bunch of lads. They are never beaten and they never lay down.

“The game ebbed and flowed. It was a fantastic match. A lot of good players were playing out there with Ennistymon too. We’re absolutely delighted to have won it.”

Trailing by two points midway through the second half a Cratloe goal completed a dramatic turnaround which incredibly saw his side find a two point lead of their own in a matter of minutes. Collins agreed that this was the match changing moment.

“That was the big difference. It was very important to get that score. We needed to put the pressure on as another score for them would have put them out of sight.

“As I said there is a great spirit in these lads and they’re never beating. The only time they are beaten is when they’re on the road home.

“The level of football they have been playing all year is very important. The higher the level you play the better you should get. We were very disappointed with the senior but next year is another year so hopefully we can go one better then. We have to try and get to a county senior final and that’s the next step. Please God we can eventually do that.”

Very few would be surprised if that does in fact materialize in the near future. A heartbreaking semi-final loss to eventual county champions Kilmurry Ibrickane by a single point illustrates how bright the future of Cratloe football could be in the following seasons.

The task of curtain raiser could well be replaced by a starring role in next year’s footballing showpiece event. This victory has to be enjoyed first but the dream for senior glory starts now!

THE Clare County Board has pledged to establish a seven-man committee to examine the management of club fixtures in the county for 2012, with the new blueprint devised between now and the County Convention in December where delegates can accept or reject its contents.

This commitment to look at the possibility of change came after O’Curry’s delegate Michael Curtin hit out at the fact that club players are left without games for much of the summer months.

“I want test the waters,” said Curtin. “We’re now in October and we’re reviewing our competitions. What I’m talking about is a lack of competition for most clubs that I am very, very concerned about.

“You’re talking about promoting the game, but if you don’t play your hurling and football in the best part of the year? What I’m asking the meeting is: have we got the ability to think outside the box?

“What I would be suggesting would be that a powerful committee would be set up between now and Convention to look at the whole area of competition and structures and fixtures going forward.

“Effectively what I’m saying is that the way our competitions are run, at all levels,

should be looked at. I think there should be a proposal put as to how they should be structured to give our clubs meaningful competitions throughout 2012 and onwards,” he added.

The O’Curry’s delegate said that the hiatus in the summer months where many clubs are left was having “a very, very serious effect on the promotion of our games” and that change should be brought in on an experiment basis to avoid players being lost to other codes.

“It’s just to see if there is feel for taking some action going forward with regard to our competition,” he said. “We have to take a risk and be for the common good to get our players playing football – unpalatable decisions may have to be taken by clubs for the common good going forward, because as it is at the minute, it’s not good and is not doing anything for our games.

“If nothing happens in the best ten weeks of the year, your greatest coach, or a Director of Hurling or a Director of Football is wasting his time. Come before Convention with a blueprint as to the best way forward to incorporate all of us.

“If it means starting our competitions at the end of January, so be it. If it means playing championship in April, so be it. Managers of senior teams will have to be brought in. We are going to have to get some sort of structure that would be rigid,” he added.

Responding, county board secretary Pat Fitzgerald said “we are hamstrung by the national fixtures. There is no question about it. That doesn’t say we can’t look at altering the make-up or the structure of competitions and do the thing another way.

“All Michael Curtin is saying is that we look at it. Get a report done and look at it, and if we’re not happy with it, we don’t implement it,” he added.

“The ‘Bridge had a great motion to Convention in relation to the hurling championship,” said chairman Michael O’Neill.

“I don’t think it got the recognition it deserved at Convention. Maybe it might come back and it’s something that should be considered . I’m not saying that it should be implemented, but it certainly should be looked at,” he added.

SAME old, some old, everyone thought where the men from the Village of the Little Cross were concerned. More unrequited love in the senior hurling championship. They hit three wides in succession between the 53rd and 58th minutes and then slipped a point down in the 59th.

But cometh the end of the hour, cometh Crusheen. Match-winning points from Fergus Kennedy and Conor O’Donnell got them over the line in this pulsating county semi-final. Firstly, Fergus Kennedy grabbed the sliotar in a few feet of space, and the man who was wearing the number 19 jersey, as the number five had been retired for the day in solidarity with the suspended Cathal Dillon, split the posts from 55 yards.

Then 40 seconds later Conor O’Donnell was fed the sliotar by Joe Meaney and 45 yards out from the Stamer Park end he drilled the winner over the bar. The ‘Bridge still had time, but ran out of it as Crusheen celebrated a first county final appearance in three years.

It was rough justice on the ‘Bridge, as a draw would probably have been a fair result. The sides were level on ten occasions during the hour, evidence of a game in which they nearly traded score for score – and it didn’t end there because they traded wide for wide as well, with both sides guilty of some alarming profligacy that would never be good enough to win a county final.

Crusheen led by 0-7 to 0-6 at the break, but the ‘Bridge got off to a flier in the second half thanks to two Caimin Morey points inside a couple of minutes, before Gearóid O’Donnell and Pat Vaughan replied.

Then it was the ‘Bridge’s turn with two more Gilligan frees by the threequarter stage to put his side 0-10 to 09 ahead. Another Gilligan free in the 50th minute cancelled out Gearóid O’Donnell’s third of the hour to keep that one-point lead intact as the game entered the final ten minutes.

Gerry O’Grady hit the equaliser in the 51st minute before Crusheen’s travails set in and the ‘Bridge looked to be heading back to a first county final in eight years. Kennedy and O’Donnell had other ideas though.

Crusheen
Donal Tuohy, John Brigdale, Cronan Dillon,Alan Brigdale, PaddyVaughan (0-3f), Cian Dillon, Ciaran O’Doherty,Tony Meaney (0-1), Fergus Kennedy (0-1), David Forde (0-1), Joe Meaney (0-1), Gearóid O’Donnell (0-3), Paddy Meaney, Gerry O’Grady (0-1), Conor O’Donnell (0-2).

Subs
AlanTuohy for Paddy Meaney.

Newmarket-on-Fergus 3-08 – Kilmaley 1-10 at Clarecastle

NEWMARKET-ON-FERGUS rubberstamped their authority over Clare camogie when fending off their fiercest rivals Kilmaley for the second year running on Sunday.

With the blustery conditions to the fore, the defending champions blitzed their opponents with two Erica Minogue goals against the gale early in the second half and in the end, it was the sufficient lift they required to get them over the line.

In fact, those goals were crucial to Newmarket’s cause after not taking full advantage when the breeze was at their backs in the opening half. Some dogged defending from Kilmaley ensured that the holders would only carry a four point advantage at the break which didn’t seem enough, a view that was further emphasised when substitute Ashling Darcy split the posts in the opening minute of the restart.

However, Newmarket were able to do what Kilmaley simply failed to in the opening half – score a goal against the breeze. And in fact, they would grab two in close succession with Roisin McMahon supplying Erica Minogue on both occasions, each one a dagger to Kilmaley’s hopes.

Kilmaley fought back admirably and five successive points cut the deficit to four by the turn of the final quarter but a missed penalty was magnified only 11 minutes later when Iris Kaiser sealed their fate.

That ruthlessness in front of goal in contrast to Kilmaley’s missed opportunities was the difference in a game between Clare’s flagship sides that was always going to be decided by goals. In fact, the accuracy on both sides has to be commended as both sides only hit two wides each over the hour. However, below the crossbar, Kilmaley will point to a mishit shot by Ashling O’Halloran that drifted wide after an incisive run through the heart of the Newmarket defence while Denise Lynch’s 43rd minute penalty was expertly stopped following a foul on O’Halloran.

The opening half went along expected lines after Kilmaley won the toss and decided to play into the conditions. With the ball rarely passing half-way, the defending champions grabbed the first six points of the game through Erica Minogue (2), Niki Kaiser (2), Iris Kaiser and Deirdre Cassidy by the 19th minute. And they might have also grabbed a goal in the 11th minute when Iris Kaiser cut in from the right, only to see her stinging shot saved by goalkeeper Edel Griffey.

Kilmaley’s defence were under immense pressure but hunted in packs to ensure that they would not concede further and true to form, they held out until the break while also pouncing on the counter-attack.

Ashling O’Halloran’s chance came in the 22nd minute and they finally opened their account two minutes later when Claire McMahon converted a ’45. Again Newmarket piled on the pressure in search of a crucial goal that would give them a significant half-time cushion but full-back Sarah Reidy cleared a shot off the line in the 29th minute before Claire McMahon doubled her advantage with another placed ball to cut the deficit to only four at the break at 0-6 to 0-2.

So when Ashling Darcy cut the advantage to only a goal directly after the resumption, Kilmaley supporters could sense that the tide was turning. They didn’t account for Erica Minogue however who twice in the space of as many minutes gathered Roisin McMahon deliveries and successfully headed for goal to open up a nine point lead.

Kilmaley brushed off that set-back and after a Claire McMahon 20 metre free was deflected clear, they would hit the next five points, three from the stick of All-Star nominee McMahon.

They were frustrated with that penalty stop, even more so soon afterwards when Iris Kaiser bore down on goal and handpassed to the net in the 54th minute to restore her side’s eight point advantage.

To their credit, Kilmaley never threw in the towel and even grabbed a 60th minute goal through the hardworking Emma O’Driscoll but it was a mere consolation as time was not on their side and they had to yield to their perennial rivals for the second year in a row.

Newmarket- on- Fergus
Carol Toomey (Capt.) (7),Aoife Griffin (7), Jane O’Leary (7), Carol O’Leary (7),Aimee McInerney (8), Roisin McMahon (7), Carol Kaiser (8), Ruth Kaiser (7) (0-1), JoanneWalsh (7), Deirdre Cassidy (7) (0-1), Erica Minogue (8) (2-2), Niki Kaiser (7) (0-3 2f), Sharon McMahon (7), Iris Kaiser (7) (1-1), Jenny Kelly (6)

Sub
Aine O’Brien (7) for Kelly (HT)

Kilmaley
Edel Griffey (7), Niamh Cahill (7), Sarah Reidy (7), Sinead O’Halloran (7), Helen McMahon (7) (0-1), Katie Cahill (7), Eimear Considine (7),Aida Griffey (7), Eimear O’Connor (6), Shonagh Enright (7) (0-2), Emma O’Driscoll (8) (1-0), Claire McMahon (8) (0-6 2f, 3’45), Ailish Considine (6), Denise Lynch (6),Ashling O’Halloran (6)

Subs
Ashling Darcy (7) (0-1) for O’Connor (30 mins), Sinead O’Keeffe for O’Halloran (57 mins)

Player of the Game
Erica Minogue (Newmarket- on- Fergus) Referee Fintan McNamara (Killanena)

YOU SIMPLY cannot argue with Brian Enright’s championship record as Newmarket manager. A perfect accomplishment of two successive county titles has wrestled back control of championship matters from Kilmaley, who were contesting their sixth successive decider on Sunday and he couldn’t speak highly enough of his players.

“It’s absolutely fantastic. They are a great bunch of girls and have been training since January. We went down to Brian Barron’s place in Sixmilebridge and he is a staunch ‘Bridge man in fairness but he opened up his doors for us and we spent eight weeks doing some strength and conditioning, and core work with him.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank him very much because I feel it stood to us as the year went on. We have a great panel of girls that the harder you train them, the more they want it. We took a knock again in the league final against Kilmaley but as it turned out, we met again in today’s final and it was nip and tuck right through to the end. But thankfully we held out by a goal.

“Kilmaley are a fantastic team and are the standard bearers for camogie in Clare and we find it very hard to beat them. There is never anything between us but today was our day and I’m sure Kilmaley will be back to meet us again next year.”

And while he was immensely proud of all his players, he did save special mention for Player-of-the-Game award winner Erica Minogue whose brace of goals immediately after half-time gave her side the cushion to prevail.

“Erica is an absolutely gifted camogie player to be fair to her. She has been talking about retiring for the last two or three years and there is still no sign of her going yet thankfully. She is, I’d say, the only player in the county that could have scored those goals and they stood to us because they were the difference in the end.”

Enright’s only championship blip came in last year’s provincial Intermediate final when going down to a near inter-county Lismore side by 5-15 to 0-11 and he is hoping to go one better this year, starting with the Limerick champions on Saturday, October 29.

“We were disappointed last year. We got to the Munster final and in fairness, we were beaten by a very good Lismore team on the day and I don’t have any arguments about that one. It’s Limerick champions Ballyagran in the first round and we have played them already in a challenge match this year already as well as a couple of times last year and they were tough matches. So that will be an interesting one and we won’t be looking any further than that game.”