Category: Sport

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.

IT’S ALL minor action again this weekend as the Division two cup final and Division three shield and cup finals take place. All matches are dependent on weather conditions of course.

At 2.30pm on Saturday, Miltown Malbay hosts the Division three shield final between riversiders Coolmeen and Shannon Gaels followed at 4pm by the Division two cup final between seasiders West Clare Gaels and Liscannor. Coolmeen will want to finish this competition on a high but Shannon Gaels did have two big wins in the campaign already. Both teams will have something to prove.

In the Division 2 final, West Clare Gaels had victories over Kilmihil and Wolfe Tones and overcame Cooraclare in the semi-final by 5-11 to 3-05 while Liscannor despatched Cooraclare and Clooney/Quin before putting paid to Kilmihil by 3-13 to 1-07 to reach the decider.

The Gaels will be leading a strong defensive section onto the field including the up and coming Brid Foran and sister Maria, Grainne Harvey, Lauren Keane and Emma McMahon while sister and captain Lauren will be assisted by the indefatigable Shauna Harvey, Collette Keniry, Ailish Brew, Shauna Melican and Ciara Lynch in the attack.

However, Liscannor are used to winning big, thanks to major contributions from county regulars Roisin Rouine, Fiona Considine, Aisling Torpey, Therese Shannon, Roisin Considine, Emer Hillary, Therese Shannon and exciting prospect Katie Considine. This will be the deserved highlight of the day and should serve up a thrilling encounter.

The following day at 1.45pm also in Miltown, Fergus Rovers and Éire Óg go head to head in the Division three final. Éire Óg overcame Kilrush, Shannon Gaels and Doonbeg in the semi-final and were ruthless in their handling of the Doonbeg chal- lengers.

Captain Tara Sheehan will be happy to have the likes of top keeper Aoife O’Neill and Sophie Hanna, Rae Wall, Loren O’Mahony and Aoife Sheehan in defence. Up front Katie Malone and Amy Hayes did well in the semifinal but the Ennis side have vigour and tenacity in abundance with the lethal Orla Devitt and double trouble Alannah and Shauna O’Brien, all three outstanding in their penultimate stage clash.

However, Fergus Rovers have already beaten Éire Óg in the opening rounds. Add in the fact that the opposing teams are each managed by husband and wife team Alan (Éire Óg) and Edel (Fergus Rovers) Malone and it makes this encounter one not to miss. Rovers fell heavily to Shannon Gaels in the opening round but overturned that result in their second meeting later in the campaign but they have since had big wins over Kilrush, Éire Óg and Doora/Barefield. Aoife Clohessey, Emer O’Shea, Aine McSweeney and Ciara and Eva O’Malley are the core of a formidable defence while captain Grainne McCarthy pushes a dymanic attack in the shape of Jackie Coughlan, Jenny Maher and Lauren and Louise Griffin.

Hard to call this one but would you want to?

AS Éire Óg prepared for their biggest hurling game since they contested the millennium county senior final against Sixmilebridge, they are mourning a stalwart of the club this week after the hugely popular Francie McMahon passed away after illness.

McMahon was part of the great Éire Óg squad that contested three county finals in the early 1980s, winning senior medals in 1980 with the Éire Óg Dalcassians that beat Newmar- ket-on-Fergus and then another in 1982 when the Townies beat Sixmilebridge after two epic encounters.

Away from his involvement with Éire Óg over many years, McMahon was also a stalwart of Clare Camogie. McMahon had a long involvement with Clare Camogie at club and county level since the late ‘60s, coaching teams at all levels and most recently at Minor level.

He was part of the management team that led Clare to the Junior All Ireland Finals in 2003 and 2005. He managed the Clare U16s in ‘08 and ‘09, when they won the Munster U6A title. More recently, Francie was the Manager of the Minor team that in 2010 won the Munster Minor title and went on to contest the All Ireland Minor Final.

“Clare Camogie Board was deeply saddened on hearing the sad news of the death of Francie McMahon on Monday,” Clare camogie PRO Brid MacNamara said. “His passing will be felt deeply throughout Camogie circles,” she added.

Ruan 3-10 – Corofin 2-06 at Shannon

RUAN ARE back into a second consecutive county final and on the evidence of this emphatic display, they are doubly determined not to leave it behind them this time around. This was arguably Ruan’s best display of the season in what was essentially the most important game of the year to date and they certainly lived up to expectations.

There was little between the sides in the drawn game but in terms of intensity and hunger, there was only one side willing to grasp the nettle and put the result beyond any doubt on this occasion. Put simply, Ruan upped their performance a gear or two from their first meeting while if anything, Corofin dropped theirs by the similar margin.

It was clear from the outset that Ruan meant business as they blazed into a 1-3 to 0-0 lead by the eighth minute with Colin O’Donoghue grabbing 1-1 of that total.

They were also unlucky for another goal as Patrick Keegan gathered a John Punch delivery close to goal but first goalkeeper Patrick Burke and then Darragh Shannon smothered his efforts.

And even when Corofin finally settled with points from Gerry Quinn and Stephen Heagney, Ruan pushed them back under the water when John Punch seized on a defensive error to billow the net for a second time at the turn of the opening quarter.

Now seven points in arrears, Corofin needed a major spark and they got a brief lifeline when a Jamie Malone point was followed by a Kevin Heagney goal in the 18th minute to put only three between the sides.

However, Ruan closed out the half as they started it, with the ever-reliable Mikie Vaughan, the equally impressive Aidan Lynch and another John Punch free easing them to a double scores’ 2-6 to 1-3 advantage.

A more determined Corofin hit the ground running on the restart with Kevin Heagney creating a glorious goal chance but flashed his stinging shot just wide of Pakie Roughan’s far post. And after Ruan pulled further clear, Corofin did manage to get it back to a six point game by the 52nd minute.

Corofin needed a goal however if they were really going to kickstart a meaningful recovery but it was Ruan who would get that honour in the 56th minute when a move involving Darragh Roughan and Mikie Vaughan ended up with Brendan Lyons who made no mistake to finish off their neighbours.

Substitute Caimin Howard was immense for Ruan upon his introduction and allied to match-winning performances from Vaughan, Clohessy and the strength of Aidan Lynch, Ruan maintained their iron grip on the game.

Corofin did pull a goal back in injury-time when Stephen Heagney drove a 20 metre free to the net but it was a mere consolation as Ruan’s thoughts had already drifted towards Éire Óg and making amends for last year’s final.

Ruan
Pakie Roughan (7), Gary Bell (7), Niall O’Connor (7), Leon Quirke (7), Cillian Ryan (7), Jonathan Clohessy (8), Darragh Roughan (7), Eoin Hanrahan (7),Tadgh Hanrahan (7),Aidan Lynch (8) (0-2), Colin O’Donoghue (8) (1-3), MikieVaughan (8) (0-2), Patrick Keegan (7), John Punch (7) (1-2 2f), Brendan Lyons (7) (1-1)

Subs
Caimin Howard (8) for E. Hanrahan (39 mins, inj),Alan Bell for Punch (58 mins), Robbie O’Loughlin for Keegan (58 mins), Damien Brohan for Quirke (58 mins)

Corofin
Patrick Burke (7), MartinTierney (7), Luke O’Loughlin (6), Keith O’Loughlin (7), Darragh Shannon (7), Gerry Quinn (7) (0-1f), Darragh Clancy (6), Damien Ryan (8), Stephen Heagney (7) (1-1 1-0f), Jamie Malone (7) (0-2), Declan Lee (6), Neil Killeen (7), Kevin Heagney (8) (1-1), Eamon Malone (6), Cillian Neylon (6) (0-1)

Subs
Darren Malone (6) for Lee (HT), Diarmuid Daly (6) for D. Malone (42 mins), Eamon Dunne for E. Malone (50 mins), Donncha Kelleher for O’Loughlin (58 mins), Declan Stack for Neylon (58 mins)

Man of the Match
Aidan Lynch (Ruan) Referee Ger Hoey (Killanena)

WHEN Kilmurry Ibrickane had Doonbeg by the throat in last year’s county semi-final in Cooraclare – leading by a goal with just over ten minutes remaining, having hit six points without reply – Betfair would have closed its book where betting in running was concerned.

It looked that much of a cast-iron certainty. But then it happened. David Tubridy smashed home a gal and eventually after some toe-to-toe scoreless combat Enda Doyle landed a monster point that shattered Kilmmurry Ibrickane’s three-in-a-row dream.

The ‘Bricks were badly wounded that day – they are anyday they come out on the wrong side against the Magpies, but more than it was because their shot at history was gone, cast away by their failure to kill a game they were controlling.

In a way it has informed everything Kilmurry Ibrickane have done this year. Defeat, the bitter pill of defeat at that, made them hungry again overnight, whereas the wear, tear and tiredness that comes with any run to an All-Ireland club final eventually weighed them down in the 2010 domestic club championship and eventually found them out.

Alas, from the point of view of St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield, the hunger is well and truly back in 2011. Their formidable record ahead of this county final tells the familiar story of Kilmurry being the greatest team of their generation.

Cusack Cup: nine games, eight wins, one draw. O’Gorman Cup: seven games, seven wins. Senior championship: five games, five wins.

That’s a record of 2120-0-1 and the Cusack and O’Gorman cups already on the sideboard.

It all means that if St Joseph’s are to mount a successful roadblock to the completion of the treble – Kilmurry’s second in three years, it will be the biggest shock in a county final since the first bearers Decla n O’Keeffe More than just a goalkeeper – that’s aside from all he’s won, between All-Irelands, National Leagues, Railways Cup, All Stars and three county medals. Runs the show at the back, because backs tend to take on board what a player of his experience has to say. Kicks points too as he proved in the quarter-final win over Doonbeg. Will play a huge part if The Parish are to cause the shock of this century. St Joseph’s 9 St ephen Collins V Michael O’Dwyer Good match up here. O’Dwyer is a big game player, who comes into his own at the business end of Jack Daly. Collins in young though and an up and coming defender who won’t fear the Mullagh man, but he’ll have to be very sharp to get parity. St Joseph’s D-B 8 Kilmur r y Ibr icka ne 8 Ala n O’Neill V Paul O’Connor O’Neill has been the man to turn St Joseph’s season around. His goals have done that. He’ll run all day – that’s why O’Connor, the more mobile of Kilmurry’s midfield pair will pick him up. Coping with the

physicality of it all is key for O’Neill. O’Connor brings that as one of the driving forces of the Kilmurry side. St Joseph’s D-B 8 Kilmur r y Ibr icka ne 8 Ma r k Ha llina n V Pet er O’Dwyer Captain’s Battle. Hallinan

didn’t start the semi-final, but might get the nod over Mark Rafferty, but

then again the work ethic

that the Derryman brings to Joseph’s is legendary. Hard call, but these are the calls that have to be made. O’Dwyer’s work

ethic is equally legendary. Kilmurry only realised

how good he was when he

was billetted up in Gorey for a year in 2007. St Joseph’s D-B 7 Kilmur r y Ibr icka ne 9 Da mia n Kennedy V Enda Coughla n Maybe a match-up on paper only because Coughlan is not your conventional cornerforward. If selected there he will rove, going back to midfield and further. Kennedy wouldn’t mind though as he’s more used to being further afield himself. St Joseph’s D-B 7 Kilmur r y Ibr icka ne 9 Ger Fa nnin V Noel Downes Fannin has been on the county senior panel – Downes should be the marquee forward on the county senior team. This is about club, not county though and this duel will be crucial. Downes due a big game, Fannin will do everything to stop that happening. St Joseph’s D-B 8 Kilmur r y Ibr icka ne 8 Kevin Dilleen V Michael Hoga n Crucial match-up. Dilleen, a dual county senior, is the soul of The Parish, how he plays will depend on how they go in this final. Hogan is hugely important to Kilmurry because he wins the hard ball. What you want on county final day. St Joseph’s D-B 9 Kilmur r y Ibr icka ne 8 Gavin O’Su lliva n V St ephen Moloney Moloney was given a tough time of it in the semi when ‘Ogie’ Murphy had a stormer – this could be where he strikes back. O’Sullivan will have to have the game of his life to keep him in check. Mark Raffterty could be at wing-back though. St Joseph’s D-B 7 Kilmur r y Ibr icka ne 8 Gr eg Lyons V Ma r k McCa r t hy McCarthy was Kilmurry’s best forward in semi-final win – full of running and hitting two fine points. Lyons is nominally a defender though, as he likes to attack himself. Will have to blend defence and attack, because he has to try and keep tabs on ‘Cookie’. St Joseph’s D-B 8 Kilmur r y Ibr icka ne 9 J a mes Ha nr a ha n Michael O’Sulliva n J ohn Ha lpin Kier a n Kelleher Chr ist y O’Br ien (26) Dona l O’Ha llor a n (19) Eugene Moyniha n by Joe Ó Mu irch eart aigh Ma nagement

Sixmilebridge 1-17 – Cratloe 1-13 at Cusack Park, Ennis

FORTUNE certainly favoured the brave on Saturday as Sixmilebridge won the most important O’Garneyside derby in history to qualify for their first championship final in nine years.

Manager Christy Chaplin and his backroom team made the big calls in bringing Clare’s most decorated goalkeeper Davy Fitzgerald out of retirement after a four year championship absense while also reconstructing his defence to combat the threat of Cratloe’s lively attacking unit. And in the end, that bravery paid off handsomely as they walked the tightrope of success/failure on numerous occasions before eventually overcoming their nearest neighbours.

As outlined in the build up to the game, ‘The Fitzy Factor’ was always going to have a huge bearing on the game and after Conor McGrath struck early with an opportunist goal on their way to a 1-6 to 0-4 advantage after 20 minutes, Cratloe seemed to have unlocked the door.

However, ultimately the 2009 champions took their eye off the major prize of a third successive final when they started to misfire during Sixmilebridge’s recovery early in the second period and began to put all their eggs in the one basket of trying to blitz the former All-Star in the Sixmilebridge goals.

Rusty or not, Fitzgerald has always been a big game player and he relished the challenge of his young opponents, pulling off two fine saves in the process, one from Conor Ryan, and the other a full length parry to deny Conor McGrath.

The first lesson that every underage team is taught is to ‘take your points and the goals will come’ but bizarrely, the more frustrated Cratloe became, the more desperate they appeared, to grab a goal. In logical terms it didn’t make an ounce of sense as they were only three points down for the majority of the final quarter as the ‘Bridge couldn’t seem to find an insurance point and had Cratloe taken their points, there would have been noth- ing between the teams heading up the final straight.

Perhaps you can point to fatigue as well for their goal obsession as the alternating weeks of football and hurling finally appeared to take its toil as they cruelly exited a senior championship at the penultimate stage for the second successive weekend.

Cratloe were much more themselves in opening period when bouncing back from a 0-2 to 0-0 deficit to take a five point lead by the 16th minute, capped off by McGrath’s instinctive goal. It stemmed from an Oige Murphy ball over the top that appeared to be drifting wide before McGrath latched onto the ball one-handed to flick it past a hesistant Fitzgerald.

With that, they really opened up and their electrifying intensity saw Sean Collins hit two-in-a-row to put the ‘Bridge firmly on the backfoot. However, with Niall Gilligan to the fore as ever, Sixmilebridge didn’t panic and after settling back into the game with four out of the next seven points, three from the stick of Gilligan, they delivered a crucial suckerpunch just before the break.

Inevitably Gilligan was the catalyst when dispossessing Oige Murphy around the 20 metre line and the ball broke to Shane Golden who in turn released Declan Morey to strike to the net in the 31st minute and slash the deficit to the minimum at 1-9 to 1-8.

With the wind to come, it was the spark that Sixmilebridge craved and they were the dominant force on the restart when responding to a Conor McGrath free to hit the next three points, two from Gilligan as well as a goal chance for Caimin Morey that just flew over the crossbar to take the lead for the first time in almost 30 minutes.

Cratloe, meanwhile, surprisingly shuddered under the pressure as routine placed balls and hopeful shots drifted wide and it was at this stage that they began to concentrate on reaping the benefits under the crossbar.

Cratloe left McGrath isolated in the full-forward line and the chances duly came but none were ultimately taken. Tadgh Keogh produced an exceptional flick to deny McGrath a certain goal while Conor Ryan beared down on goal soon afterwards but found Fitzgerald in stubborn form.

Meanwhile, at the other end, the ‘Bridge were more than content to take their points and unanswered efforts from Declan (2) and Caimin Morey gave their side a healthy 1-14 to 1-11 advantage by the turn of the final quarter.

McGrath cut the deficit to two, only to see it cancelled out by an superb immediate reply from Gilligan. However, only a minute later a poor defensive clearance from Sixmilebridge arrowed straight to McGrath whose shot to the right corner was excellently turned away by Fitzgerald.

Still, the ‘Bridge’s heroics at the back failed to inspire the forwards who for all their chances, were unable to obtain that insurance point. Four successive wides kept Cratloe in the game and even when substitute Tony Carmody rose majestically to catch a Cratloe puck-out and fire the ball back over Sean Hayes crossbar, a McGrath free kept alive Cratloe’s hopes at 1-16 to 1-13.

The killer blow came right on the hour mark and it was a score worthy of winning any game as a Cratloe attack was broken up by Declan Morey in the right corner who moved the ball through Carmody, Rory Shanahan and Caimin Morey before setting up minor Jamie Shanahan for the clinching score.

Cratloe never gave up the ghost but tired legs and minds were not about to loosen Sixmilebridge’s grasp as in the end, they proved the theory that who dares wins.

THE PLAYERS come from far and wide back to Quilty for training. Captain Peter O’Dwyer travels back from Athlone, students Niall Hickey and Seamus Murrihy come down from Galway while Martin McMahon makes the long trek from Dublin. And all those miles on the road are wholly necessary considering the immense fight for places in such a large squad that has achieved unprecedented success in recent years.

McMahon was linked with a transfer to Dublin side Oliver Plunketts not so long ago which made sense in geographical terms but the sacrifice to journey down to Quilty from his Dublin base has been made all the more worthwhile as his native side closes in on a third county title in four years.

“You don’t really mind the journey once you are winning. When you are on a winning team like we have been this year with the Cusack and O’Gorman Cups as well as going well in the championship, you don’t mind the travelling. It would be a lot harder to be making the trip down every year if we weren’t getting there so thanks be to God, we are lucky enough to be successful and that we have won a few county titles. But we won’t be taking this one likely because Barefield are going to be a tough game too.”

Kilmurry will point to their vast experience at this level in not only getting to county finals but actually winning them in recent years as the key to success. And after exiting last year’s championship race at the semi-final stage, there is no shortage of appetite either.

“The bit of experience that Kilmurry have had in county finals over the past few years maybe does make it a bit easier going into this game. Last year we were very disappointed not to be back in the final again and maybe the pressure of trying to go for three-in-a-row as well as the long stint of the All-Ireland campaign got to us in the end. But it’s a great feeling to be back in the county final again. It’s where we want to be and hopefully we can drive on and bring back the Jack Daly home again.

“The most important thing that we had to get back this year was our intensity and hunger for it. Maybe last year we still had a h a n g o v e r from the Al l – I r e land final but t h a t w a s still no e x c u s e because at the end of the day in the semi-final, we had chances to put Doonbeg away and we didn’t do it.

“So this year we were determined that every game that we went out to play whether it was a league game or O’Gorman Cup game that we were going to go out and try to win every game as hard as we could. And fingers crossed, we have been lucky to have stayed injury-free and with the squad being fairly big, lads that have hit form have been playing but if you’re not on form, we have been lucky enough to have fellas there to come on and make a difference.”

So as the form player of Kilmurry’s season, how does he rate opponents Doora/Barefield?

“The way we are looking at it is that they are the team that dethroned the champions. It wasn’t Kilmurry Ibrickane that dethroned Doonbeg of their county title, it was Barefield. They went along then and beat a good Wolfe Tones team. We were possibly lucky that when we played Wolfe Tones, there was nothing at stake in the game because whoever won or lost were still going to go through from the group.

“Everyone has been taking about Barefield’s Under 21 winning team of 2008 but back in 2003, there were in the final then as well so everyone remembers the one final that they won but they have been there or thereabouts for a numbers of years and won a minor last year.

“As well as that everyone points to our experience but Doora/Barefield are an experienced team too and have guys that have played for the county team so they won’t shy away from it and will know what to expect. But hopefully the fact that we have been to two county finals in the last three years, maybe that can help us to get over the line.”

Getting over the line once more will make the eventual journey back to Dublin that bit sweeter.

SIXMILEBRIDGE manager Christy Chaplin would have had every right to be smug on Saturday as his significant alterations and introductions paid off to earn his side a first county final appearance since 2002. But that isn’t Rusty’s style and instead he was magnanimous in victory after crushing Cratloe’s dream of a third successive final in this, the ultimate O’Garneyside derby showdown.

“We are over the moon. At this stage of the championship last year, we lost out to Crusheen and it hurt a lot. So we started out at the beginning of this year with everything geared to getting that one step further.

“We knew what Cratloe were go- ing to bring to the table, they are a super bunch of lads and are super fit. I know a lot of them personally, we all do as the clubs as so close but out on the field, there is an great rivalry there and today was going to be no different. We shaded it today, on other days Cratloe have shaded it and there was never going to be more than a puck of the ball between the ‘Bridge and Cratloe.

“We have 27 honest lads there and we can ask no more of them because they give us everything they have in the tank. Last year, to be honest, we made a few mistakes near the end and Crusheen punished us. Today we made a few mistakes and we got away with it as Cratloe missed a few frees and had goal chances but didn’t put it away and these are the small things that can win or lose games. We got the goal before half-time and we built from there.”

And despite not knowing at that stage who they would be facing in the final, he was only concerned with improving his own side ahead of the final in a fortnight’s time.

“We have to go back to the drawing board because we still have a lot of work to do. No matter who we play, we know we have nothing won yet. We got over Cratloe today and are in a county final for the first time in a long while but we have a lot of work to do.”

CUSACK Park’s grandstand was far from packed the day St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield made history and reached their first ever county final – there was plenty of noise coming from it though.

Martin Sexton from Mullagh was one of those shouting support for The Parish as they booked their final place against Kilmurry Ibrickane – the club with whom he harvested a handful of county medals with.

An under 16, two minors, two under 21 and a senior medal are all in the drawer, while when he was one of the Irish diaspora for a few years, the tug of all things Kilmurry Ibrickane was always there.

On the morning of the 1999 county final – the Battle of Kilmihil between Kilmurry and Doonbeg, Mike Gardiner’s Country Corner prpgramme on Clare FM was weighed down with requests wishing both teams and individuals well.

One of them came all the way from Denver, Colorado – from Martin Sexton. If climbing the highest Rocky Mountain would have guaranteed picking up the Clare FM commentary of the game, Sexton would made the trek. Such was his love of all things Kilmurry Ibrickane.

But it’s different now – still loves Kilmurry Ibrickane and the club goes to his marrow, but he’s in the Doora-Barefield corner now.

“I’ve great time for Kilmurry because that’s where I’m from,” says Sexton. “I’d have played with the fathers of a lot of the guys on the Kilmurry team. Enda Coughlan’s father Danny, Mark McCarthy’s father Butcher, Paul Hickey, the father of Shane, Darren and Niall.

“And winning a senior medal in ’93 was brilliant. It was a huge occasion. There was a big build up to it. Clare were after winning the Munster title in ’92 and I was only after coming back from Australia after being there for five years.

“It was great to be part of the set-up and get into the team that year and it was a very emotional victory, but I’m in Doora-Barefield now,” he adds.

Sexton moved to The Parish first in Kilmurry’s county championship winning year in ’93, left two years later for a six-year stint in America, before returning in 2001 and almost immediately throwing his lot in with St Joseph’s.

“That’s why,” says Sexton, “that from my own side of it, I’d like to see Doora-Barefield win. It would be good for football. They’ve been coming for a few years. I was involved in the minor team when we had the likes of Greg Lyons, Sean Flynn and Keith Whelan on the team. We didn’t win the title, but it was a good team. Then I was involved with the minors again last year and we beat Ennistymon in the final.

“I know the older lads in Kilmurry, but wouldn’t really know the younger generation. I know all the DooraBarefield lads very well.

“In fairness Kilmurry have a lot won and have brought a lot to the plate and are a great model for any club to look at, but it would be good for Doora-Barefield to win a title.”

Crusheen 2-15 – Kilmaley 0-13 at Cusack Park, Ennis

DEFENDING champions Crusheen closed in on their second successive county final with another convincing display on Sunday. Their backs have always been lauded for their miserly execution and again on Sunday, they ran the show like clockwork but if anything, the forwards have also soared to greater acclaim this year.

A combination of both units strangled the life out a very one dimensional Kilmaley who never seemed to have a plan B throughout the hour. With a stubborn persistence in bombarding high deliveries towards full-forward Seamus Hurley at the edge of the square, Kilmaley played straight into the hands of Crusheen who simply lapped up the possession and punished at the other end.

And the facts speak for themselves really as Crusheen’s attacking division yielded 2-8 from play while Kilmaley’s starting forward line could only contribute two points over the hour and both of those came within the opening eight minutes of the game. With such a pitiful return, Kilmaley’s hopes of dethroning the county champions fell on stoney ground and they were duly put to the sword as Crusheen swooped for two early second half goals to effectively put the game beyond Kilmaley’s reach.

The Blues failed to take heart from a bright opening when facing into the breeze, they moved 0-4 to 0-2 clear by the turn of the opening quarter following points from Daire Keane, Colin Lynch, Conor Neylon and a Kenneth Kennedy free.

And when facing the county champions who have only conceded four goals so far in the championship, they simply needed to take their chances in front of goal if they were to hold any chance of advancing. One such chance fell to Niall McGuane in that opening period but he pulled his shot wide of the right post and after Crusheen finally found their feet with four unaswered points through Paddy Vaughan (2), Fergus Kennedy and Paddy Meaney to go ahead for the first time at 0-6 to 0-5 by the 19th minute, Kilmaley were to be offered another glorious chance.

Colin Lynch’s second point levelled matters in the 20th minute before Daire Keane were presented with an opportunity that goalkeeper Donal Tuohy was equal to as he parried the ball out for a ‘65. Kilmaley did briefly take the lead once more before the break with a Kenneth Kennedy free but it was a momentum gathering Crusheen that finished the half in style started with an inspirational Cian Dillon point followed by two further Vaughan placed balls that left them 0-9 to 0-6 clear by the break.

The game needed a lift to raise it to the intensity of Saturday’s penultimate stage clash and it duly came three minutes after the resumption when Kilmaley switched off momentarily.

A quick Vaughan lineball was delivered into the square by Cian Dillon and when the ball broke, Gerry O’Grady offloaded to Fergus Kennedy to pull to the net. Worse was to follow for Kilmaley as they leaked a second five minutes later from another lineball with the same protagonists involved once more as O’Grady and Kennedy teed up Jamie Fitzgibbon to slam the ball past goalkeeper Kieran Dillon.

It was game over one felt, particularly as Kilmaley seemed to run out of ideas aside from substitute Michael O’Neill who picked off two great points. The aerial route proved as fruitful as trying to score a goal through a hurling ball wall and even though they emptied the bench in the hope of sparking a revival, the Crusheen half-back line of Cathal and Cian Dillon and Ciaran O’Doherty cut out any supply that was aimed for the inside line.

Instead, Crusheen finished off the game with commanding ease with David Forde in particular revelling in the open spaces to pick off three of his sides last four points. Now only 60 minutes from another county title, the bid to be the first side to retain the championship since St Joseph’s back at the turn of the century takes precedence.