Category: Sport

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.

ANYONE who is under the illusion that Kilmurry Ibrickane are entering into Sunday’s county final with even the slightest hint of complacency should pay heed to captain Peter O’Dwyer.

The experienced midfielder has been down this road numerous times before, bought the t-shirt and in his professional capacity as a graphic designer probably even designed the t-shirt. From his first county final in 1999, O’Dwyer has been instrumental in Kilmurry Ibrickane’s undoubted rise to the top of the Clare football ladder, winning championships in 2002, ’04, ’08 and ’09 that also included two Munster titles as well as an All-Ireland final appearance last year.

More than that though, he is part of the O’Dwyer dynasty that reached its height in 2004 when Peter along with brothers Odran, Robert and Michael captured county and provincial titles under the management eye of their father Patrick.

With such vast experience, O’Dwyer is not about to take his eye off the ultimate prize, even if he is leading out his side on Sunday.

“I haven’t really though about the captaincy that much. It’s the same as any other final really because you can get carried away with things like that to be honest and it only uses up your energy and concentration. So, honestly I’m just treating it as another game and staying focused on it.”

That unwavering focus typifies a Kilmurry Ibrickane side that despite winning two out of the last three titles, are not about to rest on their laurels and are always striving to improve.

“We’re not entirely happy with the way we are playing. If you even take the last game against Cratloe, we played well for parts of the game but also for long stages of the game, we weren’t satisfied with our performance and that’s something we feel we have to address. So if we are going to win this final, we are going to have to be more consistent and up our game significantly.”

Upping their performance will be essential against the relatively unknown entity that is St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield who have defied the odds and are on the cusp of a wave of momentum going in the decider.

“I think they are a super side. I was surprised when a number of commentators seemed to think that it was a shock that St Joseph’s got through to the final. I wasn’t a bit surprised because they have been coming and I have been expecting this for a number of years to be honest.

“They have been coming good at underage for a while now and they’ve had success and along with that, they have some very experienced players who have played at inter-county level from their goalkeeper Declan O’Keeffe, up to Kevin Dilleen at centre-back and Colm Mullen in the forwards. So it’s a good combination to have and they are really going to be a force to be reckoned with. They are going to be serious, serious opposition I feel.”

So balancing up Kilmurry Ibrickane’s experience and the rising tide of St Joseph’s, where does the Mullagh man see the ingredients for a third county title in four years?

“I think every player is going to have to play to his full potential and best of his ability to be honest. I think it’s going to be a dogfight, it’s going to be a very difficult game and I believe the hunger is there in the squad to win the game and get over the line but as I’ve said it’s going to take a massive, massive effort to do so.”

MICHAEL Browne’s record of getting teams to county finals continued on Sunday as he guided his native club to their second consecutive decider and his third in five seasons if you include his involvement with Tulla in 2007. It’s a achievement that cannot be argued with but he’s not taking a third success as a given, de- spite a powerful second half display from his side who outscored their opponents by 2-6 to 0-7 in that period.

“It’s brilliant, just fantastic to get back to a final for a second year in a row so we’ll see what happens. There’s a huge battle ahead of us, we know that, but at least we’re there.

“They always say ‘goals win matches’ and that’s all that was in it at the end and not alone were the goals cru- cial but also psychologically they put the opposition under a lot of pressure as well so we were lucky, we got them and thanks be to God, we’re there.

“The defence did very well. Maybe in the first seven or eight minutes, I thought they were very wobbly and dodgy and they didn’t seem to be getting their calls right but once they settled in, they were enormous in fairness to them.”

And just like Sixmilebridge manager Christy Chaplin the previous evening, Browne’s main reference point for the final inevitably stems from last year’s semi-final meeting between the pair that went Crusheen’s way by the barest of margins.

“One point is all that decided the teams last year and with time up, we were two points down if I remember correctly so I mean that’s how tight this is going to be.

“And I think the ‘Bridge are a better team this year than they were last year.

“They looked awesome to me yesterday but look we haven’t given any thought to them, we just prepared for this game because this was the only one we were interested in so we’ll prepare as well as we can for the county final and fingers crossed.”

Limerick 4 – Clare 0 at Jackman Park, Limerick

WHERE there’s football there’s hope but Clare’s hopes of mounting any sort of campaign in this year’s blue riband of inter-league fare is already hanging by a thread after they were comprehensively taken apart by an impressive Treaty side on Wednesday evening.

They were in this game for most of the first half but the hammer blow of the concession of a second goal just before the interval was the hammer blow from which their challenge never recovered.

And it was a tough call on Clare that paved the way for that Alan Barry’s goal that effectively killed the game as a contest.

Up to that Clare were in this game, after opening brightly when they should have taken the lead after six minutes when Daryl Eade but the speedy Eoin Hayes through on goal, only for his shot to go the wrong side of the post.

Indeed, there was no beating Limerick keeper Gary Neville on the night – Hayes shot straight at him on 24 minutes, while he then made brilliant save to thwart Dave McCarthy on 37 minutes, before Ian Barnes scrambled the ball away to safety.

By this stage Clare a goal adrift when they were hit by a breakaway goal from the home side on 17 minutes. Moving at pace from defence they opened up Clare’s rearguard with John Tierney applying the final strike from just inside the area.

They could have been two adrift on 30 minutes, with Darren Cullinan making a crucial interception to save what looked to be a certain goal, while John Healy was alert to danger in the 33rd minute when opportunity again knocked for the home side.

However, it was a case of what might have been before the break for Clare – on 42 minutes Eoin Hayes had another chance, but again Neville stood firm, while Colm Ryan’s charges had that sinking feeling right on the stroke of half-time when Alan Barry’s header from a controversially awarded free kick on the edge of the area put

They needed an early strike in the second half to have any chance, but instead it came down the other end when Shane Clarke was composure personified in the box when finding himself in space, coolly slotting past Healy on 56 minutes.

It was damage limitation from there until the finish – to that end they succeeded until being hit for a fourth in the 92nd minute when Conor Kavanagh completed Limerick’s impressive campaign opener.

Clare now entertain Galway at the County Ground on October 22 next, with victory now a must if they are to entertain any hopes of advancing in the competition.

Clare
John Healy (Avenue Utd), Matty Nugent (Avenue Utd), Darren Cullinan (Newmarket Celtic), Darren Murphy (Bridge Utd), David Russell (Avenue Utd) (Capt), Packie Darcy (Lifford), Darryl Eade (EnnisTown Rock), David McCarthy (Avenue Utd), Colin Ryan (Newmarket Celtic), Eoin Hayes (Newmarket Celtic), Jay Regan (Shannon Olympic)

Moher Celtic 0 – Shannon Olympic 2 (after extra-time) at Lahinch

SHANNON Olympic advanced to the next round of the Munster Junior Cup with a battling win over Moher Celtic in a windswept Lahinch on Sunday morning.

Played in difficult conditions, and despite only having the bare 11 players, and finishing the game with 10, Olympic managed to overcome the West Clare side with a goal in both halves of extra time.

The first 90 minutes was entertain- ing, if lacking any gilt-edged chances, and to be honest, it was a game that always looked like going to extra time.

In extra time, even though they had no substitutes to freshen up the team, the Shannon side looked far stronger, and they were rewarded in the 98th minute when diminutive striker, John Keogh, was hauled down in the penalty area. Captain Jason Regan confidently stroked the spot-kick home.

Just a minute later Olympic suffered a setback when the fiery red head John Keogh was sent of after an altercation with Moher’s Graham Kelly.

Olympic did not look weakened despite this and indeed they extended their lead in the 109th minute when midfielder Ray Quigley made a great run and squared the ball for Sean O’Connor to tap home from inside the 6 yard box.

So it’s Shannon Olympic who advance to the next round of the Munster Junior, and a visit to Connolly Celtic.

Best for Olympic on the day were; Karl Fogarty, and the midfield pairing of Ray Quigley and Jason Regan.

Shannon Olympic
Gary McGettrick, Ciaran Keane, Karl Fogarty, Donncadh Kelly, Ian Hogan, Eamonn O’Neill, Jason Regan, Ray Quigley, Sean O’Connor, Richie Hanly, John Keogh.

Moher Celtic
Shane Keane, GrahamKelly, Declan Fawl, Joe Dowling, Cathal Honan, Robert Lucas, David Commane, Barry McGovern, Pa McEvoy, IanWhite, Jack Queally.

Subs
Alan Clohessy,WilliamMurphy , Kevin Scales, George Benn.

BORD na nÓg Peil are to take the lead in raised the lowly stock of football in Clare, by starting the process toward developing a ‘Strategic Plan’ for the development of the game throughout the county.

The first steps towards putting a new blueprint in place will be taken on Tuesday, October 25 when a Club Forum takes place in the West County Hotel in Ennis, a move that the underage board hopes will develop into the beginning of a revival of Clare’s football fortunes.

“We want to look at football and see how football can be improved in the county,” Bord na nÓg representative John Smith. “This is important for football in Clare and I would ask that all clubs would attend that meeting,” he added.

This new drive is being spearheaded in the chairmanship of a committee chaired by Shannon Gaels chairman, Eamonn Keane – a body that has been charged with responsibility “to outline the issues which they feel are relevant to underage football in Clare”.

Topics which will be discussed on the night include coaching, fixtures, football development in primary and secondary schools, regional and divisional squads, games promotion, football development in urban areas, rural club issues, availability of funding and any other issues that clubs feel are important.

“It is envisaged that the feedback from the Forum could be used in preparing a Strategic Plan for juvenile football in Clare,” a Bord na nÓg statement has revealed. “It is therefore important that all areas are looked at,” the statement added.

If club officers or members of the public want to make suggestions on topics they feel should be discussed on the night, the are asked to email Eamonn Keane at ekeane@odonnellkeane.com or ring him at 086-2646827.

Shannon Gaels 1-7 – Kilrush Shamrocks 0-8 at Cooraclare

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Kilrush Shamrocks 3-5 – Corofin 1-8 at Hennessy Memorial Park, Miltown

THE cry went out from Miltown all the way down the N67 to Kilrush and down plenty of other roads too – loud and shrill that the Shams are back.

That they’re minor champions after 21-long years was down to a team effort, of course, but 15-year-old Liam Madigan was the man with his brilliant return of 3-3 bringing the PJ Lynch/Tom Malone Cup back to the west Clare capital.

First off he put the Shams on the high road with a goal as early as the fourth minute, then in the second after Corofin were dominating af- ter pegging back a five-point deficit to two points, he bagged two goals in the space of three minutes to put them eight points clear entering the last ten minutes.

The Shams got a dream start when hitting 1-2 inside the first five minutes of the game, but more than that it was the tactics that they employed that suffocted the Corofin challenge.

Pat ‘Rico’ Clancy may be looking across the estuary at Kerry from his home out the Killimer road, but this was more Tyrone than Kerry as the tactic of dropping his half-backs deep closed down the space that Corofin forwards needed to make any im- pression on this county final.

By then they were fighting a losing battle after an early free from Liam Madigan, followed by a Gearóid O’Brien point from play settled the Shams into the game after four minutes, while they were on the high road a minute later after a long ball by the hardworking Con Prendeville broke kindly for Madigan to toe-poke the ball to the net.

When Madigan followed up with another pointed free in the tenth minute it looked as if this would be cruise for the Shams. And, it was for the rest of the half save a spirited Corofin burst in a five-minute spell that nearly brought them back into the game.

Gearóid Kelly opened their account with a free in the 15th minute, but a minute later they were unlucky not to strike for a goal when Jamie Malone’s rasping drive crashed off the inside of the post and back into play.

Gearóid Kelly did land another free in the 19th minute, but the Shams closed the half impressively with points from Jonathon Stack from play after a brilliant flick by Liam Madigan and then another Madigan free to lead by 1-5 to 0-2 at the break.

Corofin were vastly improved on the turnover with two inspirational points from Jamie Malone either side of a Gearóid Kelly free had them back in the game by the 40th minute.

When Kelly’s fourth free reduced the margin to two points the defending champions had the scent of victory, only for Madigan to tip the balance decisively in the Shams’ favour once more.

He drove home a penalty in the 48th minute after a foul on Jonathon Stack – then three minutes later slalomed through the Corofin defence soccerstyle and slammed to the net to kill the contest.

Corofin did battle back when hitting 1-2 without reply in the closing minutes, with Jamie Malone goaling from a penalty but the Shams, through Madigan had done enough to trigger off celebrations that would have done a senior team proud.

PAT ‘RICO’ Clancy is a passionate man when it come to his beloved Shams, so much so that putting his words to print after his side’s minor triumph on Saturday, don’t do really them their full justice. YouTube is the natural habitat for the his one-minute interview after the game, but still, his passion jumps from the page in the way he explained the Shams’ return to the winner’s enclosure.

“Great win lads,” he roars, before cranking up the volume. “A long time coming for Kilrush lads. We’re 21 years waiting for this lads. People might say it’s only a B, but it’s gone so long now we had to win something lads.

“I think today lads Kilrush have turned a corner. We will be back lads. We will build on it. We have to start somewhere. We had won noth- ing in 21 years and today lads, we have made a start. We are back,” he adds defiantly and furiously.

Then he peels away, gulping some air before piecing together the reasons for the Shams’ success story.

“There are five of us. Jimmy Murray’s experience had it all to do here. Pat Kelly was also there. Matthew Moloney trained the team all year, through thick and thin. We brought in Moloney and Christopher Dixon and they did great. It’s very hard for the older fellas to talk to young fellas, but they had the bond with them and they drove him.

“They showed a never-say-die attitude and that was always the day in Kilrush football. I’m sick and tired of it. Twenty one years of we should have won this and we should have won that. You make your own luck and we did that today.”

And the person who did more than only one else, the great white hope of Kilrush football on the strength of his brilliant display.

“Liam Madigan was the lifeblood. In fairness we always had great corner forwards in Kilrush. We had the best of forwards, but this young fella is something special. He’s only 15 years of age. The game was in the melting pot. He picked his spot, coolness personified lads. You can’t ask any more from a 15-year-old.”