Sports

St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield stunned Clare football when they beat Doonbeg by a point in the championship quarter-final. That day Colm Mullen showed his big match temperament is still intact when he stroked over the winning point. Five years living and working in the US and Australia hadn’t dulled his love of the club, be it as a footballer or hurler. “I’d often contemplated coming home for a couple of games. That didn’t pan out but I really missed it and it was great to get back into it. I came back into a different club in a lot of ways. The success was gone and we were struggling in both codes. “Having said that, we knew that the talent was there, definitely with the footballers. It was just a matter of getting it out of the squad that was here. It’s great that we have done that and I’m glad to be part of it,” he smiled. Before St Joseph’s …

PLAYERS who are prepared to put their bodies on the line often decide big championship games.One of the greatest compliments ever paid to former Galway hurler, Brendan Lynskey was that he was prepared to put his head where others wouldn’t put their hurley in a bid to win possession.It might be a different code but Peter O’Dwyer is a player in the same mould as Lynskey. A vital block in the closing minutes of the recent Clare Senior Football Championship semi-final illustrates his great work-rate throughout the field and willingness to make the hard tackle when it matters most.Conor McGrath was ready to pull the trigger and split the posts to send Cratloe in front two minutes from the end after beating his marker on the 30m line. However, the South-East Clare dual star hadn’t bargained on the intervention of the Kilmurry Ibrickane midfield general, who smothered the attempted shot. Kilmurry Ibrickane have got used to expecting impressive displays from …

IN 2006 and for part of 2007, former Kilmurry-Ibrickane player and mentor, Martin Keavey coached the St Joseph’s senior side. Among his backroom team was another Kilmurry-Ibrickane man, CJ Sexton, who is still coaching some of the juvenile players at the club.At the time, Martin was residing in “The Parish” and answered the call when approached to get involved.“They (St Joseph’s) have had a lot of young talent coming through in the past decade in particular. Some of the older fellas, who were playing when I was involved, are still playing and are as good as ever. “With the underage talent that has been coming through, there is huge potential there. If they could win one senior championship they would be around for a while and they are certainly a huge threat,” he said at his home in Quilty.Martin suffered a broken leg in 2007 and this led to him stepping down from his role as coach to the Doora-Barefield …

IT is difficult to locate a corner-back who doesn’t think that he would be capable of seamlessly slotting in higher up the field. Critically evaluating their attacking colleagues, from a distance, can lead to corner-backs thinking they could do an offensive job if only their manager would give them a run up front.Now we must be clear and state unequivocally that St Joseph’s Sean Flynn, a recognised defender, made no such claims. Not verbally at least. Yet, when he was shunted from corner-back to centre-forward for St Joseph’s must-win group game against Shannon Gaels, he turned in a superb performance. It was a good day for frustrated corner-backs. Actions speak louder than words. This was a corner-back who knew what he was doing in what should have been an alien role.“It makes a change from spending 60 minutes pulling lads’ jerseys,” is how Flynn contrasts playing centre-forward to corner-back.On the off-chance that a corner-back doesn’t add to his team’s attack, …

Sixmilebridge 1-17 Cratloe 1-13 IN what was, arguably, the most entertaining game in the 2011 Clare Senior Hurling Championship to date, Sixmilebridge maintained the upperhand on neighbours and great rivals Cratloe when the sides clashed in the first of the semi-finals at Cusack Park on Saturday evening.An injury-time goal at the end of the opening half had a huge bearing on the outcome. Cratloe had the better of matters in the second quarter and they were four points in front when the ’Bridge struck a vital blow.Following a great interception by team captain, Barry Duggan, Cratloe looked to have the danger cleared but lost possession and Declan Morey blasted the ball to the net. The Cratloe men were still in front but as they made their way to the dressing room they were clearly rattled, whereas their neighbours were upbeat.In the second half the winners appeared to play with more confidence and once they took the lead, Cratloe were never …

Crusheen 2-15 Kilmaley 0-13 GOALS from Fergus Kennedy and Jamie Fitzgibbon early in the second half gave Crusheen control at Cusack Park on Sunday.The title-holders went to the break with a three-point lead but this was reduced to two in the first minute of the second half. Two minutes later, the champions put down a marker with their first goal. Pat Vaughan found Cian Dillon with a line ball and the centre-back’s delivery was collected by Gerry O’Grady, who passed to Fergus Kennedy and he found the net.Kilmaley hit back with a point but were dealt another blow when, in the seventh minute, Jamie Fitzgibbon had their second goal and again team captain Gerry O’Grady provided the pass. When David Forde added a point, the winners were eight points clear and Kilmaley were clearly in trouble.A powerful performance from Cian Dillon at centre-back laid the foundations for Crusheen’s win. He stood out in a defence that dominated, something that is …

Ruan 3-10 Corofin 2-6 Ruan will play Éire Óg in the final of the Intermediate Hurling Championship following this comfortable win over neighbours, Corofin, at Shannon on Sunday evening.Considered a little fortunate to have earned a second chance, there was no disputing their superiority on this occasion. A dream start saw them race into a 1-3 to 0-0 lead after just eight minutes and by the mid-point of the half they were 1-3 to 0-2 ahead. A Corofin goal from Kevin Heagney eleven minutes from the break suggested that Corofin were about to launch a rally but three unanswered points for Ruan left them 1-6 to 1-3 in front at half-time when the score was 1-6 to 1-3.Lively corner-forward Brendan Lyons had the winners in front after just 20 seconds and John Punch and Colin Donoghue quickly added like scores. Indeed, Donoghue’s performance in this tie was one of the main reason’s for Ruan’s victory. He contributed 1-3 from play …

Inagh-Kilnamona 1-17 Clonlara 3-11 Leading by five points with just a few minutes remaining at Clarecastle on Sunday, Inagh-Kilnamona looked to be on their way to the Clare Champion Cup final.A storming finish by Clonlara left the mid-Clare side having to come from behind for Ger Arthur to score the equaliser in injury time.In difficult conditions, the teams produced some good hurling and while each will point to missed chances, a draw was a fair outcome.John Conlon had the game’s first score but Inagh-Kilnamona hit back with three unanswered points through the Arthur brothers before Conlon struck again.At the mid-point of the half, Conlon won possession from a Tomás O’Donovan delivery and he turned quickly and blasted to the net. As half-time approached, the sides were level at 0-8 to 1-5 but Inagh-Kilnamona finished strongly and Conor Tierney struck for a goal to help them to a 1-9 to 0-5 lead at the break.Points were swapped twice early in the …