Superior Clonlara power into final

Clonlara 1-14  Newmarket 1-9

Those who doubted Clonlara’s standing as senior double (championship and league) champions of Clare hurling were silenced at Cusack Park on Sunday afternoon as the South-East Clare men confirmed their superiority over Newmarket, last year’s beaten championship finalists.

In scoring a fully merited five-point win in the first of this season’s championship semi-finals, the title holders booked a place in the Clare senior final for a second year in succession and they also secured a place in the final of the Clare Champion Cup, as both clubs agreed last week to put both into Sunday’s showdown at headquarters. The teams had earlier qualified to meet in the cup semi-final.
There were some crunch tackles during the early period of play but match official, Johnnie Healy waited until just before half-time to reach for a red card, when he sent off Clonlara centre-forward John Barry, to reduce the champions to 14 men. There were a few players fortunate not to have their involvement in the game ended before this.
When the sides met in last year’s final, a superb defensive display by Clonlara inspired their victory and they repeated that on this occasion. Their backline was simply magnificent throughout the latest clash and none more so than the half-back trio of Nicky O’Connell, Tomás O’Donovan and his younger brother, Domhnall.
Like last year, Newmarket scored first. This time, Colin Ryan converted a 70m free but they would have to wait 27 minutes for their next score. In that time, Clonlara scored five, all excellent scores, from Cormac O’Donovan (2) John Conlon, Nicky O’Connell, from 110 yards, and Tommy Lynch.
The champions were full value for their 0-6 to 0-3 interval lead but the big question at that stage was how they would cope with being a man down for the second half. Newmarket had a dream start to the second period and had points from Bernard Gaffney, Shane O’Brien and Seánie Arthur inside two minutes to tie up the game.
Clonlara, to their credit, didn’t panic and two marvellous points from half-time substitute William Slattery put down a marker for the challengers.
The defining moment in the contest came 12 minutes into the second half. The magnificent Nicky O’Connell won possession in his own half-back line, showed wonderful skill when beating a couple of opponents and then delivered a 90m pass to Donal Madden, who fielded the ball brilliantly before firing past Kieran Devitt for a wonderful goal. The score put the champions six clear and left Newmarket with a mountain to climb.
With the game slipping away from them, Newmarket made a number of changes and introduced Martin Murphy and Enda Kelly but they just could not break Clonlara’s grip on the game. Bernard Gaffney converted a 65’ but the reply was simply outstanding. Cormac O’Donovan brilliantly grabbed Ger O’Connell’s puck-out, before turning and shooting between the uprights from 75 metres. It was, like their goal, a score worthy of any occasion. Three more points followed for the champions and they were now nine points clear with just six minutes to go.
Newmarket followers saw a glimmer of hope when substitute Enda Kelly scored their goal four minutes from time but it was to be their last score and the champions continued to dominate in the remaining time.
The Clonlara defence was magnificent. Tommy Lynch and Pat O’Hare got through a huge amount of work at midfield, while up front, all had their moments, with Cormac O’Donovan and Donal Madden picking off some excellent scores.
The decision of the Newmarket backroom team to move their captain James McInerney from centre-back was a big talking point. Arguably, their most consistent performer all season, he saw little ball in the opening half and would surely have been more valuable to the side at centre-back. Stephen Kelly and Enda Barrett got through some good work, as did Eoin Hayes and substitute Michael McInerney but the forward line failed to make any impression against a powerful Clonlara defence.

Clonlara: Ger O’Connell; Brian Woods, John Moloney, Paul Collins; Nicky O’Connell, Tomás O’Donovan (captain), Domhnall O’Donovan; Pat O’Hare, Tommy Lynch; John Conlon, John Barry, Cormac O’Donovan; Darach Honan, Donal Madden, Cillian Fennessy.
Subs: William Slattery for Fennessy (half-time) and Barry Moloney for Slattery (58 minutes).
Scorers: Donal Madden (1-2, 0-2f), Nicky O’Connell (0-4, 0-3f), Cormac O’Donovan (0-3), William Slattery (0-2), John Conlon, Darach Honan and Tommy Lynch (0-1 each).
Frees for: 11. Wides: 10. 65s: 1.
Bookings: Pat O’Hare (12 minutes), John Barry (15 minutes and 29 minutes), John Conlon (44 minutes) and Tomás O’Donovan (54 minutes).
Sent off: John Barry (29 minutes).
“It doesn’t always happen on the big day but it did today. We were brilliant from one to nine and they were finding it difficult to score.” Colm Honan, Clonlara manager

Newmarket: Kieran Devitt; Eoin O’Brien, Stephen Kelly, Pádraig Kilmartin; Paudie Collins, Enda Barrett, James McInerney (captain); Eoin Hayes, Martin O’Hanlon; David Barrett, Jim McInerney, Shane O’Brien; Bernard Gaffney, Seánie Arthur Colin Ryan.
Subs: Michael McInerney for O’Hanlon (28 minutes), Martin Murphy for Arthur (38 minutes), Enda Kelly for Jim McInerney (50 minutes) and James Liddy for Gaffney (55 minutes).
Scorers: Colin Ryan (0-3, all frees), Enda Kelly (1-0), Bernard Gaffney (0-2, 0-1f), David Barrett, Shane O’Brien, Seánie Arthur and Michael McInerney (0-1 each).
Frees for: 12. Wides: 11. 65s: 1.
Bookings: Stephen Kelly (34 minutes), Paudie Collins (43 minutes), Pádraig Kilmartin (46 minutes) and James Liddy (58 minutes).
Sent off: Pádraig Kilmartin (59 minutes).
“They were the better team. Like last year, we didn’t drive on when we got a good start to the second half.” Diarmuid O’Leary, Newmarket manager
Referee: Johnnie Healy, Smith O’Brien’s.