The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
Inagh-Kilnamona 1-18 Cratloe 2-12
LAST October, Inagh-Kilnamona faced Cratloe in the 2012 senior championship semi-final determined to reach the final for the first time but they were denied by the South-East Clare side.
On Sunday last, the sides met in the opening round of the 2-13 title race and the popular view amongst patrons was that Cratloe would repeat last year’s success. The fact that Inagh-Kilnamona had lost a number of last year’s team to injury and to emigration influenced this view.
Not for the first time, the Arthur brothers were key to this win. Between them, Niall and Ger hit 0-15 for the winners and generally caused a lot of problems for the Cratloe backline.
Inagh-Kilnamona made their intentions known from the outset with the opening score from Niall Arthur. The teams were level four times in the opening quarter at which stage the score stood at 0-5 each.
When Conor Tierney fired a great ground stroke to the corner of the net a minute into the second quarter, it gave the eventual winners a lead they would hold for the remainder of the game.
That goal separated the teams at half-time when the score was 1-9 to 0-9. The winners made the better start to the second half and hit four points without reply in the opening seven minutes to extend their lead to seven points.
Cratloe needed a big score and it came when Conor McGrath finished off a good move with their first goal. When he repeated the feat four minutes later after a good move involving Damian Browne and Cathal McInerney, the margin was down to the minimum and Cratloe were right back in contention.
Now it was Inagh-Kilnamona that needed a score and it came from Ger Arthur with Eoin Vaughan adding another and the margin was out to three with 12 minutes to play.
Six minutes from time, Patrick Kelly made a fine save from McGrath and when Cathal McInerney looked like he would find the net from the rebound, Kelly again intervened and these saves proved to be a killer blow for Cratloe.
They continued to battle in search of an equalising goal but the winners’ defence held firm and they emerged as deserving winners.
The full-back line of Milo Keane, Dermot Lynch and Sean Devitt did well against a full-forward trio that was expected to cause a lot of problems for them. The Arthur brothers and Eamonn Glynn were others to contribute handsomely to this victory.
On the day Cratloe had their moments but lacked consistency with their inter-county squad members failing to produce their best form.
Inagh-Kilnamona: Patrick Kelly; Milo Keane, Dermot Lynch, Sean Devitt; Kevin Hehir, Damian Lafferty, Brian Hehir; Tomas Kelly, Haulie Vaughan; Ger Arthur, Eamonn Glynn (captain), Eoin Vaughan; Gerry Coote, Niall Arthur, Conor Tierney.
Subs: David McCarthy for H Vaughan (48 minutes); Shane Griffin for Coote (55 minutes); Coote for Tierney (inj) (56 minutes).
Scorers: Niall Arthur (0-10, 7f); Ger Arthur (0-5); Conor Tierney (1-0); Patrick Kelly (free), Eoin Vaughan, Gerry Coote (0-1 each).
Frees for: 16; wides: 13; 65s: 1.
Bookings: Haulie Vaughan (4 minutes); Niall Arthur (35 minutes); David McCarthy (60 minutes), Patrick Kelly (61 minutes).
Cratloe: Gearóid Ryan; Philip Gleeson, Barry Duggan, Martin ‘Ogie’ Murphy; Michael Hawes, Liam Markham, David Ryan; Shane Gleeson, Enda Boyce; Conor Ryan, Paudge Collins, Sean Collins; Damian Browne, Cathal McInerney, Conor McGrath.
Subs: Sean Chaplin for Boyce (43 minutes); Shane O’Leary for D Ryan (56 minutes).
Scorers: Conor McGrath (2-2); Damian Browne (0-5, 4f); Conor Ryan, Shane Gleeson (0-2 each); Paudge Collins (0-1).
Frees for: 11; wides: 10; 65s: 3.
Bookings: Michael Hawes (35 minutes); Conor Ryan (60 minutes); Paudge Collins (61 minutes).
Referee: Seanie McMahon, Newmarket.
