Cratloe and Bodyke-O’Callaghan’s Mills reach final

Cratloe and Bodyke-O’Callaghans Mills will meet in the final of the Clare U-14A Hurling Championship on this Friday evening in Sixmilebridge. They both had one point wins in their semi-final games last week with Cratloe causing a big surprise by ousting the favourites and county Féile champions Kilmaley. Coincidentally, the final scoreline in each game was the same.

Cratloe             3-10
Kilmaley             2-12

Cratloe had a one-point victory over Féile champions Kilmaley in this excellent semi-final  on Saturday. The game was originally scheduled for Shannon but was switched to Clarecastle.
With a strong wind blowing straight across the pitch conditions were difficult for both teams but the players are to be commended as they produced a tremendous contest and the result was in doubt up the final whistle.
Cratloe were first to strike when, in the third minute, Jack Danagher had the ball in the Kilmaley net. In the tenth minute Aiden Kennedy had a Kilmaley goal to leave the sides all square at 1-2 each.
Kilmaley had the better of the next 20 minutes with Sean O’Loughlin, who was at full forward, causing most of the damage. He had three points, two from frees and in the 25th minute he scored Kilmaley’s second goal. Cratloe kept in touch with points from Aaron Gaule (3) and Billy Connors. At half time the Féile champions led by a goal, 2-5 to 1-5.
Kilmaley went five points up when O’Loughlin scored two points early in the second half. However Cratloe had a goal from Diarmuid Ryan to reduce the deficit to two.
Going in to last five minutes Kilmaley had a two-point lead, 2-12 to 2-10 but Cratloe were pressing hard. Kilmaley goalie Ronan Callinan made a superb save in the 26th minute when Jack McInerney seemed sure to score a major for Cratloe.
In the 27th minute, however, Billy Connors got on the end of one of Michael Danaher’s clearances to score the decisive goal for Cratloe. Kilmaley had chances to level but a resolute Cratloe defence held firm.

Kilmaley: Ronan Callinan; Sean Crowley, Ralph Queally, Tommy Barry; Aidan Griffey, Sean Kennedy (0-1), Sean Killeen; Cathal Darcy, Sean O’Loughlin (1-10); Aiden O’Brien, Aaron Slattery, Aiden Kennedy (1-1); Tom O’Rourke, Ger McMahon, Evan McMahon.
Sub Conor Talty.
Cratloe: Conor Hallissey; Emmet Costigan, Aaron Costigan, Rian Considine; Enda O’Connnor, Michael Danagher (0-2), Killian Arthur; Conor McMahon, Ciaran O’Connor; Kyle Neylon, Jack Danagher (1-0), Jack McInerney (0-1); Diarmuid Ryan (1-1) Evan Gaule (0-5), Billy Connors (1-1).
O’Callaghan’s Mills-Bodyke     3-10
Wolfe Tones             2-12

The meeting of Wolfe Tones and the East Clare amalgamation of O’Callaghan’s Mills-Bodyke took place last Friday evening at a wet and blustery O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge.
The game produced a dramatic finish with the amalgamation snatching victory in the last minute.
A free to Wolfe Tones on the sideline some 50m from goal fell to Brian O’Connor but his well hit shot drifted agonisingly wide and the long whistle sounded on the puck out, much to the delight of the O’Callaghan’s Mills-Bodyke followers.
The lead changed hands on several occasions in a tie that produced some excellent play.
The Mills-Bodyke, who faced each other in the C final the previous week when the Mills were victorious, started in determined fashion
opening their account in the first minute. Two minutes later despite a great save by Shane Russell they goaled on the rebound through Ian Murray.
Wolfe Tones who were without their full forward Philip Leahy who was on holidays, had drawn level by the 10th minute with a good goal by Brian O’Connor. Some excellent points by Jamie Divilley left the Shannon outfit with a one-point advantage at the break, 1-7 to 1-6, after playing with the aid of a fairly stiff breeze.
The first half was a somewhat tense and nervous affair but on the turnaround, the game really upped the tempo. Another goal by Murray for the Mills-Bodyke outfit was cancelled out in the 15th minute through a well-taken goal by Jamie Divilley.
A third goal for the Mills-Bodyke, scored by Gary Cooney after the Tones men lost possession in the middle of the field, looked like sending them on their way but four unanswered Wolfe Tones points gave them a slender lead before the final dramatic action took place.
For O’Callaghan’s Mills-Bodyke Killian Nugent, Cian Minogue, Cathal Doyle, Tom Lynch, Oisín Slattery, Ian Murray and Gary Cooney did well
For the Tones Jamie Divilley was their main man on this occasion scoring 1-4 from play.

Wolfe Tones: Shane Russell; Gary Cusack, Conor Ferns, Darragh Lohan; Darragh O’Rourke, Sean Costello, Bryan Conway; Evan O’Gorman, Dean Devanney; Lee Wall, Brian O’Connor, Jamie Divilley; Dylan Frawley, Philip Leahy, Conor Shanagher.
O’Callaghan’s Mills-Bodyke: Killian Nugent; Sean Perrill, Tom Lynch, Cathal Doyle; Michael Cotter, Cian Minogue, Oran Treacy; Oisín Slattery, Sean Murphy; Ben McLoughlin, Ian Murray, Peter Flower; Liam O’Donnell, Sean McInerney, Gary Cooney.
Referee: Sean McMahon Newmarket-on-Fergus.