Cratloe regain U-21 title from arch rivals

Cratloe            2-10
Ennistymon   2-7
THE meeting of the champions of the past two years in the 2011 U-21A championship final resulted in an excellent game of football at Cusack Park on Sunday when Cratloe repeated their success of 2009 over Ennistymon.
In a game, which saw the sides level three times and the lead change hands on a couple of occasions, a strong finish by Cratloe proved decisive.
When the defending champions, Ennistymon, review this game, they will wonder why they failed to score in the final 17 minutes of a game in which Cratloe’s superior fitness played a key role.
Both sides had their periods of dominance and there were spells in the game when each side looked set for victory.
Ennistymon had the better of the early exchanges and led 1-2 to 0-1 after 10 minutes. The goal came from the penalty spot, with Sean McConigley sending Cratloe captain, Jamie Joyce the wrong way after the full-forward was adjudged to have been fouled.
Cratloe’s response was immediate and showed their determination to win back this title. Noel Sexton saved from Joseph O’Connor but Cratloe retained possession and when David Collins’ effort rebounded off the upright, Conor McGrath reacted quickest to poke the ball home.
At first, it appeared as if referee John Hannon had disallowed the score as after consulting with his umpires, the Ennistymon goalie took the kick out from the corner of the small square, which led many to believe the match official had awarded a free to the title holders.
The goal sparked off a big improvement in Cratloe’s play and they drew level when Cathal McInerney converted a free from close range.
With the Cratloe forward line looking very dangerous whenever the ball was in their area, Ennistymon opted to play with an extra defender but they were unable to prevent the winners from going in front seven minutes from the break when Wesley De Loughrey kicked the first of three great points. The midfielder quickly followed with a second and the new champions led at the break by two points, 1-5 to 1-3.
As was the case in the opening half, Ennistymon had the better of the exchanges in the opening period of the second half. Cathal Malone and Cathal McInerney swapped points before Michael McDonagh and a superb effort from centre-back, Sean O’Driscoll levelled the game for the third and final time at 1-6 each eight minutes into the secondhalf.
Three minutes later, Ennistymon struck what appeared to be a vital blow when lively wing back Michael O’Dwyer raced up the left wing and his effort for a point from 30m deceived Jamie Joyce and dropped into the corner of the Cratloe net.
The respective freetakers, Cathal McInerney and Danny Rouine, exchanged points leaving the holders a goal clear at the start of the final quarter. Liam Markham cut the margin to two when he converted a free from an acute angle. A minute later came the vital score of this final. A high delivery caused problems for the Ennistymon defence and goalkeeper Noel Sexton advanced from his line and challenged for possession with Cratloe’s Conor Ryan. The ball was collected by corner-forward David Collins and he found the net, putting his side back in front. Cathal McInerney followed with a point and Cratloe were two clear with ten minutes to play.
From here to the finish, play swung from end to end but Cratloe managed to hold the edge with their defence giving little away and as the game entered injury time Wesley De Loughrey landed his third point of the afternoon, a score which sealed victory for the South-East Clare side.
Sean Hynan, Liam Markham, Wesley DeLoughrey, Conor Ryan, Paudge Collins, Cathal McInerney and Conor McGrath were always prominent for the winners. Enda Ralph, Sean O’Driscoll, Aidan Slattery, Oisin Vaughan and Michael McDonagh did well for Ennistymon.
Later in the afternoon, Cathal McInerney added to his winnings when he accepted the senior championship top scorer award from County board chairman, Michael O’Neill.

Cratloe: Jamie Joyce (captain); Gerry Cooney, Sean Hynan, Joe Conroy; Enda Boyce, Liam Markham, Patrick Carey; Conor Ryan, Wesley De Loughrey; Dean De Loughrey, Paudge Collins, Joseph O’Connor; Cathal McInerney, Conor McGrath, David Collins.
Subs: Sean O’Gorman for Carey (46 minutes), Aidan O’Gorman for O’Connor (56 minutes), Jack McCourt for D DeLoughrey (60 minutes).
Scorers: Cathal McInerney (0-4); Conor McGrath (1-1); Wesley De Loughrey (0-3); David Collins (1-0); Paudge Collins, Liam Markham (0-1) each.
Ennistymon: Noel Sexton; Michael O’Dwyer, Enda Ralph, Oisín Vaughan; Michael Houlihan, Sean O’Driscoll, Aidan Slattery; Ronan Linnane, Ciaran Devitt; Alan Horan, Michael McDonagh, Cathal Malone; Danny Rouine, Sean McConigley, Joey Rouine.
Subs: Michael O’Loughlin for Houlihan (44 minutes); Brian Houlihan for O’Dwyer (50 minutes); Cathal McConigley for Linnane (51 minutes) Ciaran Monaghan for Malone (55 minutes).
Scorers: Sean McConigley (1-1); Danny Rouine (0-3); Michael O’Dwyer (1-0); Michael McDonagh, Cathal Malone, Sean O’Driscoll (0-1) each.
Referee: John Hannon, Michael Cusack’s.

New champions dug deep for victory
CRATLOE manager Colm Collins wore a broad smile after the final whistle in a cracking U-21 final.
“It was a hard-fought win, a great game that ebbed and flowed both ways. We have had great battles with Ennistymon and I knew there was going to be nothing in it. There was some lovely football from both sides and hopefully we can keep this going. In fairness to the lads, they dug deep and eventually got the scores to win it,” the Kilmihil native said.
He was full of praise for the group of players which had just regained the U-21 title for Cratloe after a lapse of a year.
“One can be coaching teams a long time but you will never get a better bunch of players. They are unreal, they really are. You never lose hope when dealing with this group. You always know that they will give you everything they have. I can’t say enough about this group,” he said.
Collins acknowledged that, results wise, Cratloe had “a very disappointing year, losing the U-21A hurling and then the two senior semi-finals in football and hurling. This is some consolation and its good going forward to have won.
Was he worried when Ennistymon struck for their second goal? When you have the likes of Markham, Conor Ryan, McGrath and Cathal McInerney, you are never beaten,” came the reply.
Collins watched Sunday’s final from the stand as he is currently serving a two month ban from the sideline. “It’s tough watching from the stand but you are better off. At least you can have a good overview and it’s the right place to watch a match from,” he said when asked if he found it difficult not to be directing operations from the sideline.
Cratloe’s second goal, a crucial score in the tie, was scored by the manager’s son, David. “He will be delighted to have scored the goal. You must have a corner-forward who can finish and, in fairness, he can but he is very young,” the team boss said
What next for Cratloe football?  “We have to progress and win a senior. We are a step away but really that’s where we are going and we have to try and improve every year,” he said..
Wearing his county U-21 manager’s cap, Collins added, “There are a lot of very good players in the county and if we can get them in early, we can progress. We will be starting next weekend, we want to get them in early and start working. Hopefully we can build something from there,” he concluded before heading off to join in the celebrations.