Dominant display drives Blues to record 26th Clare Cup title

Newmarket-on-Fergus 1-19 Inagh-Kilnamona 1-11
The victor wasn’t a surprise but the manner of Newmarket-on-Fergus’ 26th Clare Cup title certainly proved to be as the roll of honour leaders had a rather bloodless final triumph in Clarecastle on Friday evening.
Bridging a six year gap to their last Clare Cup crown, it was an utterly commanding display when first responding to the hammerblow of an early goaled Inagh-Kilnamona penalty to outscore them by 1-7 to 0-1 in the second quarter and carve out a match-winning 1-11 to 1-04 interval cushion.
Indeed, it wouldn’t have flattered the Blues had the half-time chasm been doubled as amidst their second quarter siege, James Carrig’s side passed up four glorious goal chances in as many minutes just before the recess.
Niall O’Connor was outstanding at the back, Peter Power was equally influential at the other end while Stephen Casey was also hugely effectual when switched to shadow Inagh-Kilnamona’s talisman Fred Hegarty.
This was an impressive collective title win though as the Blues have fleshed out their squad even more and now have several more options at their disposal.
With only eight survivors from their last final victory in 2018 (John Feehily, Noel Frawley, Colin Guilfoyle, Eoin Hayes, Shane Lynch, Liam O’Connor, Sean O’Connor, Colin Ryan), it was a timely first taste of senior silverware for the likes of Peter Power, Eanna Crimmins, James Freeman, Stephen Casey, Jack Enright, Paudie Guilfoyle, Mark Delaney, James Power and Sean Arthur
Without Paudie McMahon, Eoin Guilfoyle, Liam O’Connor and James McInerney on Friday evening, Newmarket can be understandably delighted with their pre-championship jolt but won’t be getting too carried away with it either as the Clare Cup champions haven’t exactly had the greatest of track records when it comes to championship that year.
After all, since the Clare Cup reverted to pre rather than post-championship in 2019, no winner has reached even the senior championship quarter-finals. Therefore despite an extended lead-in to this year’s version due to Clare’s All-Ireland Final qualification, the Blues will still need to be at their best to fend off neighbours Sixmilebridge and St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield along with a Crusheen side that knocked them out of last year’s Canon Hamilton race.
The opposite is also true for a disappointing Inagh-Kilnamona who following a flawless seven match start to 2024 has since faltered with three defeats in their last four outings.
They were well below-par here but while a senior title still eludes them, new manager Tomas Kelly will at least gain some solace from the fact that the biggest resistors were their most inexperienced as last year’s All-Ireland Minor winners Fred Hegarty, James Hegarty and Conor Rynne battled hard against the grain alongside Keith Barry.
With their county contingent of David Fitzgerald, Aidan McCarthy and Sean Rynne yet to come back as are Conner Hegarty and Keith White, this won’t affect their championship hopes but psychologically was another sizeable dent that means that they have now lost three major finals in the last five seasons including the county final of 2021.
Championship talk is for another day though as this final had all the early appearances of a serious wrestle for supremacy but following a dramatic first quarter, rather became all too predictable.
A hat-trick of Inagh-Kilnamona points through Jason Griffin, Fred Hegarty and Niall Mullins wiped out Shane Lynch’s opener by the ninth minute, only to be put back on their heels when James Freeman, Niall O’Connor and a booming Colin Guilfoyle free edged Newmarket 0-4 to 0-3 in front.
The run for Inagh-Kilnamona’s 13th minute penalty was worth the admission fee alone as Griffin offloaded Fred Hegarty to take on the Blues defence and sublimely flick the ball over an advancing defender twice in a row before being unceremoniously taken out for a penalty that Eamonn Foudy dispatched to the right corner at 1-3 to 0-4.
While it was anticipated to be the inspiration to ignite Inagh-Kilnamona, it actually proved to be the peak of their final challenge as amazingly they would only score one further point for the next 20 minutes, by which time they would find themselves floundering at 1-12 to 1-4.
Seven first half wides certainly didn’t help but after a brace of Peter Power points levelled by the tie by the 19th minute, the Blues soared into the ascendancy two minutes later when Eoin Hayes centred to Mikey McInerney to perfectly drill the ball to the far bottom left corner at 1-6 to 1-3.
Eoghan Foudy responded immediately with a point but it would be their final scoring intervention of the half as Newmarket completely took over.
Five unanswered points through Stephen Casey, Noel Frawley, Niall O’Connor and an injury-time double from Power cemented a seven point interval cushion but if anything that tally was a blessing for Inagh-Kilnamona who somehow avoided conceding a second goal.
A goalmouth scramble and glorious chances for Mikey McInerney, Peter Power and Eanna Crimmins were all passed up as Newmarket still powered into the break.
Roles were reversed on the restart, not on the scoreboard but in terms of wides as this time Newmarket were guilty of failing to take their point scoring chances, hitting eleven second half wides.
It did allow Inagh-Kilnamona to keep in touch, mainly through Fred Hegarty frees but six points would be as close as they came within the leaders, doing so on four occasions.
Peter Power was aided on the Newmarket scoring front by substitute Colin Ryan while fellow replacement Sean Arthur also converted a brilliant point from the right corner upon his introduction.
Indeed, James Freeman and Colin Ryan closed out the contest for Newmarket in injury-time, with a last gasp Fred Hegarty free also repelled at the other end to the sound of the final whistle.

Newmarket-on-Fergus: Paudie Guilfoyle; Jack Enright, Colin Guilfoyle, Seanie O’Connor; Noel Frawley, John Feehily, Niall O’Connor; Shane Lynch, Stephen Casey; Mikey McInerney, Eoin Hayes, James Freeman; Peter Power, James Power, Eanna Crimmins Subs: Mark Delaney for Frawley (2-7, BS), Colin Ryan for J. Power (39), Sean Arthur for Hayes (48), Conor McCarthy for N. O’Connor (54, inj), Delaney for Enright (59), Cathal Hayes for P. Power (60, BS), Aaron Moroney for Freeman (64)

Scorers: Peter Power (0-6, 3f); Mikey McInerney (1-1); Niall O’Connor, James Freeman, Colin Ryan (0-2 each); Shane Lynch, Colin Guilfoyle (f), Stephen Casey, Noel Frawley, Eoin Hayes, Sean Arthur (0-1 each)

Inagh-Kilnamona: Eamonn Foudy; Kevin Hehir, Colin Shannon, Conor Rynne; Brian Foudy, James Hegarty, Jason McCarthy; Seamus Foudy, Jason Griffin; Keith Barry, Darren Cullinan, Fred Hegarty; Evan McNamara, Eoghan Foudy, Niall Mullins Subs: Cathal McConigley for Hehir (21, inj), Jamie Wynne for Griffin (41), Josh Guyler for McNamara (43), Thomas Barry for Eoghan Foudy (44), Pa Kelly for Eamonn Foudy (53)

Scorers: Fred Hegarty (0-4f); Eamonn Foudy (1-0, Pen); Keith Barry, Niall Mullins (0-2 each); Jason Griffin, Eoghan Foudy, James Hegarty (f) (0-1 each)

Referee: Jarlath Donnellan (Wolfe Tones)