Garry contribution secures title for Cooraclare

Cooraclare 2-8 St Senan’s Kilkee 1-9

A CONTRIBUTION of 2-2 from player-manager Joe Garry steered Cooraclare to a two-point win over St Senan’s Kilkee in the Junior B Football Championship final played before a big attendance at Shanahan-McNamara Park in Doonbeg on Sunday.
The game was held up for almost half an hour early in the second half as injured Kilkee player Darren Clarke`had to be removed from the pitch by ambulance. The centre-back had been receiving medical attention for what looked to be a shoulder injury after he had collided with Cooraclare midfielder John O’Connell midway through the first half.
The winners made the better start to this game and were 0-4 to 0-0 in front by the end of the opening quarter with points from Rory McMahon (2), John Joe McMahon and TJ Molloy.
When play resumed after Clarke’s injury, John Garvey opened the seasiders’ account, which sparked off a good spell for the Kilkee men. They cut the deficit to the minimum as the game went into injury time at the end of the opening half.
Four minutes of injury time were played at the end of this half and the game was in the fourth of these minutes when the winners struck a major blow. A delivery from team captain John Joe McMahon caused problems for the Kilkee defence and Joe Garry pounced for the game’s opening goal to leave the half-time score at 1-6 to 0-5 in the winners’ favour.
Inside the first minute of the second half, Brian Comyns scored his third point for Kilkee but this was quickly cancelled out by a Garry effort from a tight angle.
In the seventh minute of the half, referee Brian Keniry called a temporary halt to proceedings while a doctor attended to the injured Darren Clarke on the sideline. Play remained suspended until the injured player was taken away by ambulance.
Shortly after the resumption of play, Garry struck for the winners’ second goal but this was quickly cancelled out by a like score from Kilkee substitute Seán Bermingham who quickly added a point to keep his side very much in contention.
They tried hard to get back on terms but when the final whistle sounded, Cooraclare were two points in front. Team captain John Joe McMahon received the trophy from Clare GAA chairman Michael O’Neill.
John Considine, Pat McMahon, Joe Kelly, TJ Molloy and Joe Garry were always prominent for the winners while Kilkee’s best were Ronan Browne, Eoin Fitzgerald, Brian Comyns, and John Garvey.

Cooraclare: Pat Mescall; Pat McMahon, John Considine, Senan O’Sullivan; Fergal Crowley, Michael Chambers, Barry Nolan; John O’Connell, Joe Kelly; Shane Gallagher, TJ Molloy, Gearóid Kelly; Rory McMahon, John Joe McMahon, Joe Garry.
Subs: Declan Hassett for Gallagher; John Corry for R McMahon.
Scorers: Joe Garry (2-2); John Joe McMahon (1f), TJ Molloy and Rory McMahon (0-2 each).

St Senan’s: George Roche; Jason Gallagher, Derek Flavin, Ronan Browne; Eugene O’Meara, Darren Clarke, Eoin Fitzgerald; Robert Fitzpatrick, John Hickey; Trevor Clancy, Brian Comyns, Brian Harte; Diarmuid Keane, John Garvey, Thomas McGrath.
Subs: Kieran DeLoughrey for Clarke (inj); Alan Russell for Gallagher; Seán Bermingham for O’Meara; Kevin Cunningham for Flavin.
Scorers: Seán Bermingham (1-1), Brian Comyns (0-3), Diarmuid Keane (0-2, both frees), John Garvey, Eoin Fitzgerald, Alan Russell (0-1 each).

Referee: Brian Keniry, Killimer.