Hat-trick guides Cratloe to semi-final

Cratloe 3-13   Kilmaley 1-9

THE return of Cathal McInerney to full fitness played a crucial part in Cratloe’s progress to the Senior Hurling Championship semi-final when they proved too strong for Kilmaley in this quarter-final replay at Cusack Park on Sunday evening.

McInerney scored his side’s three goals to kill off Kilmaley’s dream of championship success for 2012 and send the South-East Clare side through to a meeting with Inagh-Kilnamona.

Cratloe showed a number of changes, both in personnel and positional, from the previous week. McInerney returned from injury to line out at corner-forward, while David Ryan, recently returned after a spell in Australia, was also in the starting team. The Browne brothers, Damian and Aidan, dropped to the substitutes.

Elsewhere, Ogie Murphy moved from corner-back to midfield with Conor Ryan going from midfield to centre-back. Kilmaley had just one change with Eoin O’Malley starting in place of the injured Niall McGuane. They operated with a two-man full-forward line in the opening half using veteran Colin Lynch in the role of sweeper.

“We got over the line. For 45 minutes, we didn’t have a huge score on the board for in the last 10 or 12, we finished very strongly, which was good. We have only taken a half step forward and we are only in the last four. We are looking forward to the semi-final and hopefully, we will be up for that again and take it from there,” said Cratloe boss Joe McGrath after Sunday’s win.

Commenting on Cathal McInerney’s performance, he said, “He is a great finisher in either hurling or football once we get enough ball in to him. At the moment, he is razor sharp, ever since the All-Ireland U-21 final. He was a huge loss to us last week. He carries a lot of weight up front and he did the business today.”

Kilmaley joint manager, John Carmody, agreed they got the goals at vital times. “Two came from mistakes by us and it’s a sign of a good team that they punished them. We have no complaints, we were beaten by a better team on the day.

“Cathal McInerney was the big factor in the game. He was a handful all through,” he added.

Carmody said Kilmaley are introducing young players to this level but, “We are losing lads to emigration. It’s hard to keep it going but hopefully, the young lads will take it on and look forward to next year.”

Cratloe were ahead by 0-2 to 0-1 when McInerney struck for the game’s first goal finishing up a fine move involving Michael Hawes and Ogie Murphy. They went onto lead at the break on a score of 1-5 to 0-4.

Four minutes into the second half, McInerney struck for his second goal and this was a powerful score that left Kilmaley with a lot to do. In an effort to improve things, especially in their attack, they introduced county minor Conor Cleary for his first action at this level.

The margin was still two goals, 2-8 to 0-8 at the three-quarter stage but three minutes later, Kilmaley had a mountain to climb when McInerney completed his hat-trick of goals after taking a pass from Conor McGrath. In an effort to get back into contention, Kilmaley moved Colin Lynch to the attack and he broke through the Cratloe back line to find the net eight minutes from the end. However, it failed to spark a response from his team mates and Cratloe finished strongly hitting five unanswered points in the last six minutes.

Barry Duggan, Conor Ryan, Liam Markham, Conor McGrath and, expecially, Cathal McInerney were prominent for the winners throughout. Martin O’Connor, Colin Lynch and Anthony Cahill battled hard for Kilmaley but the day belonged to Cratloe who deserved their win.

Cratloe: Sean Hayes; John O’Gorman, Barry Duggan, Enda Boyce; Michael Hawes, Conor Ryan, Liam Markham; Martin ‘Ogie’ Murphy, Sean Collins; Paudge Collins, David Ryan, Sean Chaplin; Cathal McInerney, Conor McGrath, Gearoid Ryan.
Subs: Damian Browne for D Ryan (42 minutes); Shane Gleeson for Chaplin (47 minutes); Aidan Browne for G Ryan (53 minutes); Shane O’Leary for Murphy (57 minutes); David O’Gorman for McInerney (59 minutes).
Scorers: Cathal McInerney (3-2); Conor McGrath (0-6, 5f);  Damian Browne (0-2), Sean Collins, Paudge Collins, Shane Gleeson (0-1 each).
Frees for: 13; wides: 12.
Kilmaley: Kieran Dillon; Martin O’Connor, Anthony Cahill, Sean Talty; Eoin Enright, Colin Lynch, Colin McGuane; Kenneth Kennedy, John Clohessy; Michael O’Neill, Diarmuid McMahon, John Cabey; Eoin O’Malley, Daire Keane, Conor Neylon.
Subs: Conor Cleary for O’Malley (35 minutes), Cian Moloney for Cabey (43 minutes), Aidan McGuane for Keane (48 minutes), Noel Casey for C McGuane (51 minutes), Killian McNamara for Neylon (54 minutes).
Scorers: Kenneth Kennedy (0-5, 3f), 1 65’; Colin Lynch (1-0), Diarmuid McMahon (0-2), Michael O’Neill, Conor Neylon (0-1 each).
Frees for: 14; wides: 11; 65s: 2.
Bookings: Eoin Enright (59 minutes).
Referee: Ger Hoey, Killanena.