Heagney goal proves decisive for Corofin

Corofin 1-6 Kilmurry-Ibrickane 0-7

Corofin, who were beaten in the 2009 intermediate championship final, captured the Division 4 league title in Ennistymon last Saturday.

Although playing with the wind, Corofin didn’t notch a score until the 19th minute, when man of the match Stephen Heagney slotted home his side’s goal.
It proved to be the game’s decisive score. Prior to this, Kilmurry had spurned some reasonable free-scoring chances.
Aidan Moloney Junior kicked Kilmurry’s only first-half score, when he pointed a free won by Niall Hickey. Four minutes from the interval Corofin’s Pat Ryan pointed from play, leaving the winners 1-1 to 0-1 up at half-time. Although the half wasn’t a feast of scoring, Corofin held an advantage that proved crucial at the end of the hour.
Niall Hickey pointed Kilmurry’s first score from play two minutes into the second half, while Darren Malone replied from a Corofin free after Brendan Keane had been fouled.
Hickey slotted Kilmurry’s third point from another dead ball after Aidan Moloney had been impeded. This left Corofin 1-2 to 0-3 up after the first quarter of the second half.
The next quarter emerged as the game’s most decisive period as Stephen Heagney, substitute William Neylon and Brendan Keane kicked a trio of points form play.
Now 1-5 to 0-3 up, 11 minutes from full time, Corofin were in control. Colm Clancy’s role as a third midfielder, having come out from the full-forward line, also played a significant role in the North Clare side’s win. Clancy, one of just two 1992 Munster championship medal winners still playing competitive football, along with Martin Daly, picked up a number of important breaks in this role.
Aidan Moloney from a free and Pat Ryan from play swapped points, leaving Corofin 1-6 to 0-4 up as the game entered the last five minutes.
Kilmurry didn’t give up though as Niall Hickey twice and Moloney kicked three late points.
Kilmurry were somewhat unlucky 10 minutes from full time, when a Moloney shot deflected off Hickey, hit the crossbar and post before being cleared.
The sides will meet again in the Division 3 league in 2011. League finalists in all divisions are automatically promoted to the higher division for the following season.
More significantly in the short term, the clubs are due to meet in round three of the intermediate championship in the coming weeks.

Corofin: Kieran Carkill; Seán Daly, Eamon Malone, Ollie O’Loughlin; Shane Neylon, Donnacha Kelleher, Diarmuid Daly; Neil Killeen, Darragh Clancy; Pat Ryan, Fionn Clancy, Stephen Heagney; Colm Clancy, Brendan Keane, Darren Malone.
Subs: William Neylon for Shane Neylon.
Scorers: Stephen Heagney 1-1; Pat Ryan 0-2; Darren Malone (f); William Neylon and Brendan Keane 0-1 each.
Kilmurry Ibrickane: Patrick Murrihy; Stephen Downes, John Sexton, Andrew Darcy; Darren Sexton, Barry Lynch, Thomas Lernihan; Seamus Murrihy, Colm Donnellan; Mark Moloney, Thomas O’Connor, Senan McCarthy; Aidan Junior Moloney, Diarmuid Donnellan, Niall Hickey.
Subs: Adrian Murrihy for Diarmuid Donnellan, John Hickey for Senan McCarthy.
Scorers: Niall Hickey 0-4, Aidan Moloney 0-3.