Kilmurry’s second string do the business

Kilmurry Ibrickane  0-7

O’Curry’s  0-5

AS praiseworthy as this result is from Kilmurry Ibrickane’s viewpoint, it is not a great sign of the strength of the intermediate football championship when a club’s second team reaches the final.

There is no doubt but that Kilmurry fully deserve their place in the final against Clondegad. They have won all four of their games and nobody can argue with that.
Having been relegated from senior last year, O’Curry’s would have been hoping for an immediate return. This result rules that out and O’Curry’s will now have to hope that their older players don’t retire and that some of their younger ones keep developing.
In a game played in exceptionally difficult conditions in Kilrush, Kilmurry led 0-4 to 0-2 at half-time, with Odran O’Dwyer scoring all four points, while Ger Quinlan was the only O’Curry’s man to get on the scoresheet in both halves.
O’Dwyer scored again for Kilmurry early in the second half to extend their lead to three points but they didn’t score again until the closing minutes. By then, three Quinlan points had levelled it for O’Curry’s.
Sensing this was their time to take control, O’Curry’s let it slip when O’Dwyer, from a free, and substitute Senan McCarthy kicked the last two scores. O’Curry’s were devastated as Kilmurry reflected on a remarkable achievement.
On a broader note, Odran O’Dwyer and Ger Quinlan scored 11 of the game’s 12 points between them. In fact, the game included just two points from play during the hour, in what were albeit difficult conditions. If Kilmurry win the final the club may have a decision to make whether to go senior or remain intermediate. This could have implications for Kilmihil or Miltown in the relegation final or for Clondegad, if they don’t win it themselves.

Kilmurry: David Talty; Pat Sexton, John Sexton, Eamon Dunne; Thomas Lernihan, Thomas O’Connor, Mark Moloney; Gary Donnellan, Vinny Talty; Thomas Greene, Martin O’Connor, Colm Donnellan; Adrian Murrihy, Odran O’Dwyer, Aidan Moloney.
Subs: Senan McCarthy for Aidan Moloney, John McNamara for Martin O’Connor and Darragh Sexton for Mark Moloney.
O’Curry’s: Eoin Clohessy; Gearóid Lynch, Michael O’Shea, Paul Roche; Tom Downes, Ollie Quinlan, Brian Troy; Ger Quinlan, Derek Troy; Damien Carmody, Eoin Troy, Michael Foran; Michael Carmody, Jack Scanlon, Seán Haugh.
Subs: Mark Roche for Seán Haugh (inj), Jim Downes for Michael Carmody and Ryan McMahon for Gearóid Lynch (inj).
Referee: Damien Fox (Wolfe Tones).

Clondegad  2-09

O’Callaghan’s Mills  0-5

 

CLONDEGAD qualified for their second successive intermediate county final when they defeated 13-man O’Callaghan’s Mills in last Saturday’s semi-final.
The game was played in Shannon in tough conditions, with heavy rain and strong winds. Clondegad, who are managed by Dermot Coughlan, will play the manager’s home club, Kilmurry Ibrickane in the final.
Playing with the elements Clondegad led 2-7 to 0-2 at half-time and, barring a miracle, O’Callaghan’s Mills were gone even at that point.
Clondegad added just two points in the second half but even with the wind, the East Clare club added just a trio of points from Brian Donnellan and John Cooney. Podge McMahon pointed both of the winners’ second-half points from frees.
Just before half-time, McMahon netted his side’s second goal, having been set up by a combination of Gary and Shane Brennan. The latter was forced to retire at half-time with a wrist injury but the late goal helped to seal the result, even with half an hour left on the clock.
In the 13th minute, Gary Brennan scored Clondegad’s first goal, following good work from Brian Carrig. Kieran Browne, Tony Kelly, Carrig and Gary Brennan scored Clondegad’s first-half points, while Declan O’Loughlin made two excellent saves from Fergus Donovan at crucial times. Had one of those goals gone in, the contest could have been much tighter.
Later in the game, the Mills’ Brian Donnellan (second yellow) and Gary Neville (red) were sent off.

Clondegad: Declan O’Loughlin; Cormac Ryan, Paddy O’Connell, Flan Enright; Kieran Browne, Francie Neylon, Conor Gavin; Shane Brennan, Cormac Murphy; Eoin Griffin, Brian Carrig, Tony Kelly; Podge McMahon, Gary Brennan, Pat Coffey.
Subs: Kenneth Kelly for Shane Brennan (half-time, injured), Eoin Donnellan for Cormac Murphy (34), Gearóid O’Connell for Flan Enright (51), Paul Flanagan for Brian Carrig and James Murphy for Pat Coffey (both 55).
O’Callaghan’s Mills: Paul Murphy; Gary Neville, Niall O’Donovan, Gerry Cooney; Jonathon Lyons, Paddy Donnellan, John Cooney; Conor Cooney Snr, Conor Cooney Jnr; Fergus Donovan, Brian Donnellan, James Murphy; Eoin Pewter, Declan Donovan, Padraig Hickey.
Subs: Paul Lynch for James Murphy (43) and Noel Nash for Declan Donovan (50).
Referee: Kevin Walsh (Wolfe Tones).