Liscannor to edge into another final

LISCANNOR and Cooraclare can hear opportunity knocking very clearly. On Sunday in Miltown at 5pm one of them will avail of that opportunity, while the other will ponder on what might have been.
Unless of course the second county semi-final ends in a replay, which isn’t an impossibility given Cooraclare’s recent replay record. It took three games (two replays) before they eventually edged beyond Éire Óg by a single point. In fact, the largest quarter-final winning margin in the 2010 championship was two points when Liscannor beat Doora-Barefield 0-10 to 0-8.
In what has been the tightest senior championship for years, very slim margins divide five or six clubs.
Still, there is no questioning the resolve of either Cooraclare or Liscannor. If they were brittle, both would have been beaten by Éire Óg and St Joseph’s respectively at the quarter-final stage.
Cooraclare overcame the absence of Cathal Lillis (suspended), Rory Donnelly (leg) and Declan McMahon (arm) last weekend in Lissycasey, although the arrival from Australia of Ger Tubridy was a huge help. Tubridy played full-forward in the opening half, scored an albeit lucky goal but won vital possession in both halves.
In their quarter-final win over St Joseph’s, Liscannor trailed 0-8 to 0-4 five minutes from the end of normal time. Four Niall Considine points later, along with an inspirational one from Brian Considine and Liscannor had stunned Barefield and secured a place in their third county semi-final since 2002.
While they lost the ’02 and ’08 finals to Kilmurry Ibrickane, Liscannor’s semi-final record is excellent. They beat Doonbeg two years ago in Miltown when the Magpies were warm favourites. With Kilmurry now out of the way, this generation of Liscannor footballers will feel that this is their chance to claim Jack Daly.
To do that though they will have to face down Cooraclare, who will have the exact same ambition, allied to no fear of their opponent.
When the teams met in last year’s championship, in the group stage, Cooraclare won 1-9 to 0-10. They had trailed 0-8 to 0-4 nine minutes into the second half but Padraig Looney’s late goal put Cooraclare into the quarter-final, where they lost to Doonbeg after a replay.
Another incident that Cooraclare will recall this week is the fact that Joe Considine sustained a broken jaw in this fixture last August.
One of the game-deciding clashes on Sunday will involve Joe Considine and Liscannor midfielder Brian Considine. If either gains a significant edge, expect that team to end up in the county final.
One of the Cooraclare half-backs, possibly Mark Tubridy, will have to keep an hour-long eye on Niall Considine, who could start at either centre or wing-forward.
Another joust worth keeping an eye on will be the battle between Liscannor full-back Davy Considine and Cooraclare’s Ger Tubridy, while Fergal Lillis is likely to pick up Kieran Considine.
On all known evidence, neither set of forwards are likely to cut loose and mount up a huge score. Goals are likely to be a rare enough occurrence and indeed one could win it at either end.
Cooraclare will hope that they didn’t use up their luck quotient when Ger Tubridy found the net against Éire Óg when a benign dropping ball bamboozled the Ennis men.
Andrew O’Neill’s kick-outs have definitely helped Cooraclare in recent games, while he has been very solid under any high ball that has landed in the Cooraclare square.
In front of him, Mark Tubridy has been outstanding at centre-back, while David Marrinan and Thomas Donnellan complete a solid trio in that area, where they will be up against Niall Considine, Alan Clohessy and Thomas McDonagh.
While midfield will be a defining zone with Ronan Slattery and Brian Considine up against Joe Considine and Michael Kelly, Cooraclare forwards like John Looney, Michael McMahon and Hugh Donnelly, who is likely to roam, will need to produce huge performances to nail down a place in the county final.
They will have plenty to do though to get the better of Dara Blake, Shane Canavan, Gerry Considine and Davy McDonagh.
Following an incident with Éire Óg’s Brian Lenihan in the first replay, Cooraclare manager Aidan Moloney was suspended for two months. So unless his appeal reduces the ban significantly, the Quilty man will be directing operations from behind the fence in Miltown.
All week, Liscannor will be hammering home the message that they must play for the full hour this time. A five-minute kick towards the end won’t cut it. They should be fresher than Cooraclare, who have the momentum behind them.
If they play from the off, Liscannor should edge it against a Cooraclare side who will surely be driven to the last. Having lost to Kilmurry Ibrickane and Kilkee in the group stages, Liscannor may be lucky to be still involved but they may feel that this is the best chance of getting their hands on Jack Daly.
Cooraclare haven’t reached a county final since 1997, where they beat Doonbeg.
A rematch isn’t that long a shot but Liscannor’s experience of winning semi-finals and their desire to atone for ’02 and ’08 might edge them beyond Cooraclare.