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Man of The Match Conor Cleary of Miltown in action against Darren Hickey of Kilmurry Ibrickane during their senior football county final replay at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.

Miltown do the double as they down the Bricks

Miltown Malbay 0-12 Kilmurry Ibrickane 0-8

ST JOSEPH’S Miltown Malbay rattled off five scores without reply to come from behind and claim their second senior title in as many seasons.

It was a fast start to the game with an Eoin Cleary free getting proceedings underway while Aidan McCarthy got the Bricks off the mark as he curled a fine point over the bar from the left-hand side.

It appeared Kilmurry had added a goal seconds later when Michael O’Dwyer finished to the net but referee Fergal Gray had sounded his whistle in the build-up and he called play back for a free to Miltown Malbay.

Kilmurry Ibrickane took the lead in the 12th minute with a Keelan Sexton free from 25m out but a minute later, late inclusion Graham Kelly fired over a gorgeous point from 30m out to level it at 0-2 each.

Sexton was having a big say in proceedings and his free followed by a beauty from the outside of the boot saw his side lead 0-4 to 0-2 with 20 minutes gone.

The low scoring didn’t reflect the exciting and end-to-end nature of the game which was a big improvement on the sides’ meeting last week.

Sexton then fired over the score of the half with a beautiful free curled in from the left-hand sideline.

Eoin Cleary then fired over a booming effort while under pressure. A score Miltown Malbay badly needed.

He then added a free before Conor Cleary would draw his side level just before the half-time whistle with a monster from 50 yards out. The sides were level heading into the dressing rooms.

Eoin Cleary landed his fourth from a free from 21 yards out before Miltown went very close to the game’s first goal when Cormac Murray’s fisted effort somehow stayed out.

Goalkeeper Ian McInerney then slotted a long-range free to see the sides’ level again with a quarter remaining.

Conor Cleary then landed a huge point from 45m out that lifted his side and the St Joseph’s crowd.

Sexton gave the Kilmurry contingent something of their own to cheer about soon after when he nailed a ’45 and the sides were locked at 0-7 each with 10 minutes remaining.

Sexton fired over his sixth from a placed ball straight in front of the goals before Darragh McDonagh blazed his shot over the crossbar when through on goal to leave it 0-8 each with just a minute of normal time remaining.

As the clock struck 60 minutes, McDonagh found space to notch his second point at a crucial time.

Eoin Cleary then kicked a free from 21 yards to put his side two ahead with two minutes remaining of the additional four.

Two late points from Cormac Murray and Eoin Curtin ensured that Miltown Malbay were crowned Clare champions for 2019.

St Joseph’s Miltown Malbay: Sean O’Brien; Enda O’Gorman, Seanie Malone, Eoin O’Brien; Aidan McGuane, Gordon Kelly, Gearoid Curtin; Oisin Looney, Conor Cleary; Graham Kelly, Eoin Cleary, Kieran Malone; Brian Curtin, Darragh McDonagh, Cormac Murray.

Kilmurry Ibrickane: Ian McInerney; Mark Killeen, Darren Hickey, Ciaran Morrissey; Daniel Walsh, Martin McMahon, Daragh Sexton; Keith King, Aidan McCarthy; Shane Hickey, Enda Coughlan, Michael Hogan; Michael O’Dwyer, Dermot Coughlan, Keelan Sexton.

For comprehensive reports, analysis and reaction, pick up next week’s Clare Champion

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