O’Gorman Cup win for Kilmurry-Ibrickane

Kilmurry-Ibrickane 2-10   Cooraclare 0-11

Kilmurry-Ibrickane collected their second title in just over a week and, in the process, brought their recent winnings to €4,500 when they defeated Cooraclare in the O’Gorman Cup final at Doonbeg on Monday afternoon.
Their Cusack Cup victory over Doonbeg last week earned them €2,500 from sponsors, The Clare Champion and Monday’s O’Gorman Cup success brought then a further €2,000. Runners-up Cooraclare received €1,000.
Two goals from Enda Coughlan in the final quarter turned this week’s final in Kilmurry’s favour. Five minutes into the second half they trailed by four points and were fortunate not to have been further behind at the time. They had the margin down to two at the three quarter stage and two minutes later Coughlan struck for the first of his goals.
Johnnie Daly’s delivery was flicked on by the unmarked Coughlan who had move up from centre back and his effort beat Declan Keane in the Cooraclare goal and gave his side a lead they would hold to the end.
Five minutes from time, the centre-back came forward again and finished off a fine move with a powerful drive to the roof of the net. This score killed off any hopes of a Cooraclare fight back.
With current inter county senior players not eligible, Martin McMahon (Kilmurry-Ibrickane, Rory Donnelly and Mark Tubridy (Cooraclare) were ruled out of this final.
Cooraclare went in front in the first minute when Andrew O’Neill kicked a fine point but an Ian McInerney ’45 had the teams level by the fourth minute before Johnnie Daly put the winners into the lead a minute later.
John Looney converted a 13 m free after he had been fouled to level matters in the twelfth minute and Michael McMahon followed with the lead point for Cooraclare, awarded for a foul on Cathal Lillis who picked up a hand injury that is likely to keep him out of action for a few weeks.
The sides were level twice more before two late first half points from John Looney and David Marrinan had Cooraclare two clear at half time when the score stood at 0-7 to 0-5.
Twenty seconds into the second half, Cooraclare keeper Declan Keane made a fine save to deny Kilmurry a goal as he turned a Johnnie Daly volley over the bar. Cooraclare hit back with points from Gearóid and John (2 frees) Looney to go four clear. At this stage they were dominating the game and Kilmurry were struggling in a number of areas.
Good points from Coughlan and team captain Peter O’Dwyer kept them in touch before Coughlan’s first goal turned the tie in their favour.
Goalkeeper Peter O’Dwyer, Paul O’Connor, midfielder Peter O’Dwyer and Enda Coughlan after he switched to centre-back stood out for the winners.
Thomas Downes, David Marrinan, Andrew O’Neill and John Looney were prominent for Cooraclare.

Kilmurry-Ibrickane: Peter O’Dwyer Junior; Shane Hickey, Darren Hickey, John Sexton; Paul O’Connor (0-1), Evan Talty, Seamus Lynch; Peter O’Dwyer Snr (0-1), Seamus Murrihy; Ian McInerney (0-2, 1 ’45, 1f), Enda Coughlan (2-1), Mark McCarthy; Stephen Moloney, Noel Downes (0-2) Johnnie Daly (0-3, 1f).
Subs: Michael O’Dwyer for Sexton; Colm Donnellan for Moloney (inj) Niall Hickey for Murrihy.
Cooraclare: Declan Keane; Conor Marrinan, Thomas Downes, Fergal Lillis; Declan McMahon, Thomas Donnellan, David Marrinan (0-1); Andrew O’Neill (0-2), Sean Maguire; Kieran Hassett, Michael McMahon (0-1), Gearóid Looney (0-1); Cathal Lillis, John Looney (0-6, 5f), Michael Kelly.
Subs: Don Garry for C Lillis (inj); Joe Considine for Maguire.
Referee: Pat Cosgrove, Corofin.