Share of the spoils a fair outcome

Kilmurry Ibrickane 0-15   Cratloe 1-12

ON an evening when both sides were guilty of missed chances, a draw was a fair outcome in the Senior Football Championship first-round clash of title holders Kilmurry-Ibrickane and Cratloe at Cusack Park on Tuesday.

 

Extra time failed to separate the teams and they will return to the same venue on Sunday evening at 6.30pm for the replay.

According to Kilmurry-Ibrickane manager Patrick Murrihy, “It was a great game and full credit to Cratloe. They are a brilliant side and if they had won the game, we would have had no crib. Our experience helped as we kept hanging in there and hanging in there. Hopefully that game will bring us on.”

He went on to say that Kilmurry “are delighted to get a second bite of the cherry” before noting “it’s been a very tough week around Kilmurry. There were more important things than football this week”.

Cratloe boss Colm Collins agreed, “A draw was a fair result overall. It was a very good game of football but the free-taking let the game down on both sides. Each team should have had four or five more points.”
The Kilmihil native said he has “tremendous respect for Kilmurry”.

“They are the standard bearers and whoever beats them will win the championship. They have a core of fellas that would get on any team,” he said, as he singled out the performances of Enda Coughlan and Shane Hickey for special mention.

The defending champions had marginally the better of the first-half exchanges but a Liam Markham goal for Cratloe just before the half-time whistle proved to be a vital score. Kilmurry will be disappointed with the concession of the score, as hesitancy resulted in possession being spilled and Liam Markham drilled a first-time effort low to the net with the last action of the half.

Kilmurry had led from the start and when Enda Coughlan pointed in the third minute of injury time at the end of the opening period, they went five clear. After this score, Cratloe launched an attack and corner-back Enda Boyce’s delivery caused panic in the Kilmurry defence. The ball broke to Markham and he made no mistake with the game’s only goal.

The score clearly boosted the South-East Clare outfit and by the 10th minute of the second half they had drawn level, 0-10 to 1-7. Three minutes later, Liam Markham finished off a great move with a point, which gave Cratloe the lead for the first time.

From here to the finish it was score for score and they were level twice more before the full-time whistle, three minutes into injury time. The last score came from Sean Collins eight minutes from time. Cratloe had the better of matters in the final 10 minutes but they were guilty of some bad misses.

They took a two-point lead early in the first period of extra time through Conor McGrath and Sean Collins but like scores from Enda Coughlan and Ian McInerney (free) had the teams level by the end of this period. When Noel Downes pointed 20 seconds into the second period, Kilmurry supporters felt they might edge the tie but a Sean Collins effort had them level shortly after this. In the final five minutes, both teams missed opportunities.

Kilmurry brought Johnnie Daly back into the game two minutes from the end after they were awarded a free but he dragged the effort wide of the left-hand upright.

Shane Hickey was outstanding in the champion’s defence, while Enda Coughlan, the O’Dwyers, Michael and Peter (senior), and Paul O’Connor got through some good work.

For Cratloe, Liam Markham, Ogie Murphy, Sean and Paudge Collins, Conor McGrath and Barry Duggan were prominent.

The absence of Cathal McInerney was a big blow to Cratloe hopes. He picked up an injury when helping his side to victory in the Senior Hurling Championship on Sunday evening. The expectation is that he will be fit to play on Sunday.

Adding to their problems, they lost midfielder Conor Ryan to injury midway through the second half and it remains to be seen if he will have recovered in time for the replay.

Before the game, a minute’s silence was observed as a mark of respect to the late Patrick Murrihy, Michael Galvin and Noel Dickinson from Quilty, all of whom died tragically in recent days. The Kilmurry players wore black arm bands.

 

Kilmurry-Ibrickane: Peter O’Dwyer Junior; Martin McMahon (captain), Darren Hickey, Shane Hickey; Evan Talty, Paul O’Connor, Thomas O’Connor; Peter O’Dwyer, Keith King; Seamus Murrihy, Michael O’Dwyer, Niall Hickey; Enda Coughlan, Noel Downes, Johnnie Daly.
Subs: Declan Callinan for Thomas O’Connor (22 minutes), Ian McInerney for Daly (44 minutes), Ciarán Morrissey for Murrihy (46 minutes), Thomas Lernihan for Talty (55 minutes), Thomas O’Connor for Morrissey (70 minutes), Seamus Murrihy for N Hickey (75 minutes) and Johnnie Daly for I McInerney (77 minutes).
Scorers: Enda Coughlan (0-4), Michael O’Dwyer, Johnnie Daly (2f) and Noel Downes (0-3 each), Ian McInerney (f) and Peter O’Dwyer (0-1 each).
Frees for: 23; wides: 12; 45s: 2
Bookings: Thomas O’Connor (17 minutes), Noel Downes (30 minutes) and Peter O’Dwyer Senior (59 minutes).

Cratloe: Pierce DeLoughrey; Enda Boyce, Barry Duggan, Sean Chaplin; Martin ‘Ogie’ Murphy, Michael Hawes, Wes de Loughrey; Conor Ryan, Kevin Browne; Sean Collins, Paudge Collins, Robert Conlon; Padraig Chaplin, Liam Markham, Conor McGrath.
Subs: Shane O’Leary for Conlon (38 minutes), Gearóid Ryan for K Browne (38 minutes), Fergal Carroll for C Ryan (inj, 45 minutes), Shane Gleeson for P Chaplin (extra time), Dean De Loughrey for Gleeson (70 minutes) and Conor Earley for O’Leary (73 minutes).
Scorers: Liam Markham (1-2), Conor McGrath and Sean Collins (0-3 each), Padraig Chaplin (0-2, 1f), Wes De Loughrey and Paudge Collins (0-1 each).
Frees for: 27; wides: 15
Bookings: Padraig Chaplin (23 minutes) and Robert Conlon (33 minutes).

Referee: Pat Cosgrove, Corofin.