Title holders determined to retain crown

Kilmurry Ibrickane 1-15   Cratloe 0-3

IT was believed the busy schedule of games for many Cratloe players would eventually take its toll and it began to show in the dual club’s defeat in Sunday’s championship quarter-final at Cusack Park.

Kilmurry Ibrickane 1-15   Cratloe 0-3

While credit must go to champions Kilmurry-Ibrickane for their impressive win, they will be the first to admit many of the Cratloe players showed signs of fatigue, which isn’t surprising given the programme of games they have had in recent times.

The loss of star forward Cathal McInerney because of a hamstring injury he suffered in the team’s midweek extra-time victory over Liscannor didn’t help their chances in this latest outing.

Sensing that Cratloe may suffer from their midweek efforts, champions Kilmurry piled on the pressure from the throw-in and by the end of the opening quarter, they had opened a seven-point lead. From here on, the South-East Clare men were struggling and when the half-time whistle sounded, they found themselves 10 points adrift.

To their credit, they piled on the pressure on the resumption and created a number of good scoring chances, including three great goal opportunities but a combination of good defending and poor finishing cost them dearly and they failed to register a score in the half.

“The plan was to go at them from the start and I suppose it was beyond our dreams the start we got. We played very well as a unit and worked fierce hard. We brought fierce intensity to the contest and we brought great pace to the game and got some great scores,” according to Kilmurry-Ibrickane boss John Kennedy.

“We gave the ball to the man in the best position and we worked very hard for one another. Our workrate on and off the ball was vital and to go in 10 points up at half-time was a great cushion,” he added.

The Kerry man continued, “Cratloe came at us in the second half but a great save by Peter O’Dwyer early in the half was a huge boost. If that had gone in, it might have been different. We kicked on and we could afford to soak up the pressure with that lead.

“They had two or three goal chances but our defence was good. We have to look at that as on another day they might go in. We have to be happy, it was a great performance but we have nothing won. We are just in a semi-final,” he warned.

Cratloe’s Colm Collins was disappointed with the outcome. “The main beef I have is with injuries. Cathal McInerney was injured on Wednesday night and that was a killer. When you are playing games on top of each other like that, it doesn’t help. Surely we can look at the fixtures next year and not make such a mess of them as we have made this year. We have nowhere to go. When there are draws, we have no Sunday to go to. We must play some games at the start of the year and give a bit of breathing space,” he said.

“We were beaten by a much better team and there are no complaints. We created a number of chances but it was just one of those days that they weren’t going in. It wasn’t our day. They are a good side and whoever manages to beat them will win the title,” he concluded.

Cratloe scored first through Podge Collins, who pointed from play in the third minute. Michael O’Dwyer levelled a minute later and from here on, the champions piled on the pressure. Niall Hickey and Enda Coughlan pointed in the space of a minute before they lost midfielder Keith King with a shoulder injury. He was replaced by Ian McInerney, who went on to kick five points.

The game’s only goal came in the 11th minute. A Seamus Murrihy effort rebounded off the upright and the experienced Johnnie Daly collected and found the net. The score clearly rattled Cratloe, while Kilmurry grew in confidence from there on and led 1-10 to 0-3 at the break.

It was clear that Cratloe needed scores early in the second half if they were to get back into contention. They made some positional switches and attacked from the throw-in but failed to turn some good possession into scores. Eight minutes into the half, Kilmurry goalkeeper Peter O’Dwyer Junior made a fine stop from Conor McGrath. He saved from Podge Collins a few minutes later, while Cratloe failed to find the target from some good positions.

The half was 17 minutes old before there was a score, with Ian McInerney converting a free. The winners finished strongly and added four points in the last six minutes to seal a semi-final date with Kilrush.

Kilmurry-Ibrickane: Peter O’Dwyer Junior; Martin McMahon (capt), Darren Hickey, Shane Hickey; Thomas O’Connor, Paul O’Connor, Declan Callinan; Peter O’Dwyer, Keith King; Seamus Murrihy, Michael O’Dwyer, Niall Hickey; Enda Coughlan, Noel Downes, Johnnie Daly.
Subs: Ian McInerney for King (inj, 9 minutes), Thomas Lernihan for Murrihy (48 minutes), Evan Talty for P O’Dwyer Senior (50 minutes), Odran O’Dwyer for Daly (55 minutes) and Ciarán Morrissey for Downes (55 minutes).
Scorers: Ian McInerney (0-5, 4f), Johnnie Daly (1-0), Seamus Murrihy and Niall Hickey (0-2 each), Shane Hickey, Thomas O’Connor, Michael O’Dwyer, Enda Coughlan, Evan Talty and Odran O’Dwyer (0-1 each).
Frees for: 16; wides: 8.
Bookings: Declan Callinan (40 minutes).

Cratloe: Pierce DeLoughrey; Sean Chaplin, Barry Duggan, Enda Boyce; Martin ‘Ogie’ Murphy, Brendan Bugler, Wes DeLoughrey; Conor Ryan, Mike Hawes; Shane O’Leary, Sean Collins, Conor McGrath; Padraig Chaplin, Podge Collins, Liam Markham.
Subs: Sean Hynan for P Chaplin (45 minutes), Gearóid Ryan for O’Leary (52 minutes), Kevin Browne for Ryan (55 minutes) and David Collins for W De Loughrey (55 minutes).
Scorers: Padraig Chaplin (f), Enda Boyce (f) and Podge Collins (0-1 each).
Frees for: 27; wides: 6; 45s: 1.
Bookings: Conor Ryan (41 minutes), Pierce DeLoughrey (57 minutes) and Sean Chaplin (59 minutes).
Referee: Pat Cosgrove, Corofin.