U-16 honours for Kilmurry

Kilmurry Ibrickane 1-6   Corofin 0-4

KILMURRY Ibrickane secured the U-16 Division 2 Shield title on Sunday when they overcame Corofin after a tough battle in Ennistymon.

 

Kilmurry were pushed all the way by the North Clare men but the real damage was done in the first half where Kilmurry registered 1-4 to a solitary score while playing against the breeze.

 

The opening score of the game came in the second minute from Kilmurry corner-forward Brian Donnellan, whose precise finish to the Corofin net gave Kilmurry a lead they never surrendered. Two points from Keelan Sexton and captain Keith Sexton left Kilmurry 1-2 to 0-0 to the good after the first quarter.

Kilmurry were dominant all over the field throughout the first half and this dominance was further highlighted when Sexton notched his second point of the game in the 22nd minute to put six points between the sides.
Dean Ruane got Corofin off the mark in the 26th minute with a well taken free but Sexton responded for Kilmurry to leave the half-time score at  Kilmurry 1-4 Corofin 0-1.

Kilmurry had the aid of the breeze in the second half and added two more points through wing-forward Ronan Murrihy and Sexton. That left the score at 1-6 to 0-1 in favour of the men from the West at the three-quarter stage.

However, they didn’t have a comfortable run to the finishing line as Corofin fought back with two more pointed frees from Dean Ruane and a good effort by Conor O’Loughlin, reducing the deficit to five points heading into injury time. Kilmurry can thank goalkeeper Michael Kelleher for pulling out a tremendous save from James Courtney and Sexton displayed great bravery to block another goal-bound effort as Corofin piled on the pressure in the closing stages.

It wasn’t to be their day though as Kilmurry ran out winners on a score of 1-6 to 0-4. The Kilmurry backline was superb throughout, while the midfield pairing of Keith and Keelan Sexton controlled the game.
Accepting the shield after the game, captain Keith Sexton paid tribute to Corofin for a tough game and praised the commitment of all involved with the panel.

Kilmurry-Ibrickane: Michael Kelleher; Cillian O’Flaherty, Kieran Killeen, Patrick Flynn; Niall McGannon, Diarmuid Downes, Danny Murphy; Keith Sexton (captain), Keelan Sexton; Ronan Murrihy, Padraig Greene, Darren Callinan; Ross Burke, Adam Roughan, Brian Donnellan.
Subs: Andrew Shannon for Murphy, Kieran Donnellan for Callinan and Sean Comber for Greene.
Scorers: Keelan Sexon (0-4), Brian Donnellan (1-0), Keith Sexton, Ronan Murrihy 0-1 each.

Corofin: James Hogan; Conor Hillary, Stephen Burke, Cillian Clancy; Sean Hillary, Colm Rice, Shay Malone; Eoin Clancy (captain), James Courtney; Michael Kelly, Conor O’Loughlin, Damien O’Loughlin; Dean Ruane, Lee O’Donovan, Aidan Collins.
Scorers: Dean Ruane (0-3) and Conor O’Loughlin (0-1).