Win not enough for St Senan’s

St Senan’s 2-7 Liscannor 0-12

ST SENAN’S Kilkee came out one-point winners in the senior football championship tie played at Kilmihil on Sunday evening but it wasn’t enough to keep them in the title race.
Despite this win, their first in the campaign, they finished bottom in their group, after scoring difference decided that Liscannor finished ahead of Miltown, with Kilkee in fourth spot, which means that they will now be involved in the relegation play-off.
Liscannor went into the game in the knowledge that a win would guarantee them a place in the quarter-finals. For much of the tie it looked like this would be the way things would go but a brace of Kilkee goals at the start of the final quarter put the Seasiders into the lead and this sparked off huge interest, not only amongst those attending the game but amongst followers of Miltown St Joseph’s, who were in action against the title holders Kilmurry-Ibrickane at the same time in Ennistymon.
Calculations were being made each time a score came at either venue as fans weighed up the chances of making it through to the play-offs
The seasiders got off to a good start with a brace of points from inter-county man Michael O’Shea but Liscannor hit back, thanks to some great points from Alan Clohessy, to lead 0-8 to 0-6 at half-time. Clohessy landed five of those points, with the other one coming from Ciaran Considine, while Micheál Keane and long-serving David Russell were also on the mark for Kilkee.
By the midpoint of the second half, the North Clare men, county finalists in 2008, had extended their advantage to four points after Joe Considine and Clohessy with two more, had added to their tally.
Goals from Kevin Larkin and Dara Kelly turned the tie on its head and gave the Seasiders a three-point lead.
Liscannor, to their credit, bounced back and points from the Considines, Joe and Ciaran, were followed by an equaliser from Alan Clohessy, his eighth of the evening, to tie up the game at the end of normal time.
The winning point came from Kevin Larkin in injury time but it wasn’t enough to keep them in the championship race.

St Senan’s: Kevin Harte; Jimmy Larkin, Darragh Kelly, Darren Owens; Christy Kirwan, Thomas Galvin, Brendan Smyth; Brian Clancy, David Russell; Micheál Keane, Barry Harte, Kevin Larkin; Gearóid Lynch, Michael O’Shea, Chris Williamson.
Sub: Senan Larkin for Owens.
Scorers: Kevin Larkin (1-1); Michael O’Shea (0-3); Darragh Kelly (1-0); Micheál Keane, Barry Harte and David Russell (0-1) each.

Liscannor: Noel Kilmartin; Shane Canavan, David McDonagh, Michael Foley; Robert Lucas, Ronan Slattery, Gerard Considine; Alan Flaherty, Brian Considine; Joe Considine, Dara Blake, Niall Considine; Declan Fawl, Alan Clohessy, Ciaran Considine.
Sub: Thomas McDonagh for G Considine.
Scorers: Alan Clohessy (0-8); Joe Considine (0-2); Ciaran Considine (0-2).

Referee: Michael McGann, Michael Cusack’s.