Young Magpies finally earn their wings

Doonbeg 0-11 Liscannor 0-7

DOONBEG parish is littered with retired footballers whose pockets jingle full of county championship medals. For the first time in their careers, the current Doonbeg senior football team can look their medal-laden fathers, uncles and neighbours in the eye, knowing that last Sunday they proved themselves worthy of the black and white jersey.
Championship medals are the sole currency by which Doonbeg footballers are paid heed to and heading into the 2010 final, Doonbeg’s first since 2001, only Nigel Dillon, Padraig Gallagher, Conor Whelan and Kevin Nugent from this year’s team started in their 17th championship winning county final nine years ago.
Until 4.50pm on Sunday, the rest had yet to dissuade their doubt-fuelled critics, most of them Doonbeg people, that they were champion material.
Team captain Colm Dillon, who scored the game’s most crucial points in the first 10 minutes of the second half, encapsulated his side’s relief at establishing themselves in the annals of their club’s history. “Eighteen” was his final word in what was a measured and meaningful acceptance speech, which eloquently caught the moment.
So how did Doonbeg get there? Not very impressively for 35 minutes is part one of the honest answer.
The first half featured a miserly five points, three for Liscannor, who led 0-3 to 0-2 at the interval. A notable element of what was a disjointed, pedestrian first half was Doonbeg’s midfield dominance on kick-outs, although they were unable to reflect that on the scoreboard. Liscannor couldn’t retain possession from their first five kick-outs, winning only number six, while Doonbeg won five of their eight first-half kick-outs.
David Tubridy pointed Doonbeg ahead from a sixth-minute 40-yard free into the scoreboard end in Cusack Park, following a foul on Colm Dillon. Two minutes later, Enda Doyle fired Doonbeg’s second point after a quick Dillon free found Shane Ryan. He laid off to Doyle, who had made a lung bursting run. Significantly, they didn’t score again until two minutes into the second half.
With Doonbeg totally dominant at this early stage, Ryan and Tubridy kicked wides before Niall Considine, now at centre-forward, escaped David Downes and kicked a superb 45 yard point from play, largely thanks to Joe Considine, who robbed Doonbeg of possession.
Shortly afterwards, Kieran Considine limped off and was replaced by Johnny Considine who immediately equalised, picking up a perceptive Niall Considine pass over the top of the Doonbeg defence.
With the sides now deadlocked at 0-2 each, the next 15 minutes were pockmarked with poor, directionless football, although Liscannor were dominating territorially. They didn’t make this count though, as Brian Considine, Ronan Slattery and Niall Considine either kicked wides or dropped the ball short into Nigel Dillon.
Just before half-time, David Tubridy landed one into Noel Kilmartin himself and also kicked wide from play. A minute into injury time, Ronan Slattery won Liscannor’s sixth first-half kick-out and seconds later, he fired the ’02 and ’08 finalists into a 0-3 to 0-2 half-time lead.
Two minutes after the restart, David Tubridy pointed Doonbeg level after he had been fouled but Alan Clohessy responded with a very impressive 45 yard free after Slattery had been impeded.
Liscannor were soon 0-5 to 0-3 up, thanks to Niall Considine, who evaded Pauric Aherne having linked with Niall Considine. Briefly, it looked as if Liscannor might establish a game-winning grip and leave Ennis with Jack Daly for the first time. The game had reached a stage where if somebody was capable of offering substantive leadership, that player’s team would probably go on to win. Up stepped Doonbeg captain and centre-forward Colm Dillon, who angled over a magnificent point into the town end from near the sideline. Doonbeg now seemed re-energised and a minute later, Dillon drove through the heart of the Liscannor defence and slotted an equalising (0-5 each) left-footed point.
Shane O’Brien had already been introduced for Shane Killeen and with Jamie Whelan now on for Brian Egan, Doonbeg were playing improved, freer football.
Tubridy kicked them a point up, after Colm Dillon had wrought an albeit soft free from Dara Blake. With no discernible pattern yet evident, Ronan Slattery picked up a leg injury, which left him limping, while Niall Considine kicked another Liscannor wide. Every ball was now invaluable and Richie Vaughan showed that Doonbeg were prepared to put themselves on the line, when he displayed real courage to take a knock in winning a breaking ball in front of Nigel Dillon.
Ten minutes from full-time, David Tubridy kicked the point of the game off his left foot to establish a 0-7 to 0-5 Doonbeg lead. He added to it seconds later from a 14 yard free, awarded after Alan Flaherty fouled Pauric Aherne. Now three behind, Liscannor were visibly creaking but a 40 yard Alan Clohessy free, won by Brian Considine, cut the deficit to two points. This was followed by a Colm Dillon wide before Clohessy won a free 22 yards out, at a reasonable angle. However, his free drifted wide and with it went Liscannor’s hopes of salvaging a draw. A free taker of Clohessy’s proven ability would have expected to clip that one over without any fuss.
Two minutes from time, David Tubridy switched play and located Shane Ryan, who eased Doonbeg into a 0-9 to 0-6 lead. Like scores from Frank O’Dea and Jamie Whelan finished Liscannor and secured Doonbeg’s 18th county title since 1955. A 21 yard Alan Clohessy free reduced the gap to four points but Liscannor never looked like engineering a goal.
Doonbeg’s defence was generally very solid with the full-back line never looking stretched, while Pauric Aherne nabbed a lot of loose ball in the half-back line. Frank O’Dea established an early marker by catching Doonbeg’s first kick-out. He played very solidly, as did Enda Doyle beside him at midfield. Up front, while David Tubridy was definitely one of the better performers, Colm Dillon should have been selected player of the match. He kicked two game-defining scores when Doonbeg badly needed them and was involved in creating at least three other scores.
Tubridy worked exceptionally hard, especially in the second half, when he regularly drifted back to help his defence. Substitutes Shane O’Brien and Jamie Whelan also contributed very significantly to Doonbeg’s win.
Niall Considine was Liscannor’s best player, while Ronan Slattery gave his last drop for Liscannor. Other key players, including Brian Considine and Alan Clohessy, didn’t contribute as much as the North Clare men needed from play, while Kieran Considine’s injury left them without a viable outlet in the full-forward line.
The 2010 county final was not one that will prove unforgettable, unless you are a Doonbeg footballer grasping a championship medal. Their days of listening to their medal-laden elders lecture them are over. This Doonbeg team has created its own history and winning identity after years of thankless toil and near misses.

Doonbeg: Nigel Dillon; Richie Vaughan, Padraig Gallagher, Conor Whelan; Joe Blake, David Downes, Paraic Aherne; Frank O’Dea, Enda Doyle; Brian Egan, Colm Dillon, Shane Killeen; Kevin Nugent, Shane Ryan, David Tubridy.
Subs: Shane O’Brien for Shane Killeen (36) and Jamie Whelan for Brian Egan (39).
Scorers: David Tubridy (0-5, 4f), Colm Dillon (0-2), Enda Doyle, Shane Ryan, Frank O’Dea and Jamie Whelan (0-1) each.
Wides: 7; Frees won: 30; 45s: 1
Yellow cards: Enda Doyle and Frank O’Dea.

Liscannor: Noel Kilmartin; Shane Canavan, David McDonagh, Michael Foley; Robbie Lucas, Dara Blake, Gerry Considine; Brian Considine, Ronan Slattery; Joe Considine, Thomas McDonagh, Alan Clohessy; Niall Considine, Kieran Considine, Declan Fawl.
Subs: Johnny Considine for Kieran Considine (inj, 15), Alan Flaherty for Thomas McDonagh (39), Denis Murphy for Johnny Considine (52) and Alan McDonagh for Joe Considine (63).
Scorers: Alan Clohessy (0-3f), Niall Considine (0-2), Johnny Considine and Ronan Slattery (0-1) each.
Wides: 10; Frees won: 25; 45s: 0
Yellow cards: 0
Referee: Michael Talty (Kilmurry Ibrickane).