Kilrush 1-6   Kilmurry-Ibrickane 0-9

NOBODY who paid their €10 entrance fee into last Saturday’s county semi-final left Doonbeg muttering about value for money.

This hour of the football was well worth the admission. In fact, it lasted a bit longer than an hour as Jim Young’s 63rd minute equaliser attests. With Kilmurry grimly hanging on to a one-point lead, Kilrush drove at the champions repeatedly.

Outstanding wing-back Matthew Moloney eventually won a free 45-yards from goal, presenting Young with the chance to force a replay. Flawless throughout the championship for game-deciding frees, Young curled this one inside the post at the scoreboard end in Doonbeg.

Any Kilrush supporter who hadn’t much to say later that night or on Sunday can trace issues with their malfunctioning larynx to that moment. The roar that greeted that score must have been heard in Kilrush town itself.

When Michael O’Dwyer kicked Kilmurry 0-9 to 1-4 ahead, ten minutes from time, it seemed inevitable that Kilmurry would edge home and into their second successive county final. Created by a storming Peter O’Dwyer run, that score was just Kilmurry’s third second half point and, in fact, their last.

Employing Darragh Bolton as an extra defender, with a licence to attack, Kilrush tied up Kilmurry in most sectors. They harried, chased, tackled and blocked ferociously, leaving the champions with a precarious grip on their title. A lesser team would have collapsed but Kilmurry withstood much of what was thrown at them and with more clinical second half finishing, they would have still won.

They led 0-6 to 1-2 at half-time and a second minute Niall Hickey pointed extended their lead to two.
Just after that point, Jim Young’s goal effort was ruled out. John Hayes had floated a long free in towards the square. Young appeared to drift in to the square after the ball but a free-out was awarded by Pat Cosgrove.

It must be said that the umpires and the referee were much closer to the scene than this reporter, although Kilrush couldn’t work out why the goal didn’t stand.

Young pointed the first of his four-second half frees two minutes later, following a foul on Matthew Moloney. Kilmurry could have netted at the opposite end just seconds after that, when Enda Coughlan got on the end of a move initiated by Peter O’Dwyer and drove a rising shot over Tony Burke’s crossbar.

That score, ten minutes into the second half, was Kilmurry’s second last point. Young and Michael O’Dwyer swapped scores to leave Kilmurry two points up, 0-9 to 1-4, a lead they held until three minutes from time. A foul on Peadar McMahon led to Young pointing from 40 yards before he held his nerve six minutes later, to arch over that final, game-defining free.

Kilmurry will feel that if Michael O’Dwyer, Mark McCarthy, Enda Coughlan or Paul O’Connor had pointed one or two of their wides, they would have held on.

Kilrush roared into the game immediately and Padjoe McGrath kicked the games first score after just 20 seconds. However, Kilmurry were soon 0-3 to 0-1 up following pointed frees from Ian McInerney and Johnny Daly, while Noel Downes scored from play.

John Hayes then burst forward to kick an inspirational score for Kilrush who had to contend with Shane Hickey as Kilmurry’s mostly spare defender, with Bolton their extra man.

Two minutes after McInerney pointed a free won by Peter O’Dwyer, Ruaidhrí O’Connor netted a superb goal. Donal O’Sullivan fielded a kick-out and laid the ball off to Peadar McMahon, who spotted O’Connor’s run across the Kilmurry goalmouth and into space. Holding off Declan Callinan, the Kilrush corner forward buried the ball into the far corner and put his side 1-2 to 0-4 up.

Kilmurry showed their resilience immediately however when Shane Hickey equalised. While Kilrush celebrated, Kilmurry had taken a lightening quick kick-out.

Just before half-time O’Sullivan lost possession, which led to Shane Hickey being fouled, allowing McInerney the opportunity to kick his third first half free.

A point down at half-time, Kilrush had achieved their initial target; competitiveness come half-time. They defended in numbers and regularly operated without any full forward line. To launch meaningful attacks, they relied on incessant support play, particularly from their half-backs, once they won back possession.

Kilmurry will feel that they under-performed for most of the game and just weren’t as up for it as Kilrush. Of course, they now have a second crack at it and will surely not be as lax this weekend. They will demand a much higher work rate from virtually all of their players in the middle third, while Enda Coughlan will surely be given a defined, central role to get the best out of him.

Only Peter O’Dwyer and his brother, Michael, in the second half, produced anything near the work ethic normally associated with Kilmurry. Martin McMahon was their best defender, while Shane Hickey’s point from play was an exceptional score. While Kilmurry mighn’t have been too impressive, it’s worth remembering that Padjoe McGrath was the only Kilrush forward to score a point from play.

Up front Noel Downes did beat Cathal Lyons to a few balls in the second half but Lyons defended the Kilmurry full-forward well, once he had secured possession and ran at him. Mark McCarthy didn’t look match sharp when introduced and would have benefited from a run out against Cratloe in the quarter-final, rather than being pitched into a hectic championship semi-final for his first competitive game since sustaining a cruciate knee injury in last winter’s Munster club final.

As for Kilrush, their defence excelled with Matthew Moloney again superb. John Hayes had a great first half but didn’t attack enough in the second, while Chris Dixon and Niall Gilbride were rock solid in front of Tony Burke, who returned to goals following a groin injury.

O’Sullivan worked well between the two 45s, while up front Ruaidhrí O’Connor and Peadar McMahon gave it everything. The work rate of Stephen Sweeney and Darragh Bolton showcased Kilrush’s attitude.

Kilrush: Tony Burke; Cathal Lyons, Chris Dixon, Niall Gilbride; Con O’Brien, John Hayes, Matthew Moloney (captain); Donal O’Sullivan, Jim Young; Padjoe McGrath, Stephen Sweeney, Darragh Bolton; Ruaidhrí O’Connor, Owen Tarrant, Peadar McMahon.
Subs: Niall Clancy for Padjoe McGrath (half-time); Niall Brennan for Con O’Brien (40); Paddy Clancy for Owen Tarrant (42); David O’Shea for Niall Clancy (52).
Scorers: Jim Young (0-4f); Ruaidhrí O’Connor (1-0); Padjoe McGrath, John Hayes (0-1 each).
Wides: 6   Frees: 28
Yellow cards: 0
Kilmurry Ibrickane: Peter O’Dwyer; Shane Hickey, Darren Hickey, Declan Callinan; Thomas O’Connor, Paul O’Connor, Martin McMahon (captain); Peter O’Dwyer, Ian McInerney; Seamus Murrihy, Michael O’Dwyer, Niall Hickey; Enda Coughlan, Noel Downes, Johnny Daly.
Subs: Mark McCarthy for Johnny Daly (41); Thomas Lernihan for Seamus Murrihy, Evan Talty for Mark McCarthy (both 52).
Scorers: Ian McInerney (0-3f); Johnny Daly (0-1f); Noel Downes, Shane Hickey, Niall Hickey, Enda Coughlan, Michael O’Dwyer (0-1 each).
Wides: 10   Frees: 21
Yellow cards: 0
Referee: Pat Cosgrove (Corofin).

Shams query disallowed second-half goal

WHEN Kilrush lost their opening championship game to Éire Óg, they lined out without Peadar McMahon, David O’Shea or Donal O’Sullivan. Since that early August evening in Kilmihil, the 22-time county champions have won three successive championship games and drawn their fourth with Kilmurry.

All three veterans have played crucial roles, lending know-how and calmness to their younger teammates. Donal O’Sullivan was outstanding against Ennistymon in the quarter-final and contributed hugely again against Kilmurry.

“We were behind in our last three games and we were behind in the second half today against the breeze but I think we showed great heart and determination. Our half-back line was driving forward. That’s what we asked for and that’s what they did,” he said as both teams sat in their respective dressing rooms, weighing up the evenings football.

Acknowledging that Kilmurry’s wide count helped Kilrush, O’Sullivan felt that Jim Young’s disallowed goal, seven minutes into the second half, should have stood.

“I suppose maybe a draw was a fair result. Kilmurry kicked a few wides in the second half and we had a goal disallowed although I don’t know why the referee disallowed it. I thought the square ball was out. We definitely weren’t in the square before the ball but look, that’s done and dusted. We have to forget about it,” he said.

On a less contentious note, Jim Young curled over a superb equalising free, three minutes into injury time.

“Jimmy is kicking good frees all year. It was on the right hand side for a right-footed kicker so it was probably on his wrong side. Under pressure he showed that he had the temperament to kick it over and we were delighted to get the replay,” O’Sullivan added.

Kilrush’s combination of gnarled veterans and sprightly youngsters has propelled them to the cusp of their first county final appearance in nine years. O’Sullivan cited substitute Niall Brennan’s display as an example of their youthful verve.

“He has no fear. He had a couple of shots and was unlucky for a point. He did very well when he came on,” the Kilrush-based accountant said of the 19-year-old.

As for himself, O’Sullivan will be resting as much as possible ahead of this weekends replay.

“I don’t think I’ll be doing any training this week anyway. It would have been great to get the win today but we’re delighted now. Half way through the second half we’d have taken a draw,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Kilrush manager, Aidan Moloney said that he couldn’t have asked for more effort from his panel. 

“It just showed that Kilmurry can be closed down when the work ethic is there. I have to compliment the boys. They gave it 100% in the tackling and the blocking. You can have all the game plans you like but if you don’t have that, you’ve nothing,” he said.

“I felt we didn’t get all of the breaks that could have gone our way today but I’m proud of the lads. I think our defence was excellent. We were fairly well organised although we struggled a little bit up front in the first half,” the Kilmurry Ibrickane club man acknowledged.

Moloney was delighted to see Ruaidhrí O’Connor ending up on the end of Peadar McMahon’s through ball, which the Kilrush corner forward lethally dispatched beyond Peter O’Dwyer.

“That was a super goal. It was a great ball in. Ruaidhrí  is a quality player and if we can get him more possession like that he has an eye for a score,” Moloney noted.

As for the disallowed goal, the former Clare Munster championship winning midfielder felt that it was a legitimate score.

“It was given as a square ball. I know there’s a rule that you can be in the square from open play but not from a free. It looked like to me that Jim (Young) was running in from a long way off. The ball was well in the air. We hit the crossbar as well and we’d a few half chances but look we’re delighted to get a second chance and I think that this display will give the boys a lot of confidence,” the Kilrush manager predicted.