This article is from page 85 of the 2009-09-22 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 85 JPG
IN many ways, the less said about this one the better. To say it was a dreadfully boring spectacle that failed to set the pulses racing is the understatement of the Clare football year thus far.
Any neutral who happened by Quilty’s sportsfield would have left long before half-time and found a better way to spend a Saturday after- noon — it was that bad as two very mediocre teams put in a very unin- spiring hour’s football.
Cooraclare’s form that swept them to Cusack Cup glory was again in abeyance, indeed this hour ham- mered home the reality that they haven’t been able to lift their game to those same standards since that shock win over Kilmurry Ibrickane in the league decider back in July.
Doonbeg, meanwhile, were no bet- ter but it won’t cost them a thought as they come into a semi-final under the radar. They could have been put away in this game, but Cooraclare’s failure to take a couple of goals chances was punished to the full as they scrambled over the line and into a penultimate round clash with Kil- murry Ibrickane.
The Magpies can thank Sean Maguire and Nigel Dillon for the fact that their goal remained intact for the hour — 1n the 23rd minute, three min- utes after pointing Cooraclare into a Q-2 to no score lead, Maguire had the chance that would have put his side on the high road to the semi-final.
Hughie Donnelly was the provider, but Maguire failed to connect deci- sively with his long delivery, punch- ing wide of Dillon’s post when the goal was at his mercy. From there
Doonbeg summoned the desire to get back into the game, putting a pletho- ra of wides behind them with points from a David Tubridy free in the 25th minute after a foul on Jamie Whelan and a 50 yard free from Frank O’Dea three minutes later.
It left the sides locked at 0-2 apiece at half-time, but more importantly that scoreline exposed for everyone present what a dire game this was. Cooraclare, who deployed Mark Tubridy as a third midfielder, which created space for the inside forwards did score their two points from play — the first coming from Michael Mc-
Mahon’s effort in the second minute and then Sean Maguire’s point 18 minutes later.
Still, that was as good as it got for them — all they could muster on the turnover was two more points, this time from Mark Tubridy frees. Instead, what dominated their half- hour was another missed goal chance in the 38th minute.
It fell Hughie Donnelly’s way when the sides were locked at O-3 apiece after Tubridy’s pointed free in the 31st minute was replied to by Shane Killeen who fisted over the bar five minutes later.
Donnelly raced through on goal, was one-on-one with Nigel Dillon, but it was the veteran netminder who kept alive his hopes of winning a sixth senior championship title, pull- ing off a brilliant save to keep his side on level terms.
It was a major turning point of the game, as eventually the Magpies turned it profit to take control with points from Brian Dillon and Brian Egan in the 46th and 50th minutes respectively put them O-5 to O-3 ahead.
Suddenly the Magpies — who his 13 wides to Cooraclare’s nine over
the hour — were maximising their chances, while their opponents were left to rue to poor wides from frees by Cathal Lillis in the 34th and 40th minutes.
Substitute Shane Ryan should have fisted over the bar in the 52nd minute to put his side three ahead, but once again like the Liscannor semi-final of last year went for glory instead of playing the percentages.
It gave Cooraclare a little window going into the closing minutes, but all they could muster was a point from a free in 58th minute from Mark Tubridy.
That brought an end to the scoring in this forgettable affair.