This article is from page 69 of the 2011-05-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 69 JPG
Cratloe 3-09 – Corofin 1-08 at Clarecastle
CRATLOE CAPTURED their first Under 16 title in six years and their first ever at Division 2 level on Thursday evening in gusty Clarecastle.
The seven point winning margin tells little of the gutsy second half endeavours of opponents Corofin however who used the conditions to topple a ten point half-time deficit to just a kick of a ball before a late Cratloe rally cemented victory.
The game of two halves saw Cratloe hold the advantage in the first half but it took them a while to firmly take control as a Mark Quinn goalbound shot was saved off the line by Diarmaid Cleary as was Conor Deasy’s late effort while a Shane Gleeson shot drifted just wide of the post.
However, through key forwards Conor Deasy and Shane Gleeson, Cratloe eventually pulled clear just before the break with a defensive error allowing Shane Gleeson to gather and goal while two minutes later, a second hammer blow came by way of a Pat McMahon bullet that billowed the top of the net for a 2-7 to 0-3 interval lead.
Even the large north Clare following could not have envisaged the stirring fightback from their side on the turnover though as the Liam Corbett led Corofin took the game to their opponents from the outset.
It started withCorbett’s 34th minute goal that came after Eoin Davoren had rattled the crossbar and the chief marksman would add four of the next six points to cut the deficit to only a goal by the 54th minute.
With only a Conor Deasy pointed free to show for their second half efforts, Cratloe found it difficult to stop the rot but Corofin failed to take further advantage as time drifted by and the tension heightened.
Corofin would eventually lament their nine second half wides, especially when in the final minute, Cratloe finished the game as a contest with Gleeson and Deasy combining to set up substitute Sean Moloney for the deciding goal, much to their relief.