This article is from page 70 of the 2011-07-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 70 JPG
Doonbeg 0-13 – St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 1-05 at St Michael ’s Park, Kilmihil
ST JOSEPH’S Doora-Barefield made a fight of it in the second half, but it was always nothing more than a scrap to make it look more respectable as Doonbeg easily franked their favourites tag to reach a first Cusack Cup decider in three years and their 17th in all.
And, their work was as good as done in the first half, just like it was when they sides met in the round robin stages. That day it was goals that eased them to success – this time their flurry of 13 points over the hour did the business.
They led by 0-6 to no score at half-time as St Joseph’s were pinned back when playing against the wind. Shane Killeen, making a rare start this season, got them going with a point inside the third minutes while Eamon Tubridy and Kileen again had them three points clear by the tenth minute.
It wasn’t quite one-way traffic in terms of possession over the course of the half hour, but certainly was when it came to converting scoring chances. St Joseph’s couldn’t breach Nigel Dillon’s goal, while further points from David Tubridy, Colm Dillon and Paul Dillon rounded off the Magpies’ half dozen by the break.
When Paul Dillon and David Tubridy added points early in the second half to stretch their lead to eight, St Joseph’s must have feared the ignominy of a whitewash but at least the mustered a fight back in the closing 20 minutes that left only five points in it at the end.
Cathal O’Sullivan got them going with a point, while Mark Rafferty (3) and a Johnny O’Brien free earned them some respectability, but the Magpies were still never ruffled as two David Tubridy frees, two from play by Paul Dillon and Eamon Tubridy’s second of the hour meant that a late goal from Damian Kennedy was nothing more than a consolation strike.