This article is from page 71 of the 2011-09-06 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 71 JPG
Kilmurry Ibrickane 0-14 – Wolfe Tones 0-06 at Lissycasey
WITH both sides having secured their passage into the quarter-final stage with a match to spare, this early Sunday afternoon contest was never going to be as competitive as their last championship meeting in Lissycasey.
That was the famous afternoon in 2007 when the Shannon side ambushed the men from the barony of Ibrickane in the quarter-final.
That was a stormy enough affair – this was pedestrian stuff, predictable enough too as Kilmurry Ibrickane further franked their status as the team to beat in this year’s championship with a comfortable eight-point win.
Not that the Tones were unduly bothered – for them the 2011 championship has already been a resounding success as they’ve bucked the prediction of many that they’d be more a relegation side than the top eight side they now are.
They were competitive enough here, especially in the first half when playing against the breeze that blew towards the dressing room end.
They had three points on the board inside the first then minutes, all from the boot of Gary Leahy, who was making his return to the side after missing the victory over Kilmihil through suspension.
However, an early 0-3 to 0-2 lead quickly evaporated as Kilmurry slowly warmed to their task of hoovering up two more championship points.
Mark McCarthy and Johnnie Daly had landed their opening points, while another Daly free on 16 minutes and an effort from play by Enda Coughlan two minutes later put them ahead by 0-4 to 0-3 ahead.
Kilmurry never really looked back and from there until half-time took control, with three more points ensuring that they reeled off five-in-a-row to lead by 0-7 to 0-3 at the break.
Niall Hickey teed up Michael O’Dwyer for a point in the 20th minute. Straight from the subsequent kick-out midfielders Seamus Murrihy and Paul O’Connor created an opening for Michael Hogan, while they rounded off an impressive half with the point of the day in the 28th minute when a raid up the roadside of the field was finished over the bar by Shane Hickey.
And when Hickey made another raid two minutes after the re-start to land his second point this game had an inevitable look to it as Kilmurry could afford to play within themselves and run out comfortable winners.
An Ian McInerney free and an effort from play had them 0-9 to 0-4 head by the 48th minute, with the Tones’ lone point coming from a Stephen Monaghan effort four minutes into the half.
Monaghan landed another point in the 50th minute, but points by Mark McCarthy, Ian McInerney and Shane Hickey’s third had them out of sight before Stephen Moloney and Chris Dunning traded points in injury time.
Kilmurry Ibrickane
Peter O’Dwyer (7), Shane Hickey (9) (0-3), Darren Hickey (7), Martin McMahon (7), EvanTalty (6), Enda Coughlan (7) (0-1), Ian McInerney (6) (0-2f), Paul O’Connor (6), Seamus Murrihy (6), Mark McCarthy (7) (0-2), Michael O’Dwyer (7) (0-1), Michael Hogan (6) (0-1), Niall Hickey (7) (0-1), Noel Downes (6), Johnnie Daly (6) (0-2).
Subs
Stephen Moloney (7) (0-1) for Daly [45 Mins], Seamus Lynch (6) for Hogan [45 Mins].
Wolfe Tones
Jason Casey (7), Stephen Carroll (6), Craig O’Brien (7),WilliamFlynn (6), Alan Downes (6), Brendan Hughes (6), Stephen McInerney (6), Patsy Keyes (7), Joe McGauley (7), GaryWhelan (6), Chris Dunning (6) (0-1), Kevin Corbett (6), Gary Leahy (6) (0-3, 1f), Darren Ryan (6), Stephen Monaghan (7) (0-2, 1f).
Subs
Niall Murphy for [45 Mins], Sean Reidy (6) for McGauley [50 Mins].
Man of the Match
Shane Hickey (Kilmurry Ibrickane) Referee Michael Fitzgerald (Clondegad)