This article is from page 85 of the 2011-09-27 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 85 JPG
Kilmaley 1-13 – Clonlara 1-11 at Cusack Park, Ennis
ANYONE EXPECTING fireworks was not to be disappointed on Sunday evening. Not on the field mind you, that was dogged, intense stuff, but behind the Aldi goal where a number of youths took advantage of the lack of a Garda presence to make intermittent loud bangs throughout the final last eight tie.
The game itself could have done with a spark to get it going too as for a finish, neither side seemed to want to win it. In the end however, it was the new and old of the Blues that stepped up to the plate to clinch a semi-final place as Clonlara misfired at an alarming rate. The new came in the form of 19 year old Niall McGuane who picked up a 56th minute clearance to put Kilmaley ahead for the first time in 30 minutes while in injury-time, the ever-reliable Diarmuid McMahon was fouled under the stand from the same distance for Kenneth Kennedy to convert and cement the win.
It was an impressive finish to a game that for long periods seemed to be going away from them, despite having a man advantage for the last 17 minutes of the game. After a bright start, the 2004 champions lost their way as the opening half developed and only for goalkeeper Kieran Dillon who pulled off a number of fine saves, they would have been more than four points down at the break.
However, they weathered the storm and the turning point came with Seamus Hurley’s 41st minute equalising goal that coincided with the sending off of Clonlara’s Tomas O’Donovan. Their momentum and numerical advantage should have inspired a strong finish but it was Clonlara who actually rallied to dominate the next ten minutes before Kilmaley finally found their feet again.
Clonlara will simply be kicking themselves that they didn’t make their dominance count in the final quarter but time and time again they either struck wide or their shots dropped short into the welcoming hand of Dillon. In all, they had seven second half wides that cost them very dearly in the final analysis but more than that, they should have also capitalised further late in the opening half when Oisin O’Brien went clear on goal only to see his point blank shot somehow saved by Dillon.
The leadership of Diarmuid and Brian McMahon was instrumental in Kilmaley’s start as All-Ireland minor winner Brian teed up Niall McGuane to open their account in reply to a Nicky O’Connell opening free while Diarmuid scored the second when controlling a lineball to convert.
County senior Diarmuid was roaming deep from his centre-forward position to gather possession and it aided Kilmaley’s cause, with Kenneth Kennedy and Colin Lynch adding points to open up a three point advantage.
Clonlara were strangely lethargic, despite playing with the conditions, but as the half progressed they got into their stride with points from John Conlon, Tomás O’Donovan and Cathal O’Connell to pull level by the 19th minute. Brian McMahon restored Kilmaley’s lead periodically before Clonlara found the net in the 26th minute. It had been coming really as a John Conlon shot was repelled before the resulting goalmouth scramble earned a 20 metre free for the 2008 champions. Up stepped Paul Nihill to rifle to the net and with that, they never looked back until the break.
Dillon’s 28th minute save kept his faltering side in the game but he was helpless to stop Clonlara’s relentless attacking waves that yielded successive points for Conlon (2), Cormac O’Donovan and the lively Colm Galvin to hold a 1-8 to 0-7 interval lead.
Eoin Enright did have a goal chance just before the break to buck that trend but shot wide and with patience, Kilmaley’s turn would eventually come. It didn’t seem likely when Daire Keane put a 33rd minute penalty over the bar after Niall McGuane had been fouled but after Alan Markham and Keane swapped points with Conlon and Tomás O’Donovan, Kilmaley finally made the breathrough.
It stemmed from a Kennedy free from halfway that broke to Niall McGuane on the right side of the square. And after attracting Clonlara’s last line, he passed inside to the inappropriately named Hurley to kick past the onrushing Ger O’Connell.
Before the ball had been pucked out, Clonlara were to suffer once more as an off-the-ball altercation between Tomas O’Donovan and Conor McMahon saw the pair yellow carded, the Clonlara man’s second of the evening.
A buzz of anticipation beamed from the Kilmaley support but surprisingly it was Clonlara who held the whip hand for the next ten minutes. They simply couldn’t score though as Nicky O’Connell (3), Oisin O’Brien and Cathal O’Connell hit wides before substitute Barry Moloney edged them ahead in the 50th minute. However, after throwing everything at Kilmaley, Clonlara faded and after Kennedy gained parity once more in the 51st minute, it was left to McGuane and McMahon to guide their side to a second county semi-final in three years with a bang. Not the fireworks this time thankfully.