This article is from page 68 of the 2011-10-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 68 JPG
St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield 2-7 – Wolfe Tones 0-7 at Cusack Park, Ennis
WHEN Faughs ended 40 years of western rule when bringing Jack Daly east in 1994, a feature of that landmark campaign was Kieran O’Neill’s gut-wrenching runs from midfield.
If ever there was a case for like father like son, it was on Sunday as Alan O’Neill was his old man incarnate as he ran and kicked a standalone team from The Parish into their first county football final in 113 years.
Back then it was the Doora Raparees – on this day it was two raps of O’Neill’s right boot that produced wonder goals and completed St Josephs’ remarkable journey from relegation candidates to county finalists.
The first came 14 minutes into the game that put The Parish 1-1 to 0-1 ahead and in control, the second with nine minutes of normal time left killed the game and catapulted them into dreamland.
And, thoroughly deserved was this triumph too, because it was St Joseph’s who rose to the challenge on this penultimate round tie in a big way, while the Shannon men flopped – the second time in four years they’ve failed to take their quarterfinal form into a semi-final clash in Cusack Park.
Back then it was a driven Lissycasey who ended their hopes – St Joseph’s were certainly cut from the same cloth on this day because the combination of O’Neill’s goals and their point-taking ability from play elevated them onto a different class and proved far too much for a Tones side that miss-fired badly in front of goal.
Proof of the Tones’ problems came with the substitution of frontline forwards Gary Leahy and Kevin Cahill in the second half. Stephen Mona- ghan and Daniel Gallery also failed to score from play, as other than Chris Dunning’s 23rd minute effort all their scores came from frees.
Measured against St Josephs’ 2-5 from play, this was a miss-match, with The Parish cruising to the final frontier in a canter not seen in the club since the hurlers were in their pomp from 1998 to 2001.
A tense opening saw the sides miss chances before Daniel Gallery landed a 45 in the third minute, but St Josephs’ ability to score from play was showcased in the tenth minute when Enda Lyons and Cathal O’Sullivan teed up Cathal Duggan for a point.
There was more to come, with Alan O’Neill’s 60-yard run through the heart of a retreating Tones defence the stuff of legend, especially when he finished it off by drilling low to the net from 14 yards.
St Joseph’s never looked back with Cathal O’Sullivan, David O’Brien and Kevin Dilleen landing fine points from play, while O’Brien also stroked over a free from the hands to give his side a double-scores lead of 1-5 to 0-4 at the interval.
The Tones were lethargic – despite Patsy Keyes’ best efforts at midfield – and just about stayed afloat when Stephen Monaghan landed two frees either side of a fine point from play by Chris Dunning.
The introduction of Aaron Cunningham at half-time did give them some impetus, but still, two Mona- ghan frees was all they had to show for the first 15 minutes of the half, while the difference in class between the sides was personified in the 37th minute when mercurial play-maker Colm Mullen ghosted up the shed side and arced a great point over the bar at the Stamer Park end of the field.
The Tones did have a chance to peg it back to a two-point game in the 50th minute but Monaghan missed an easy free, while inside a minute another surge by O’Neill settled the game. This time he thundered forward, latched on to a Paul Dullaghan pass and blasted low to the net once more.
You could say it was exhibition stuff when Enda Lyons floated over a great point in the 52nd minute to but St Joseph’s 2-7 to 0-6 clear and on the high road to the most significant win in their football history.
Hurling bluebloods in the stand and shed were even bellowing as The Parish navigated through seven minutes of injury time to reach the Promised Land of a county final.
Football GUBU you could call it, given where they were after their opening two championship games and four points down 25 minutes into their third game.
Back from the dead, you could say.
Richly deserved though.