This article is from page 70 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 70 JPG
Kilrush Shamrocks 0-11 – Kilmihil 0-08 at Cooraclare
THE Shams have steered themselves clear of the relegation mire – instead it’s now Kilmihil’s lot to look forward to with some trepidation after this Group 1 basement battle on Saturday afternoon.
With Kilmurry Ibrickane and Wolfe Tones already qualified from the group, this west Clare contest was always going to be a dog-fight with both sides desperate not to be sucked into intermediate football for 2012.
That it went the Shams’ way was down to their burst after half-time when they hit four points without reply inside the first 19 minutes to move 0-10 to 0-6 clear – from there they never looked like surrendering the initiative against a Kilmihil side that was game throughout, but ultimately limited.
Kilmihil held an early advantage thanks to a Shane Egan point in the second minute, but after Kilrush replied with frees from Padjo McGrath and Peadar McMahon by the fifth minute they were never headed for the rest of the game.
It was an even affair in the first half, albeit that Kilmihil were always chasing the game against a Shams that forced the pace thanks to the edge they enjoyed in the midfield battle thanks to the veteran Donal O’Sullivan/Jim Young partnership.
Points by Ruairi O’Connor and Peadar McMahon either side of another Shane Egan free had them 0-4 to 0-2 ahead by the 18th minute. Paul Reidy and Cathal Lyons swapped points by the 20th minute, as did Eamonn Ryan and Peadar McMahon by the 24th as the Shams maintained their two-point advantage.
However, points by Shane Egan and Mark O’Connell had the side level before Peadar McMahon’s fourth free of the half hour gave the Shams a 0-7 to 0-6 interval lead.
And when McMahon, Cathal Lyons and Jim Young tacked on points by the 49th minute the Shams primary objective of avoiding the ignominy of a relegaiton dog-fight was completed – gladly leaving that to Éire Óg, Ennistymon, St Joseph’s Miltown and Kilmihil to scrap over.
Two Paul Reidy points in the 50th and 55th minutes raised Kilmhil’s spirits and brought them to wining a kick of a ball of safety in the senior ranks for another year, but when the goal they needed didn’t come it was left to Jim Young to fire over the insurance point two minutes from time.
Suddenly the Shams have a Senior B campaign to look forward to – who knows they might embrace it and bring ‘championship’ silverware back to the west Clare capital for the first time since 1987.
Kilrush Shamrocks
Tony Burke (7), Seamus Bolton (7), James Hehir (7), Niall Gilbride (7), Niall Clancy (7), John Hayes (7), MatthewMoloney (7), Donal O’Sullivan (7), JimYoung (8) (0-2, 1f), Pat Joe McGrath (7) (0-1f), Cathal Lyons (7) (0-2), Darragh Bolton (7), Ruairi O’Connor (7) (0-1), EoinTarrant (7), Peadar McMahon (7) (0-5, 4f).
Subs
Stephen Sweeney for Lyons [48 Mins],Alan Daly for McGrath [48 Mins].
Kilmihil
Keith Considine (7), Conor Crowley (7), Laurence Murray (7), Derek O’Connell (7), Stan Lineen (7), Mark O’Connell (7) (0-1),Anthony Downes (7),Timmy Ryan (7), Paul Reidy (7) (0-3, 2f), Eamon Ryan (7) (0-1), Mark Coughlan (6), Enda O’Halloran (6), Declan Downes (6), David Ryan (7), Shane Egan (7) (0-3f).
Subs
ColmCallinan (6) for Downes [Half-Time].
Man of the Match
Jim Young (Kilrush Shamrocks) Referee Michael McGann (Michael Cusack’s)