This article is from page 68 of the 2011-11-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 68 JPG
Miltown-Castlemaine 2-05 – Clondegad 0-10 at Páirc de Búrca, Miltown
WAY back in 1950 the Clare seniors went to Tralee and had Kerry beaten in the Munster championship only to be robbed by a last second point that earned the Kingdom a draw.
Clondegad knew that same sinking feeling on Sunday as they were robbed by a Miltown-Castlemaine side that could scarcely believe their luck as they stumbled over the line into the Munster final to keep alive Kerry’s hopes of landing a sixth straight provincial title in the grade.
It was a theft of grand larceny proportions, all thanks four goalmouth incidents, all of which went the Kerry champions’ way and helped them reach the final frontier despite being totally outplayed in the second half of this low-scoring, yet entertaining semi-final.
For Clondegad it was a missed first half penalty and then a disallowed goal three minutes into the second half; for Miltown-Castlemaine a freakish first goal and then a last gasp effort in the 56th minute that came totally against the run of play.
Yes, dame fortune was shining on Miltown-Castlemaine, while scowling on poor Clondegad as they were left to reflect on what should have been after producing their best performance of the year.
That performance came from the get go, with the iron-man of the Clondegad cause, full-back Paddy O’Connell winning the first ball that came his way to set the tone for his side – one that served notice that they weren’t going to be canon fodder opposition like Clare teams before them.
O’Connell’s play was the spark and inside 30 seconds Clondegad could have goaled, only for Tony Kelly’s rasping drive from 25 yards to be pushed over the bar of Miltown-Castlemaine keeper Joe Daly.
Clondegad played with the advantage of the breeze it the first half – starting well to lead by 0-3 to 0-1 after six minutes when Gary Bren- nan struck from both play and a free to add to Kelly’s opener.
However, the first in a serious of unfortunate events in front of goal started to haunt them as early as the ninth minute when Cathal Moriarty’s hopeful ball towards goal somehow ended up in the back of Clondegad’s net.
A minute later Gavin Wrenn tapped over his second free to give MiltownCastlemaine a 1-2 to 0-3 lead that their play scarcely deserved. Clondegad did restore parity by half-time, but should have done more.
By the 15 minute mark frees by Gary Brennan and Paudge McMa- hon sandwiched a like effort from Gavin Wrenn, before Clondegad’s confidence slowly began to rise once more when Francie Neylon burst up the left wing to land the point of the day in the 45th minute.
Then opportunity knocked in the 29th minute when Shane Brennan faced up to a penalty after Paudge McMahon was bundled to the ground, only for Daly to save at the expense of a 45 that McMahon pointed to leave the sides deadlocked at the break: Clondegad 0-7 MiltownCastlemaine 1-4.
Clondegad’s chance seemed lost as they faced into the breeze, only for the underdogs to produce a stirring second half performance that should have been enough to score Clare’s first ever win over Kerry opposition in the Munster intermediate series.
They looked to be on their way when Gary Brennan’s 33rd minute free was fisted to the net by Shane Brennan, only for the goal to be disallowed. Still, Clondegad never lost heart and pointed frees by Paudge McMahon and Gary Brennan ensured that they led by 0-9 to 1-5 entering the last ten minutes.
More than that, they were dominating against a Miltown-Castlemaine that had failed utterly to produce their county final winning form. However, from nowhere they conjured up a match-winning goal in the 56th minute.
Kieran Browne looked to have been fouled when coming out of defence, but when no free was given, Cathal Moriarty picked up the pieces, danced his way through a porous wall of defenders and toe-poked to the net to give his side an unlikely 25 to 0-9 lead.
Not what Clondegad deserved, but despite Gary Brennan pointing a free in the 58th minute and laying siege on the Miltown-Castlemaine goal for a further four minutes, it what they got.
Their Munster championship race was run in cruel fashion.