Kilmurry Ibrickane 2-13
Cratloe 0-6

Eoin Brennan reports from Cusack Park, Ennis

KILMURRY-IBRICKANE AFFIRMED their position as the team of the decade in Clare this afternoon after a powerful second half display saw them secure their first senior football crown in four years in Cusack Park, Ennis.

Leading by two at the break in this rematch, the 2011 and ’12 champions outscored Cratloe by 2-7 to 0-2 in a dominant second period, bookended by goals for county seniors Martin McMahon and Keelan Sexton.

Anyone expecting the rematch to be more open would have been disappointed in the opening half at least as the sides went even more defensive. At times, Kilmurry Ibrickane had only two forwards in the opposing half as they kicked high out-ball to target man Peter O’Dwyer, with Keelan Sexton feeding off him for scores.

County senior Sexton would kick two of their first three points to hold a 0-3 to 0-1 advantage by the end of the opening quarter, a margin that they would hold until the break after O’Dwyer, Shane Hickey and goalkeeper Ian McInerney matched points from Martin Oige Murphy, Sean Collins and Cathal McInerney at 0-6 to 0-4.

The game opened up on the restart when Michael Hogan played an inch-perfect pass over the top for Michael O’Dwyer to turn his man only for goalkeeper Pierce DeLoughrey to pull off an excellent point blank block to deny Kilmurry-Ibrickane.

It would be a warning sign that the 2014 champions failed to heed as only six minutes later, centre-back Martin McMahon would solo through to find the net, inspiring an unanswered rally of 1-3 to extend their advantage to eight by the turn of the final quarter.

Cathal McInerney did convert Cratloe’s first point of the second period in the 49th minute. However, it was very much against the grain as led by Sexton and Enda Coughlan, a momentum fuelled Kilmurry Ibrickane would continue to tack on scores culminating in an injury-time penalty for Sexton.

Kilmurry Ibrickane now host Kerry champions Dr. Crokes in Quilty next weekend in the Munster senior club quarter-final.

Scorers for Kilmurry-Ibrickane: Keelan Sexton 1-4 (1-0 pen, 0-1f), Martin McMahon 1-0, Shane Hickey, Ian McInerney (0-2f), Mark McCarthy 0-2 each; Michael Hogan, Peter O’Dwyer, Michael O’Dwyer 0-1 each

Scorers for Cratloe: Cathal McInerney 0-4 (0-3f), Martin Oige Murphy, Sean Collins (0-1f) 0-1 each.

Kilmurry-Ibrickane

1. Ian McInerney

4. Ciaran Morrissey
3. Darren Hickey
2. Mark Killeen

7. Darragh Sexton
6. Martin McMahon
21. Declan Callinan

8. Mark McCarthy
9. Keith King

11. Michael O’Dwyer
5. Shane Hickey
12. Michael Hogan

15. Keelan Sexton
24. Peter O’Dwyer
14. Enda Coughlan

Subs

17. Noel Downes for Callinan (41)
10. Niall Hickey for Downes (48, inj)
22. Evan Talty for Morrissey (56)
20. Thomas O’Connor for McCarthy (58)
23. Johnny Daly for M. O’Dwyer (62)

Cratloe

1. Pierce DeLoughrey (Captain)

2. Sean Chaplin
3. Barry Duggan
7. Liam Markham

5. Martin Oige Murphy
4. Michael Hawes
17. Enda Boyce

8. Conor Ryan
9. John Galvin

18. Shane Gleeson
11. Sean Collins
6. Antoin McFadden

13. Cathal McInerney
10. Podge Collins
15. David Collins

Subs

12. Conor Cooney for McFadden (13, inj)
14. Stevie McHugh for Gleeson (41)

Referee: Pat Cosgrove (Corofin)

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