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26 October 2009
The Junior "A" footballers claimed the County Championship title following a 3-5 to 0-11 success over a spirited Kilfenora in the Final played in Miltown on Bank Holiday Monday, October 26th. Goals from Ciaran Quinn, Cathal Egan and Fergal Lynch were the key scores in a well deserved success for Sean Earls charges. After the game, Clare Co. Board Officer, Michael O'Connor presented the Cup to the Clooney/Quin Captain, Pat Gardiner.
The Clooney lads were slow to settle into the match and kicked three wides early in the game. Kilfenora took advantage of these misses and notched the first score of the game from Aidan Malone in the 5th minute. Two minutes later, Fergal Lynch stormed through the centre from midfield and kicked to fine point to level.
Pat Connole regained the lead for the North Clare side in the 9th as the Clooney/Quin side were showing signs that they were getting a grip of the game.
This promise was rewarede in the 13th minute as John Earls made a surging run up the left, his kick inside being collected by Ryan O'Neill who fed Cillian Duggan whose hand-pass was finished to the net expertly by Ciaran Quinn from close range.
This was a vital score for the Clooney/Quin lads who lost Quinn shortly afterwards to a back injury, with Fergal Lynch, who was well on top in the midfield sector, also picking up an ankle injury, forcing him to go to full forward for the remainder of the game.
This allowed Kilfenora some opportunities to respond to the Clooney/Quin goal, with points from a Killian Malone free, Austin Kelly in the 25th minute and another Killian Malone free in the 26th to edge Kilfenora in front once more.
In fact, it took a brilliant Brian Kennedy save to deny Killian Malone a goal as he denied the Kilfenora danger-man with an excellent double-handed save as Malone shot from close range. John Earls levelled in the 28th minute from a free, but Pat Connole pointed with the last kick of the half to leave Kilfenora ahead 0-6 to 1-2 at the break.
The restart saw Kilfenora make a determined assault on the Clooney defense, but crucially, they kicked four wides by the 7th minute when Clooney/Quin struck for their second goal. Martin McInerneys "45" dropped into the Kilfenora square and it broke to the alert Cathal Egan who picked and smashed to the net to put his side back in front. Killian Malone pointed a free once again in the 10th minute to reduce the defecit.
In the 16th minute, Shane McNamara made a forray upfield and took a pass on the overlap to kick a fine point. Four minutes later, Ryan O'Neill, who had his marker in all sorts of trouble in the 2nd half, cut infield and took a pass from Pat Gardier to point on the run to edge Clooney further ahead 2-4 to 0-7.
With 6 minutes left, it looked as if the Cup was safely in the Clooney/Quin mens grasp following a Daire Hannon sideline who fed Pat Gardiner who advanced on goal, drew the defender and fed Fergal Lynch who bulged the net past the advancing Kilfenora keeper.
However, Kilfenora had other ideas and set siege on the Clooney goal. Four Killian Malone points reduced the margin to 2 points as we entered injury time.
The goal they so badly needed would surely snatch victory for the North Clare side. When a "45" floated into the Clooney square, that score was definately on, but enter the outstanding Cillian Duggan, who, as Sean Walsh from Kerry famously did so many years ago in an All-Ireland semi-final versus Dublin, soared into the air and made an unbelievable catch under intense pressure before bursting out from defence and set-up another Clooney attack which saw Fergal Lynch break away upfield and hit the security point with a magnificent score to complete the scoring on a 3-5 to 0-11 scoreline. The kick-out drew the final whistle from the Ref, and signalled the commencement of the celebrations for the Clooney/Quin players, mentors and supporters.
After the game, Clare Co. Board Officer, Michael O'Connor presented the Cup to the Clooney/Quin Captain, Pat Gardiner.
Congratulations to the team, panel and Management team who have worked so hard this year and earned this victory!
The Club willnow represent Clare in the Munster Club Junior Championship when they will travel to Castlegregory in Kerry on November 22nd to take on the Kerry Champions.
