‘Bricks topple Cratloe after another dramatic Clare SFC semi-final bout

Twelve months after Colm Collins’ side had garnered a first championship triumph over the ‘Bricks at the quarter-final stage, the spoils of a remarkable 15th meeting in just 14 seasons deservedly went back west.

Indeed, leading from start to finish aided by a blistering start of 2-2 without reply in the opening ten minutes, Kilmurry Ibrickane started like a train against the conditions but in the end were clinging on for dear life to stave off an inevitable backlash from the holders.

Add in two black cards and a red at the finish and it had all the ingredients of an overly familiar rivalry that doesn’t look like diffusing anytime soon.

In the end, David Egan’s side were grateful for that stunning start that saw a brace of Keelan Sexton frees accentuated by two goals in just four minutes as first Daniel Walsh passed the first to the top right corner while in contrast Daryn Callinan drilled the second low to the left after a superb slaloming run from midfielder Diarmuid King to power eight clear.

Cratloe, starting without former county stars Podge and Sean Collins, took eleven minutes to open their account through a fisted Jamie Moylan point. Despite the wind at their backs though, six points was as close as they got to the ‘Bricks especially after losing top-scorer Cathal McInerney to a needless black card for his stern remonstration with referee Niall Quinn after play had been stopped for a head injury just as he was about to pull the trigger.

2-5 to 0-4 clear by the break with the wind to come against 14 men, Kilmurry Ibrickane appeared to be in an unassailable position but that comfortable position quickly evaporated on the restart when Cratloe immediately scored a lifeline goal.

Bolstered by the introduction of the aforementioned Collins brothers, Podge gathered the throw-in from Diarmuid Ryan to offload to Rian Considine to bear down on goal and somehow slip through the last line before emphatically finding the net after only 25 seconds at 2-5 to 1-4.

It was as if the sides had swapped jerseys at half-time as that goal would spark an immediate sea-change that saw the champions defy the conditions to test Kilmurry Ibrickane’s resolve to its optimum.

Two minutes later, the influential David Collins played a ball over the top to Jamie Moylan whose pass across the goal-line was just missed at the back post by Conall O’Hanlon.

The Louth native did convert two of the next three points to help Cratloe lessen the deficit to just two after a Diarmuid Ryan point by the turn of the final quarter at 2-6 to 1-7.

However, within two minutes the holders would concede a third goal, this time from their own kick-out as Daryn Callinan dispossessed David Collins before Caoilfhinn O’Dea and Evan Cahill worked the ball back to the full-forward whose shot was finished to the net at the back post by the brilliant Shane Hickey at 3-6 to 1-7.

While that score was arguably against the run of play, two quick Cathal McInerney frees again made it a three point game by the 47th minute, with Michael Brennan also seeing a goal-bound shot blocked by Daniel Walsh.

With tensions rising, Kilmurry Ibrickane would finish the match with 14 after substitute Aidan McCarthy administered his own dissent on Enda Boyce who had pulled his jersey to earn a black card in the 54th minute albeit that Keelan Sexton would arrow over successive frees to restore a two score cushion at 3-8 to 1-9 by the hour mark.

Conall O’Hanlon and Cathal McInerney did tee up a grandstand finish with injury-time points while Diarmuid Ryan’s back post flick was deflected for a ’45. However, a Podge Collins red card for a strike on Keelan Sexton proved the last action of another compelling contest that saw Cratloe exit their second senior semi-final in the space of seven days while Kilmurry Ibrickane march on to their sixth final in nine years against either Éire Óg or Ennistymon in a fortnight’s time.

Scorers for Kilmurry Ibrickane: K Sexton 0-4 (4f); D Walsh, Daryn Callinan (1m), S Hickey 1-1 each; D King 0-1 

Scorers for Cratloe: C O’Hanlon 0-4 (2f); C McInerney 0-3 (2f); R Considine 1-0; D Collins 0-2; J Moylan, D Ryan 0-1 each 

KILMURRY IBRICKANE: D Sexton; C Kearney, M Killeen, A Shannon; M McMahon, D Hickey, D Sexton; E Cahill, D King; S Hickey, C O’Dea, J Moloney; K Sexton, D Callinan, D Walsh 

Subs: A McCarthy for K. Sexton (23-26, BS), C Morrissey for Kearney (42), Aidan McCarthy for Moloney (43), C Talty for O’Dea (52), J Campbell for Callinan (57), M O’Dwyer for S. Hickey (58, inj) 

CRATLOE: P Chaplin; R McNamara, K Harnett, D Collins; E Carey, M Brennan, E Boyce; D Ryan, C Ryan; C O’Hanlon, S Neville, T Rooney; J Moylan, C McInerney, R Considine 

Subs: P Collins for Rooney (HT), S Collins for Neville (HT), L Markham for C. Ryan (44) 

Referee: N Quinn (St Joseph’s Miltown)