Clarecastle relegated for first time

*Colm Cleary races past Stephen O’Halloran. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill

Clarecastle have been relegated for the first time in their 136 year history after O’Callaghan’s Mills held firm in an expectedly anxious relegation battle in O’Garney Park.

O’Callaghan’s Mills 1-16
Clarecastle 1-13
Venue: O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge

The incessant inclement conditions made it an even more ferocious dogfight as the Mills led from start to finish but without ever putting the game to bed.

Thanks in the main to the scoring prowess of Colm Cleary and Gary Cooney, the Clare Cup champions eased six clear entering the second quarter only to see it halved within ten minutes. actually stretched their advantage to seven by the two thirds mark but had to dig deep to fend off the Rory O’Connell, Killian McDermott and Conor Halpin inspired resurgent Magpies who slashed the arrears to just two by entering the final ten minutes at 0-12 to 0-10.

Having only scored once in twenty minutes, the Mills finally awoke from their malaise with back-to-back points for goalkeeper Killian Nugent and top-scorer Cleary. However, they still couldn’t shake off a defiant Clarecastle who even responded to what appeared the clinching goal for Gary Cooney on the hour mark with a Conor Halpin major.

Time inexorably ran out on the Magpies challenge though as they will now face a first intermediate campaign in 92 years while a relieved Mills survive a third relegation scare in five years.

Scorers for O’Callaghan’s Mills: Colm Cleary 0-7 (5f), Gary Cooney 1-3, Killian Nugent 0-4 (4f), Conor Henry 0-1, Darragh Moroney 0-1

Scorers for Clarecastle: Darragh Healy 0-4 (3f, 1’65), Conor Halpin 1-1, Rory O’Connell 0-3, Killian McDermott 0-2, James Doherty 0-1, Aaron Hayes 0-1, Conor Whelan 0-1

O’Callaghan’s Mills
1: Killian Nugent

21: Keith Donnellan
3: Conor Cooney
2: Mike Cotter