*Liam Markham and Cian McDonagh compete for possession. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
ENDA BOYCE’s fifty ninth minute kick saw Cratloe record consecutive victories booking their place in the quarter-finals of the TUS Clare SFC while despite successive losses scoring difference also sends St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield through to the last eight.
Cratloe 1-12
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 1-11
Venue: Clarecastle
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Arguments could be made that a draw would have been a result considering the teams were level five times in the second half, six times in total throughout the game but Cratloe’s ability to craft out results is among the reasons why they prevailed in this contest.
Diarmuid Ryan struck a bullet to the net at the beginning of the second half, a simply sublime finish with ferocity to the net after Podge Collins played him a precision pass. Collins himself finished as their top scorer, four points from play in his best display of the year while Samuel Costelloe his marker didn’t fare too poorly.
At the other end, Joe Rafferty also produced his best championship performance of the year, kicking 1-7 but acting as St Joseph’s main attacking threat. A stronger supporting cast for him would have been enough for them to make a statement win.
With Éire Óg dishing out an unmerciful beating to Kildysart in Corofin, it meant that regardless of the outcome both sides were going to progress to the knockout stages. The activity in Corofin wasn’t referenced frequently in Clarecastle only at the end of the game when both teams discovered their fate.
For stages it didn’t appear as if Doora/Barefield were treating this as a game that could make or break their season. They didn’t take it for granted that scoring difference would work in their favour, there was hints of a laissez-faire approach on the field whereas off it the management team of Donagh Vaughan, Eoin Troy and Michael O’Dwyer were fully up for the battle.
It took Doora/Barefield a while to settle, Cratloe had two points on the board via Podge and Seán Collins before they opened their account on eleven minutes with a Joe Rafferty free, prior to this they had three wides.
Samuel Costelloe also netted an own goal but he deflected Jamie Moylan’s attempt over the crossbar to extend Cratloe’s lead back to two points on twelve minutes.
Rafferty with 1-1 on the bounce put The Parish in front for the first time at the beginning of the second quarter, Michael Nash offloaded to him for the major which he did well to get beyond a sea of bodies and into the back of the net. They conceded the next two points, again to the Collins brothers but their cause was reignited when Tom O’Brien saved a penalty from Enda Boyce, a tame effort from the defender who was a surprise call to take the spot kick.
Points from Eoghan Thynne, Paddy Bugler and Rafferty saw Doora/Barefield close out the half with three points in a row to hold a 1-5 0-5 advantage at half-time.
Eoin Carey and Ryan Harkin entered the fray for Tommy Rooney and Mike Brennan in the Cratloe side at the break and they brought energy to the front eight. Cratloe struck for 1-1 without reply to wipe out the deficit and greatly zap belief from their opponents. Moylan fisted over an effort before Podge Collins found Diarmuid Ryan to produce the goods with a green flag on thirty three minutes.
Beginning with Michael Nash, Doora/Barefield got back on level terms for the first of three instances over the next eighteen minutes but they went ahead on fifty three minutes when Cian McDonagh composed himself to split the posts, their previous attack saw Rafferty equalise.
Here Cratloe’s experience began to come to the fore, they remained calm in possession, worked the ball well and hit two points in succession via a fisted Eoin Carey point and then another well-taken Podge Collins score to regain the lead on fifty seven minutes.
A Rafferty free tied up matters a minute later but it was Boyce that stepped up, making amends for his poor penalty to kick the winning score on fifty nine minutes.
Boyce’s kick sees Cratloe finish in second place in Group 1, St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield take third spot. Champions Éire Óg confirmed their top of the group status with Kildysart now destined for a relegation battle following successive losses.
Two wins out of three is how the group campaign concludes for Colm Collins’ Cratloe. They’ll be content with matters to date, their winning know-how is still clear to see while they’re getting over the line in the absence of their marksman Cathal McInerney, most teams would not be able to survive without a player of his ability. They still have a nice bit to do to close the gap with the favourites but they’re still in the hunt and possess the experience on and off the field which makes them a formidable force in the knockout stages. Podge Collins, Diarmuid Ryan, Jamie Moylan, Kevin Harnett, Tadhg Lohan and Liam Markham impressed for the winners.
Emerging from a stern Group 1 and still in the championship will stand to Doora/Barefield. So long as they’re learning, they’re building which is what they need but the lack of depth to their panel is a concern and is likely to hinder them from making serious inroads. As simple as it sounds but a bit more fire and guile on the field in a disciplined manner will really strengthen their offering. They’ve experimented with personnel in unfamiliar surroundings but are not afraid to try things and revert back when it doesn’t work. They’ll avoid Éire Óg and Cratloe in the quarter-finals, if they can apply learnings from their group outings and somehow add to their panel they can take a scalp. Joe Rafferty excelled for Doora/Barefield with Fionn Kelleher, Michael Nash and Samuel Costelloe also doing their bit.
Scorers Cratloe: P Collins (0-4), D Ryan (1-0), S Collins (0-3 3f), J Moylan (0-2), E Carey (0-1), R Harkin (0-1), E Boyce (0-1).
Scorers St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield: J Rafferty (1-7 5f), E Thynne (0-1), P Bugler (0-1 1’45), M Nash (0-1), C McDonagh (0-1).
Cratloe:
1: Padraigh Chaplin
4: Riain McNamara
3: Kevin Harnett
2: David Collins
5: Enda Boyce
7: Liam Markham
22: Marc O’Brien
8: Diarmuid Ryan
6: Mike Brennan
9: Tommy Rooney
11: Seán Collins
12: Tadhg Lohan
13: Podge Collins
17: Jamie Moylan
14: Rian Considine
Subs:
30: Eoin Carey for Rooney (HT)
24: Ryan Harkin for Brennan (HT)
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield:
1: Tom O’Brien
6: Conor O’Brien
3: Eoghan Boyle
2: Samuel Costelloe
21: Diarmuid Boyle
19: Fionn Kelleher
7: Cian McDonagh
14: Tom McDonald
18: Darragh O’Shea
8: Michael Nash
9: Odhran O’Connell
17: Joe Rafferty
11: Eoghan Thynne
5: James Curran
15: Paddy Bugler
Subs:
12: Nicki Hardiman for D Boyle (35)
10: Liam Clune for McDonald (51)
20: Charlie Hannan for O’Shea (55)
Referee: Niall Quinn (St Joseph’s Miltown)
