*Ciaran Downes was the star man for Kilmihil. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
KILMIHIL have prevailed in the Clare SFC relegation final for the second year in a row, this time to send reigning intermediate champions Wolfe Tones back out of the top tier.
Kilmihil 1-14
Wolfe Tones 0-9
Venue: Clarecastle
The Clare Echo’s online coverage of the Clare SFC is in association with The Shannon Springs Hotel.
By Enda Treacy
Kilmihil pulled themselves out of the intermediate trapdoor with a controlled and professional performance to send Wolfe Tones back down to the second tier as quickly as they came up in a dour relegation final on Saturday afternoon.
Ciaran Downes was the main man once again for Kilmihil, hitting a massive total of 1-11 for his side, scoring a beautiful goal and hitting a brace of two-pointers at the start and end of the game to secure survival for his team.
Wolfe Tones were more than competitive in their senior campaign after winning the intermediate title last year, but they just failed at various times to get over the line, and while this wasn’t really in the melting pot for much of the contest, they never gave up the ghost in their efforts to reel in Kilmihil.
Playing with a strong wind in the first half, Kilmihil were clinical with the elements at their back and had raced into a 0-7 to nil lead after 15 minutes of play. That sequence of scores was started by Ciaran Downes from a well struck two-point free after three minutes with Sean Crowley and Cathal Murray chipping in with fine points along with Downes placed balls to get their tails up.
In the 16th minute, Ciaran Downes showed intercounty class when he was the final link in some wonderfully intricate forward handpassing in the half forward line, breaking inside the cover and stitching a classy right footed effort to the top corner.
Wolfe Tones needed to settle and while there could be some allowance for the slow start considering the strong wind hitting them in the face, they were struggling to win primary possession; it took them until the 20th minute to score via a Colin Riordan point from play.
Riordan followed that with a quick second – the ball bouncing in the square and over the bar – but the mountain they had to climb in the second half would be vast with Marty O’Leary and Downes picking off the last two points of the half to give the West Clare side a 1-9 to 0-2 lead.
Tones came out of the blocks quickly after the resumption to be fair, and within ten minutes, they had pulled it back to a six point game after scores from Riordan, Jayme O’Sullivan, Darragh Leahy, and Aaron Kelly had them moving in the right direction.
However, Kilmihil used all their experience to slow the game down to a pace that allowed them to take the air out of Tones, and with some frees won in shooting distance, Ciaran Downes managed to pick off three frees in the row to push them into a comfortable 1-12 to 0-7 lead with three minutes remaining.
Looking for goals, Damien Lyne and Darragh Leahy found points just before the 60 minutes struck but it was Downes who finished the game in the same manner in which he had started; picking off a classy two-point free from the ground to secure the win.
There were ugly scenes late in injury time when a schemozzle erupted at the scoreboard end as Tones came looking for goals, but Barry Keating brought proceedings to an end sharply thereafter to the delight of the Kilmihil supporters.
Scorers Kilmihil: Ciaran Downes (1-11,2x 2ptf, 0-7f), Marty O’Leary 0-1, Cathal Murray 0-1, Sean Crowley 0-1.
Scorers Wolfe Tones: Colin Riordan (0-3, 0-1f), Darragh Leahy 0-2, Jayme O’Sullivan 0-2, Damien Lyne 0-1, Aaron Kelly 0-1.
Kilmihil:
1. Damien Lineen
2. David Coughlan
3. John Finucane
4. Padraig O’Grady
5. Shane Downes
6. Mikey Keating
7. Michael Cotter
8. Dan Keating
9. Jack Keating
10. Ciaran Downes
11. Sean Crowley
12. Gavin Downes
13. Martin O’Leary
14. Cathal Murray
15. Stan Lineen
Subs:
Niall Pender for S Lineen (61).
Wolfe Tones:
1. Fionn McInerney
2. Tan Greene
3. Jayme O’Sullivan
4. Shane Nihill
10. Brian Murphy
6. Conor Carrig
7. Aaron Brennan
29. Daithi Lohan
9. Joe McCauley
23. Jack Ryan
11. Colin Riordan
12. Dean Devanney
13. Aaron Kelly
14. Darragh Lohan
15. Darragh Leahy
Subs used:
Niall Fitzgerald for J Ryan (33);
Eoghan Casey for B Murphy (35);
Tadgh Fitzgerald for D Leahy (blood, 38-40);
Tadgh Fitzgerald for D Devanney (47);
Zach Treacy for J McGauley (52)
Damien Lyne for A Kelly (56).
Referee: Barry Keating (Lissycasey)
