*Eoghan Casey offloads under pressure from Ross Cullinan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
OVERCOMING Kilrush Shamrocks in the Clare IFC semi-final “was always about revenge” for Wolfe Tones.
A year on from suffering a five point semi-final loss at the hands of the Shams, Wolfe Tones got the upperhand on the West Clare side by the smallest of margins in St Michael’s Park, Kilmihil on Sunday afternoon.
Before they broke from a huddle prior to the throw-in, the word ‘revenge’ was shouted by one Wolfe Tones player, label it a battle call or what you will but it was a clear indication that the Shannon men had not forgotten their defeat in Meelick last year.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Wolfe Tones manager Johnny Bridges said revenge was on their mind the minute they knew they were facing Kilrush in the semi-final. “It’s been known that Kilrush caught us in the second half last year, we showed a mentality that Wolfe Tones had last year in hurling and football with the relegation and losing a four point lead after five minutes in last year’s football semi-final for them to get two goals and put so much pressure on our backs and goalkeeper which we couldn’t get out of, that was a credit to Kilrush. Once we heard the draw, it was always about revenge, they are a great team and you saw what they did against Cooraclare, goals win games, lucky enough we got more goals today but we’re over the moon”.
He pointed to their second quarter where the Tones outscored Kilrush 1-3 0-1 as the winning of the game for them. An Aaron Kelly on the stroke of half-time ensured they entered the dressing room on level terms. “In the first fifteen minutes we started slowly but in the last fifteen minutes of the first half we got back on top, we got back level and then we got the first point of the second half, they came up and hit us with a sucker punch again which they are very good at but we grew into the second half, we were unlucky and hit the crossbar twice, we should have had another goal but lucky enough we got two more and a couple of points and we tacked on to hang in there for the win”.
Kelly’s first half major was “a massive lift. We needed it, we had a chance just before that, there was a big scramble around the square, Kilrush are a brilliant team, they have a great goalkeeper (David Jones) replacing the county goalkeeper (Stephen Ryan), he threw himself at everything, Colin Riordan had another chance but it was the save of the season, you won’t see a better save all year at intermediate or senior.
“We’re delighted, last year when Seamus Hayes came up to me after the match I couldn’t talk to him, I was devastated, the nerves were at us today but after fifteen minutes we showed what Wolfe Tones football was all about,” Bridges added.
A former midfielder and full forward for the Tones, Johnny is optimistic that they can claim an intermediate double. “We’ve six lads on the hurling panel, two lads starting and it’s the focus on that for the next week and then we go focus on our final. I’ve no doubt the hurlers will do it, they have a fantastic team and management so I’m hoping it will be a double for Wolfe Tones this year”.
Among the names listed on their panel for Sunday’s win included the Lohan brothers, Darragh and Daithí who were not present with the substitutes but Bridges said there is a possibility they may feature in the county final against Naomh Eoin, “they are always welcome on our panel, we’re one club and you see it on a lot of the crests”.
