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*Tom McDonald stood out for Doora/Barefield. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield finally got off the mark at the third attempt, just in time to book their place in the Quarter-Final play-off after holding off Kilmihil in Cusack Park, Ennis on Sunday afternoon.
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 3-9
Kilmihil 2-8
Venue: Cusack Park, Ennis
Indeed, with both sides suffering defeat to Cratloe and Lissycasey, this was essentially do-or-die as the Parish garnered a place in the last nine while in the process sending Kilmihil into the dreaded relegation play-offs.
Three timely goals effectively got Doora/Barefield over the line as early well-worked moves were finished by Eoghan Thynne and Tom Hannan to blaze a scorching trail at 2-5 to 0-1 by the 20th minute. However, typifying their campaign to date, it wouldn’t be all plain sailing as Kilmihil grabbed an unlikely lifeline before the break, with two goals through the Downes brothers Gavin and Ciaran slashing a ten point deficit to just three by the break with the wind to come at 2-6 to 2-3.
By the turn of the final quarter, only the minimum separated the sides after Kilmihil inched ever closer with points from Ciaran Downes and substitute David Coughlan.
Inevitably however, it was the inspirational Tom McDonald that slammed the door shut on Kilmihil’s hopes as his overlapping run was picked out by Jack Hannan to fire to the top left corner of the net at 3-7 to 2-5.
That hammer blow proved detrimental for Kilmihil who despite battling on never looked like clawing back their opponents once more as a youthful Parish deservedly march on to the knock-out stages for the second successive season.
Scorers for St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield: Tom McDonald (1-3, 2f); Tom Hannan (1-1); Eoghan Thynne (1-0); Cian Barron, Nicki Hardiman, Tom O’Brien (f), James Curran, Conor Brannock (0-1 each)
Scorers for Kilmihil: Ciaran Downes (1-4, 1-0 Pen, 2f); Gavin Downes (1-0); Martin O’Leary (0-2f); Sean Crowley, David Coughlan (0-1 each)
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield:
1: Tom O’Brien
2: Peter Collins
3: Fionn Kelleher
4: Samuel Costello
5: James Curran
6: Jack Hannan
7: Cian McDonough
8: Eoin Hanrahan
10: Tom McDonald
14: Joseph Rafferty
9: Cian Barron
12: Kieran Thynne
13: Eoghan Thynne
19: Nicki Hardiman
11: Tom Hannan
Subs:
24: Eoghan Talty for E. Thynne (34, inj)
21: Conal Dorgan for Costello (39)
15: Dara Nagle for K. Thynne (46)
17: Conor Brannock for Hardiman (54)
20: Darragh Whelan for Curran (61)
Kilmihil:
1: Sean Scott-Cafferkey
17: Alan Normoyle
3: Mikey Keating
2: Fionn Febbraro
7: Gavin Downes
6: Stan Lineen
15: Conor Crowley
9: John Finucane
11: Ciaran Downes
19: Niall Reidy
12: Niall Pender
10: Sean Crowley
14: Gearoid O’Grady
24: David Egan
13: Martin O’Leary
Subs:
5: David Coughlan for Normoyle (20)
22: Cathal Murray for Pender (39)
8: Conor Finucane for Reidy (48)
Referee: Barry Keating (Lissycasey)
