*Dermot Coughlan stood out for the winners. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
KILMURRY IBRICKANE are among the opening round winners in the Clare senior football championship.
Kilmurry Ibrickane 2-10
St Breckan’s 2-09
Venue: Cusack Park, Ennis
A big step towards the knockout stages has been taken by the West Clare side who will be vying one of the three teams in the four team Group 1 to emerge to the next phase of the competition.
Their three county men on the field, Dermot Coughlan (1-02), Keelan Sexton (0-04) and Daniel Walsh (0-02) had a big input on the scoring stakes to ensure that they begin on a win.
For St Breckan’s having already been shy of four starters on last year’s side due to emigration, they were dealt a tough blow when lively attacker Joe McGann was forced off with an ankle injury with just fifteen minutes played.
Injuries were also evident in the Kilmurry Ibrickane camp. Stalwart Darren Hickey is sidelined for the season, an anterior cruciate ligament injury was confirmed for the long-serving defender in the past fortnight while Aidan McCarthy (quad), Diarmuid King, Joe Campbell and Enda Coughlan were also unavailable but the addition of debutants Diarmaid Comber and Cathal Talty is a plus for the sixteen-time champions.
Josh Moloney’s passing helped Keelan Sexton to get off the mark with the opening score which was soon cancelled out by a Jamie Stack mark. Goal chances were spurned at either end, first Dermot Coughlan’s brilliant run through the heart of the opposing defence was not matched with a decent finish while from the kickout, excellent passing sent Rowan Danaher on his way but his shot though better than Coughlan’s also failed to test the goalkeeper.
St Breckan’s took the lead for the first time on nine minutes via captain Cian Burke, after he completed a one-two exchange with fellow defender Paddy Doherty. Debutant Cathal Talty replied at the other end before Danaher nudged the North Clare outfit now under the stewardship of Declan O’Keeffe, back in front.
Two points from Sexton and Daniel Walsh restored the lead to the Bricks over the Brecks and then McGann’s involvement came to an end.
Substitute Liam Tierney provided a timely lift when hitting the net with his second touch, the first was stopped by the post when his shot slid under the legs of David Sexton but the imposing Tierney who is recovering from an ACL injury duly stuck the rebound into the goal on seventeen minutes.
It may have taken nine minutes for the next score but it kick started Kilmurry Ibrickane getting three points on the bounce via Keelan, Niall Hickey and Dermot Coughlan to cancel out the green flag.
Wing back Colm O’Brien and inside attacker Jamie Stack had the final scores of the half to leave the men from Doolin, Kilshanny and Lisdoonvarna ahead 1-05 0-06 at the sounding of the half-time whistle.
Goals at either end kicked the second half off to an exciting start. First, Caoilfhinn O’Dea sent a bullet to the back of the St Breckan’s goal before a defensive blunder allowed Jamie Stack to hammer home at the other end.
Within the space of four minutes, Kilmurry Ibrickane hit 1-03 without reply. Keelan Sexton kicked two points, one from play and the other a free before rapid thinking from Dermot Coughlan and poor reactions from the St Breckan’s defence saw him drop-kick a free to the back of the net. He followed this with a point to see them hold a four point advantage.
Padraig Kelly kicked a free to bring it back to a one score game on forty six minutes and five minutes later he was shown a black card. Tensions were beginning to rise at this stage with a black card also dished out to Martin McMahon and a red card to St Breckan’s boss O’Keeffe, all for separate incidents.
Daniel Walsh put the margin back out to four points in what the Bricks at this stage thought was the insurance score on fifty four minutes.
St Breckan’s would end up scoring the final three scores of the contest, lowering the deficit to a single score but ultimately time ran out on their efforts to force a draw.
Costly for St Breckan’s were the concession of 1-04 without reply in the third quarter and the manner in which they lost their indiscipline entering the final ten minutes. Odds will favour the North Clare men of advancing to the knockout stages but they must have a stronger attacking force if they are to be one of the last teams standing in the race for honours, they finished with 2-03 from play but must build this tally in order to record winning outcomes. Denis O’Callaghan, Liam Tierney and Jamie Stack did best for O’Keeffe’s side.
One win is likely to be enough for Kilmurry Ibrickane to make the knockout stages and they’ve got under their belt. They made basic unforced errors but will be glad not to have paid the price for it. Their experience shone through too in their ability to see out the game. Dermot Coughlan stood out over the hour while Josh Moloney, Shane Hickey and Cathal Talty impressed.
Scorers Kilmurry Ibrickane: D Coughlan (1-02), K Sexton (0-04 2f), C O’Dea (1-00), D Walsh (0-02), C Talty (0-01).
Scorers St Breckan’s: J Stack (1-04 3f 1M), L Tierney (1-00), P Kelly (0-02 1f 1’45), Cian Burke (0-01), R Danaher (0-01), C O’Brien (0-01).
Kilmurry Ibrickane:
1: David Sexton
2: Andrew Shannon
6: Mark Killeen
4: Ciaran Morrissey
5: Diarmaid Comber
8: Daniel Walsh
7: Daragh Sexton
12: Dermot Coughlan
20: Caoilfhinn O’Dea
10: Shane Hickey
14: Keelan Sexton
17: Josh Moloney
11: Martin McMahon
22: Cathal Talty
13: Niall Hickey
Subs:
21: Paudie Murrihy for Moloney (53)
28: Michael O’Dwyer for N Hickey (55)
St Breckan’s:
1: Conor O’Neill
4: Paddy Doherty
2: Conor Burke
19: Padraig O’Dwyer
5: Colm O’Brien
8: Padraig Kelly
7: Jack Sheedy
6: Cian Burke
11: Joe McGann
10: Maccon Byrne
9: Denis O’Callaghan
12: Alan Sweeney
13: Jamie Stack
20: Mark O’Donnell
15: Rowan Danaher
Subs:
18: Liam Tierney for McGann (15)
3: Raphael Considine for O’Donnell (HT)
17: Conor Shannon for Danaher (56)
Referee: John O’Connell (Cooraclare)
