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*Cratloe’s Seán Collins closes in on St Breckans forward Joe McGann. Photograph: Burren Eye Photography
CRATLOE claimed the spoils to seal their senior status and pit St Breckans against Kilmihil to determine who drops down to intermediate next year.
Cratloe 4-14
St. Breckan’s 1-16
Venue: Gurteen
Being a relegation semi-final, a battle was expected but few could have anticipated such a tempestuous war that crucially Cratloe won both on and off the ball to consolidate their senior status at the first attempt.
Four timely goals ultimately ensured that victory was never really in doubt for the 2023 champions but with incremental faction fighting breaking out all over the field, Colm Collins’ side were glad of the cushion amidst five red cards in the last twenty minutes.
A massive brawl at the two-thirds mark resulted in four straight reds but despite three of those being for St. Breckan’s, only one was a player that was still on the field so Ryan Bowden’s dismissal would leave Cratloe with an initial numerical disadvantage.
Two St. Breckan’s waterboys namely injured players Padraig Kelly and Tristan O’Callaghan plus substituted Cathal Guerin also received their marching orders but things would get progressively worse for a frustrated North Clare outfit as a black card for Donnacha O’Dwyer and a subsequent red for Colm O’Brien left them in double trouble.
All because with a demotion decider to come against Kilmihil in a fortnight’s time, St. Breckan’s lack of composure was short-sighted to say the least and utterly needless as a 2-2 unanswered Cratloe blitz had by then put the result beyond any doubt with a 13 point cushion.
To their credit, Joe McGann and Jamie Stack put their heads down and managed to put some respectability on the scoreboard by outscoring the leaders by 1-5 to 0-1 and should have grabbed another at the death only for Cian O’Gorman to deny the raiding McGann.
Cratloe were far more clinical in front of goal, demonstrating their clear intent from the throw-in when Shane Gleeson and Diarmuid Ryan teed up the returning Cathal McInerney to rifle a thunderous effort off the right post and into the net after only nine seconds.
Joe McGann settled his side with a brace only to see it wiped out by a David Collins two-pointer. Cratloe devastatingly began to turn the screw as the half developed with Diarmuid Ryan, Enda Boyce, Cian O’Gorman and Ryan Harkin scoring points to sandwich a second goal set up by Harkin across to Jamie Moylan to flick to the net at the back post at 2-8 to 0-3 by the 22nd minute.
The damage could have been much worse as a foul on Jamie Moylan earned a penalty, only for goalkeeper James Garrihy to dive full length to deny Cathal McInerney a second goal.
A relieved St. Breckan’s did respond with four of the last five points, all from Jamie Stack frees to lessen the half-time arrears to eight at 2-9 to 0-7 and they would replicate that pattern on the resumption as well to leave just five between the sides by the 37th minute at 2-10 to 0-11.
That was as good as it got for Patrick O’Neill’s side though as an excellent Cratloe goal in the next passage of play involving Diarmuid Ryan and Cathal McInerney was worked to Ryan Harkin to palm to the net at 3-10 to 0-11.
Some hefty and late challenges only heightened the tension which eventually spilled over at the two-thirds mark when the majority of players and a few unwanted extras congregated in a heated melee.
Four reds later, a subsequent black card for Donnacha O’Dwyer evened up the numbers when play resumed while Colm O’Brien was also given an early shower entering the final ten minutes as St. Breckan’s took their eye off the task at hand.
Instead Ryan Harkin and Cathal McInerney lofted over frees before substitute Tommy Rooney produced a powerful run down the right before Cathal McInerney blasted to the net to soar 4-12 to 0-11 in front.
Crucially, St. Breckan’s didn’t score for twenty minutes after the row so Joe McGann’s bullet 65th minute goal and even a late Jamie Stack two point free were mere consolations for St. Breckan’s who need to circle the wagons fast before any more wheels come off.
All photographs by Burren Eye Photography
Scorers for Cratloe: Cathal McInerney 2-3 (2f), Ryan Harkin 1-3 (1tp, 1f), Jamie Moylan 1-1, Diarmuid Ryan 0-3, David Collins 0-2 (1tp), Enda Boyce 0-1, Cian O’Gorman 0-1 (1’45)
Scorers for St. Breckan’s: Jamie Stack 0-11 (2tpf, 6f), Joe McGann 1-4, Denis O’Callaghan 0-1
Cratloe
1: Cian O’Gorman
2: Marc O’Brien
19: Mike Brennan
20: David Collins
4: Riain McNamara
6: Ryan Bowden
5: Enda Boyce
8: Conor Ryan
9: Diarmuid Ryan
17: Shane Gleeson
11: Seán Collins
12: Rian Considine
13: Cathal McInerney
22: Jamie Moylan
18: Ryan Harkin
Subs
23: Cathal Lohan for Brennan (45)
14: Conal O’Hanlon for S. Collins (HT)
10: Tommy Rooney for Gleeson (50)
21: Tadhg Lohan for O’Hanlon (65)
St. Breckan’s
16: James Garrihy
18: Ronan Fitzpatrick
17: Conor Burke
5: Paraic O’Dwyer
9: Denis O’Callaghan
3: Cian Burke
7: Jack Sheedy
6: Maccon Byrne
19: Eoghan Garrihy
2: Alan Sweeney
11: Jamie Stack
12: Donnacha O’Dwyer
13: Colm O’Brien
30: Cathal Guerin
29: Joe McGann
Subs
15: Cathal Morgan for C. Guerin (30)
20: Eoin Byrne for P. O’Dwyer (50)
24: Conor Shannon for D. O’Dwyer (58)
21: Micheál Flanagan for E. Garrihy (61)
Referee: Eoin Keane (Corofin)
