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*Tadhg Lillis and Kevin Pender swarm Kilmihil’s Mikey Keating. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
A quintessential derby showdown complete with an exceedingly anxious crescendo that saw Doonbeg just shade the spoils to progress to the last nine of the Clare SFC and send Kilmihil back to the relegation play-offs.
Doonbeg 2-13
Kilmihil 2-11
Venue: Páirc Cuar an Chláir, Cooraclare
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With only a kick of the ball between their sides for 55 of the 70 plus minutes played, Doonbeg just about merited getting over the line, having set the pace for the final three-quarters of the tie.
David Tubridy’s full array of shooting skills were a pleasure to watch throughout but it was Gavin O’Shea’s brace of goals and more pointedly the timing of them proved to be the real knock-out punches.
Doonbeg’s five point first half advantage with the aid of the conditions had been duly slashed to just three deep into injury-time, only for O’Shea to play a one-two with Eoin Killeen before nestling an angled shot beyond the reaches of goalkeeper Damien Killeen with effectively the last kick of the half to ensure a 1-9 to 1-3 cushion.
The Magpies looked to be on the backfoot once more entering the final ten minutes when this time O’Shea combined with James Killeen before finding the roof of the Kilmihil net to boost his side five in front once more at 2-13 to 2-08.
With news of Ennistymon’s draw with Lissycasey in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg even being announced on the P.A. system, Kilmihil were forced to throw everything at Brian Shanahan’s side for the remainder as nothing less than a positive result [draw or win] would keep them out of the relegation series.
Inevitably led by the talismanic Ciaran Downes, they did manage to lower the arrears to just two by the 59th minute. County senior Downes kicked all three but also found the side-netting, saw another shot tipped over by goalkeeper Eamon Tubridy while a last gasp Dan Keating two-point levelling effort was eventually secured on the line by goalkeeper Tubridy at the second attempt much to the relief of the Doonbeg faithful.
That just demonstrated the wafer-thin margins between success and failure in an inch-tight group that like musical chairs, saw all four positions alter numerous times over a tense hour.
Doonbeg crucially curbed Ciaran Downes’ two point threat, having raided for six in the previous two outings while up the other end David Tubridy landed three two-point beauties in the opening period alone to establish a wind-assisted edge.
With only two scores in the opening quarter, this derby started like a slow-burner but finished the half like a wild bushfire as both sides raided for late goals. A brace of Tubridy two-pointers including a real masterstroke from play on the right wing the came back in off the far upright established a 0-6 to 0-1 advantage by the 26th minute.
However, Kilmihil would strike decisively in the next passage of play when the ball was worked through to the onrushing Dan Keating to fire to the roof of the net. Followed immediately by a Cathal Murray point, suddenly the gap was back to the minimum at 0-6 to 1-2.
Doonbeg refused to reach for the panic button though with Darragh Burns, a third Tubridy double bounty free allied to that Gavin O’Shea goal at the death providing the perfect shot-in-the-arm for the Magpies at 1-9 to 1-3.
Now backed by the conditions, it was Kilmihil’s turn to pile on the pressure, something that yielded a goal as early as the 36th minute when Ciaran Downes won and converted a penalty to the right corner via the despairing hand of Eamon Tubridy at 1-10 to 2-04.
The goal chances kept on coming at either end as Ciaran Downes and Mikie Tubridy both cleared the crossbar as the sides traded points twice by the turn of the final quarter at 1-12 to 2-06.
Kilmihil received a timely boost when Marty O’Leary’s mis-hit two point attempt managed to bounce untouched over the bar to lessen the damage to just one by the 46th minute.
Again Doonbeg remained remarkably composed as after Tadhg Lillis was agonisingly denied by a full length save from Damien Lineen, David Tubridy arrowed over a point from the left wing before grabbing a goal themselves in the 52nd minute.
Gavin O’Shea’s opportunist strike would hand the Magpies a five point cushion that still stood by the 57th minute. However, despite the best efforts of Downes, Doonbeg defiantly held on to cement a quarter-final play-off place against St. Joseph’s Miltown in a fortnight’s time whereas it’s the relegation route once more for Kilmihil.
All photographs by Gerard O’Neill.
Scorers for Doonbeg: David Tubridy (0-8, 1tp, 2tpf, 1f); Gavin O’Shea (2-0); Darragh Burns (0-3); Eoin Killeen, Mikie Tubridy (0-1 each)
Scorers for Kilmihil: Ciaran Downes (1-5, 1-0 Pen, 2f); Marty O’Leary (0-3, 1tp); Dan Keating (1-0); Cathal Murray (0-2); Gavin Downes (0-1)
Doonbeg
1: Eamon Tubridy
5: Cian O’Mahoney
3: James Killeen
4: Jason Linnane
7: Gavin O’Shea
6: Tadhg Lillis
10: Mikie Tubridy
8: Kevin McInerney
9: Kevin Pender
12: Eoin Conway
11: Cathal Killeen
2: Shane Bermingham
13: Darragh Burns
14: David Tubridy
22: Eoin Killeen
Substitutions
17: Brian Behan for Conway (41)
18: Cian Clancy for O’Shea (53)
25: Paul Dillon for E. Killeen (58)
Kilmihil
1: Damien Lineen
4: Padraig O’Grady
3: John Finucane
2: David Coughlan
6: Mikey Keating
11: Sean Crowley
7: Micheál Cotter
8: Dan Keating
9: Jack Keating
5: Shane Downes
15: Stan Lineen
12: Gavin Downes
13: Marty O’Leary
14: Cathal Murray
10: Ciaran Downes
Substitutions
17: Padraig Lynch for Cotter (10-12, BS)
17: Lynch for M. Keating (30+3-30+7, BS)
29: Niall Pender for Cotter (50)
17: Lynch for J. Keating (55, inj)
Referee: Barry Kelly (St. Joseph’s Miltown)
