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*Eoin Burke of St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield takes on O’Callaghans Mills defender Conor Cooney. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
FOR THE second year in a row, St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield have survived the Clare SHC relegation final and in the process have sent O’Callaghans Mills straight back down to the second tier.
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 2-21
O’Callaghans Mills 2-14
Venue: O’Garmey Park, Sixmilebridge
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield produced, arguably, their best performance of the season at Sixmilebridge on Sunday afternoon on their way to sealing their senior status for 2027.
Sharper throughout the field they deservingly took the spoils as they sent O’Callaghans Mills back to where they came from last season when they won the premier intermediate title
Relegation to the intermediate grade wasn’t something that was predicted when the Mills went through the Clare Cup (senior league) undefeated in the first half of the season.
Indeed they were tipped by many to be in the latter stages of the senior championship but they failed to win a game in the race for the Canon Hamilton cup.
Doora/Barefield had the aid of a strong wind in the opening half and they hit the front after a minute when Eoin Burke, one of their stars on the day, pointed.
Darragh Moroney replied for the Mills before Cormac Murphy finished off a sweeping move with a goal. They led by two points as the midpoint of the half approached and then St Joseph’s struck a vital blow.
Mills goalie Killian Nugent was dispossessed after coming off his line to win possession and Eoin Burke first timed the ball to the net.
The Doora/Barefield side followed with three unanswered points including an excellent effort from Michael Nash and suddenly they were four points clear and they went on to hold this advantage until the break when the score was 1-10 to 1-6.
A worrying fact for both clubs as the halfway point was the number of wides they had accumulated in the opening half. O’Callaghans Mills were the more guilty, shooting a dozen, two more than their opponents.
With wind advantage to come the Mills followers didn’t appear overly concerned at this stage. They returned with Cathal McNamara in their line up in place of Keith Donnellan.
Eoin Lahiffe, another of the winners heroes on the day, stretched his side’s lead a minute after the restart when he converted a 20m free and by the midpoint of the second half each side had added 0-5 to their half time totals.
Clearly there was concern amongst in the Mills camp by now as, with the wind, they hadn’t closed the gap on their opponents who were playing with huge hunger.
Twelve minutes from the end the gap was closed to three but the Doora/Barefield men hit the next four through Graham Ball (2), Michael Nash and Darragh Ball and they led by seven, 1-20 to 1-13 with eight minutes remaining.
Try as they did the Mills could not break down a strong St. Joseph’s defence where Francie Meaney, Mark O’Connor, Eoin McMahon and goalkeeper Aaron Landy were to the fore.
Up front Eoin Burke caused huge problems for O’Callaghans Mills as did the Ball brothers, Michael Nash, Eoin Lahiffe and Thomas O’Connor.
Understandably O’Callaghans Mills will be disappointed but, on the day, they failed to match the all-round sharpness and hunger of their opponents. They were without a number of players due to injury, Ciaran Cooney being the latest as he suffered a serious knee injury in training last week.
Conor Cooney, Niall Melody, Aidan Fawl, Cormac and Liam Murphy and Conor Henry worked hard but, on the day, St. Josephs deserved victory
Gallery of photographs by Gerard O’Neill.
Scorers St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield: Eoin Lahiffe (2 frees), Michael Nash (0-5) each, Eoin Burke (1-2), Cathal McMahon (1-1, 0-1 free); Darragh Ball (0-3) Graham Ball (0-2) ; Thomas O’Connor, Darragh McMahon, Adam Mungovan, (0-1) each;
Scorers O’Callaghans Mills: Jacob Loughnane (1-5, 1-3 frees); Cormac Murphy (1-1); Conor Henry (0-3); Killian Nugent (‘65’s), Darragh Moroney (0-2) each; Liam Murphy, (0-1);
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield:
1: Aaron Landy;
2: Conor Daly,
3: Paddy Nagle,
4: Mark O’Connor;
6: Eoin McMahon,
18: Francie Meaney
7: Fionn Kelleher;
8: Adam Mungovan
5: Eoin Fanning
17: Darragh Ball,
28: Michael Nash,
15: Eoin Lahiffe;
13: Graham Ball,
14: Thomas O’Connor,
11: Eoin Burke,
Subs:
27: Darragh McMahon for Fanning (inj. 5);
10: Cathal McMahon for Lahiffe (53);
20: Padraic O’Donovan for G. Ball (59)
23: Brian Guilfoyle for E. Burke (59)
O’Callaghans Mills
1: Killian Nugent;
2: Niall Melody,
3: Conor Cooney,
4: Keith Donnellan;
7: Sean Cotter;
6: Aidan O’Gorman,
5: Aidan Fawl,
8: Fionn Hickey,
9: Cormac Murphy;
10: Conor Henry,
11: Darragh Moroney,
12: Jacob Loughnane;
13: Seanie Boyce,
17: Mark Pewter
15: Liam Murphy;
Subs:
18: Cathal McNamara for K. Donnellan (half time);
20: Stephen Donnellan for Pewter (48)
14: Bryan Donnellan for D. Moroney (50);
Referee: Kieran Liddane (Sixmilebridge)
