*Liam Cotter takes on Martin McMahon. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
IN THE MOST DRAMATIC FASHION, Ennistymon have advanced to the final of the Clare SFC and became the first team to get there by winning a penalty shootout on sudden death.
Ennistymon 2-08
Kilmurry Ibrickane 1-11
Ennistymon win 4-3 on penalties
Venue: Cusack Park, Ennis
It took extra, it took penalties to determine a winner in a fierce encounter between Ennistymon and Kilmurry Ibrickane. The spirit and resilience that has been evident within Ennistymon’s displays all year came to the fore in the dying moments to force extra time when it looked like the game had slipped from their grasp.
Liam Cotter made the bursting run, Brian McNamara delivered the high ball, it was caught by the superb Brendy Rouine, it made its way towards the goal-line, David Fitzgerald got a boot to the ball but it was pushed off the line and towards Ciaran McMahon with the corner back shoving the ball over the line and into the back of the net on the 84th minute to bring the tie to extra time in what was the last kick from play.
As if the heart rates were not tested sufficiently in Cusack Park, the penalty shootout went to sudden death when Killian Malone brilliantly slotted to the bottom left corner while Daryn Callinan had his shot bounce back off the post, both men had missed their first penalties. Brendy Rouine, Ryan Barry and David Fitzgerald all converted initial penalties as did Keelan Sexton, Dermot Coughlan and Joe Campbell. Malone and Tiernan Hogan didn’t score, the same for Callinan and Mark Killeen.
The Rouine brothers Brendy and Cillian powered Ennistymon into a 1-01 0-00 advantage inside the first five minutes. The more dominant of the two sides in the opening half, Ennistymon needed to reflect this on the board when the half-time whistle sounded and they held a 1-04 1-02 lead at this stage, Keelan Sexton getting the goal for last year’s beaten finalists.
Having started well, Kevin Hehir was forced off with a suspected knee injury. The assistance of the Civil Defence was needed to stretcher him off the field, even though he returned to Cusack Park in elated form at the conclusion of penalties, he will miss out on the big day but certainly played his part in getting them there.
By the thirty sixth minute, the sides were level for the first time when Sexton pointed two in a row. Diarmuid King had a fine goal-line clearance to stop Sean Rynne raising a green flag and they nudged in front through Niall Hickey.
Brendy Rouine with two white flags and Sexton at the other end ensured they stayed level. Sexton then pointed on fifty one minutes to leave James Murrihy’s men ahead in the final ten minutes but a free from Rouine was enough to bring the contest to extra time. They lost county man Cillian Rouine to injury at the final whistle.
When it came to extra time, the big question was would the pace and legs of Ennistymon see them come out on top or would Kilmurry Ibrickane’s perennial ability to close out games be the difference. For large spells, it looked like the latter with the Bricks leading by the minimum at half-time of extra time with Sexton and Callinan responding to Brendy Rouine’s first free. Losing Darragh Sexton, Ciaran Morrissey and Daniel Walsh to injury in this spell also hurt The Bricks.
With five minutes to play in extra time, Kilmurry Ibrickane led by three and seemed poised to make a sixth county final in seven years. The fighting men from Ennistymon had other ideas and McMahon’s memorable goal lifted spectators from their seats and ensured they remained on the edge for the next twenty minutes.
Reaching the final for the first time since 2018 has not been easy for the North Clare side but what other way would they want it. They’ve already defeated Kilmurry Ibrickane and have taken the scalps of Doonbeg and St Breckan’s along the way, building a sense of character and spirit that rightfully was questioned in previous years. Brendy Rouine was superb for the winners with David Fitzgerald, Liam Cotter, Lawrence Healy and Josh Guyler all playing vital roles.
Memorable wins and sore losses have been part of Kilmurry Ibrickane’s story since the past two decades but losing in this fashion will leave plenty of wounds, arguably more than last year’s county final defeat to Éire Óg. They appeared to have the game in extra game, having played second fiddle for the bulk of the first half but still ended up on the wrong side of the result. One consistent trend over the years has been how they’ve responded and that will be the test for them when it comes to 2023. Daniel Walsh, Keelan Sexton, Martin McMahon and Diarmuid King were best for the West Clare men.
Scorers Ennistymon: B Rouine (0-06 4f 1’45), C Rouine (1-00), C McMahon (1-00), S Rynne (0-01), S Rouine (0-01).
Scorers Kilmurry Ibrickane: K Sexton (1-08 4f), D Walsh (0-01), A McCarthy (0-01), N Hickey (0-01), D Callinan (0-01 1f)
Ennistymon:
1: Noel Sexton
2: Ciaran McMahon
3: Adam Ralph
4: Joey Rouine
5: Liam Cotter
20: Cathal O’Reilly
10: Josh Guyler
8: David McNamara
14: Brendy Rouine
18: Kevin Hehir
6: Cillian Rouine
7: Tiernan Hogan
13: Sean Rouine
9: David Fitzgerald
15: Sean Rynne
Subs:
12: Eoin Rouine for Hehir (23) (inj)
23: Lawrence Healy for O’Reilly (52)
17: Ryan Barry for Rynne (52)
24: Brian McNamara for Hogan (54)
27: Cathal McConigley for S Rouine (57)
Sean Rouine for C Rouine (FT) (inj)
Sean Rynne for Barry (FT)
25: Killian Malone for Rynne (69)
Ryan Barry for S Rouine (73) (inj)
21: John Murphy for D McNamara (75 (inj)
Kilmurry Ibrickane:
1: David Sexton
4: Martin McMahon
3: Darren Hickey
6: Shane Hickey
2: Diarmuid King
7: Darragh Sexton
5: Ciaran Morrissey
8: Aidan McCarthy
9: Daniel Walsh
10: Andrew Shannon
11: Michael O’Dwyer
12: Niall Hickey
15: Dermot Coughlan
14: Keelan Sexton
18: Caoilfhionn O’Dea
Subs:
13: Joe Campbell for O’Dea (13) (inj)
22: Daryn Callinan for N Hickey (46)
19: Mark Killeen for O’Dwyer (FT)
17: Josh Moloney for D Sexton (66) (inj)
23: Colin Brigdale for Morrissey (70) (inj)
Niall Hickey for Walsh (79) (injj)
Referee: Jim Hickey (Cratloe)
