*Noel Casey clears his lines under pressure from Paraic O’Loughlin. Photograph: Mark Hayes
Kilmaley have been crowned Clare Cup champions for the second time in four years.
Kilmaley 0-25
Clonlara 0-15
Venue: Cusack Park, Ennis
It won’t go down in history as one of the better games in the 2022 competition but there is no denying the merit of Kilmaley’s win over Clonlara in the Clare Cup (Division 1 league) final at sunny Cusack Park on Sunday evening.
Never behind in the tie, Kilmaley turned the tables on the only team to beat then in the group stage of the competition and they were full value for this victory. Fifteen points separated the teams last month when they clashed at Kilmaley and, clearly, the new league champions were determined to avenge that result on Sunday evening.
Their determination to succeed on this occasion was evident from the off and they dominated in all the key areas on their way to this comfortable victory.
With the opening games in the championship just around the corner both sides are likely to be more concerned about injuries suffered by key players in this tie rather than the fare on offer.
Kilmaley lost Michael O’Malley after just eighteen minutes by which time he had scored 0-4 while, just four minutes later, Clonlara, already without John Conlon due to injury, lost their captain Cathal O’Connell to a hamstring injury before Colm Galvin was helped from the pitch ten minutes into the second half with a leg injury, Micheál O’Loughlin also departed the field after sustaining a knock.
Points were exchanged three times in the opening seven minutes, Kilmaley taking the lead on each occasion, before they landed three in a row to take a lead they would hold to the finish.
The winners who had nine different players on the scoresheet in this final, went on to led by three at half time when the score was 0-11 to 0-8. They were the sharper team and showed the greater hunger for victory throughout.
Clonlara cut the deficit to two, 0-12 to 0-14, nine minutes into the second half when they lost Colm Galvin.
In the next seven minutes Kilmaley landed five unanswered points to open a lead of seven points (0-19 to 1-12) and from here on there was never a doubt about the result.
With Conor Cleary dominant at centre back, the South Clare side couldn’t find a way through for the scores they so badly needed.
With victory secure the winners were able to give game time to a number of their panel and these included Daire Keane who returned to action from injury having missed their previous game.
Clonlara also used the allowed number of substitutes in five but this day belonged to the hungrier Kilmaley.
Conor Cleary, Aidan McGuane, Mikey O’Neill, Tommy Barry and Gearoid O’Grady were prominent for the winners while Clonlara’s best were Paul McNamara, MÃcheál O’Loughlin and Michael Clancy.
After the game, Chairman of Clare GAA Kieran Keating presented the trophy to Kilmaley captain Michael O’Neill.
Kilmaley: Bryan O’Loughlin; Martin O’Connor, Colin McGuane, Noel Casey; Aidan McGuane Conor Cleary (0-1), Bradley Higgins; Michael O’Neill (0-5), Tommy Barry (0-2); Sean O’Loughlin (0-2), Brian Cahill, Michael O’Malley (0-4, 1f, 1’65), Cian Moloney, Gearoid O’Grady (0-2), Eanna McMahon (0-2)
Subs: Joe Carmody (0-6, 5f) for O’Malley (inj. 18); Daire Keane for McMahon (49); Sean Kennedy for Casey (50); Brian McNamara for Barry (53); Sean Ronan (0-1) for Moloney (55)
Clonlara: Ger O’Connell; Garath Kennedy, Jathan McMahon, Paul McNamara; Michael Clancy Dylan McMahon, Colm O’Meara; Cathal O’Connell (0-2, 1f), Aidan Moriarty; Colm Galvin (0-1), Kieran Galvin (0-4, 1f), Micheal O’Loughlin (0-6, 3f); Cormac O’Donovan, Paraic O’Loughlin, Micheal Stritch;
Subs: Ian Galvin for C. O’Connell (inj. 21); Sean Begley for O’Meara (35); Conor Bourke for C. Galvin (inj)., Michael White for Kennedy (51), Tommy Lynch (0-1) for M. O’Loughlin.
Referee: Niall Malone (Éire Óg)
