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*John Finucane of Kilmihil. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
KILMIHIL are “getting too familiar” with competing in relegation battles.
Successive defeats to Kildysart, Ennistymon and St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield have the two-time Clare SFC champions preparing for another relegation dogfight where they are pinned with 2023 champions Cratloe and the side they overcame to win that final, St Breckans.
Losses by margins of six, sixteen and eight points respectively consigned Kilmihil to the bottom of Group 2.
Round three saw Kilmihil deliver their strongest showing of the season but it wasn’t enough to stop Doora/Barefield from claiming a spot in the preliminary quarter-finals.
Playing with the breeze in the first half, Kilmihil trailed by four at the break but conceded two goals in the opening five minutes of the restart. They managed to reduce the arrears to three with green flags from Dan Keating and Gavin Downes but a Joe Rafferty insprired Doora/Barefield finished the stronger.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Kilmihil selector, Seán Johnston outlined, “We know the boys we have that they have it in them to do it and they really showed that in the second half. We are very proud of them, When the chips were down they stepped it up again. I suppose it’s a question of too little too late”.
Against The Parish, Kilmihil needed to take all their chances, Seán acknowledged. “We had our chances, we were there or thereabouts and the result is extremely disappointing. We got two good goals and their goalkeeper made a great save as well from Jack Keating”.
For their last four seasons in the top flight, Kilmihil have been in the relegation series. They dropped down to intermediate when losing to St Joseph’s Miltown but bounced back at the first attempt when winning promotion in 2023.
Fighting for their senior status is becoming an annual battle. “It is something we are getting too familiar with. We know what we have to do and whenever it is on we will be ready for whoever is coming”.
Johnston added, “there is some fighting spirit in Kilmihil. We are a traditional club. We have small numbers but everyone in that group would die for you. They are great lads”.
Tight numbers are catching the club, the Junior B championship winning captain of 2023 flagged. “When we get a few injuries it puts a huge burden on us. We lost Micheal (Cotter) in the second game, a huge loss. We are asking the same fellas to do it over and over again but they are happy to do that. We have improved with every game and we will be back training and getting ready for whoever is coming. We know we can do it”.
