Kilmurry Ibrickane survive comeback from defiant Doonbeg to qualify for semi-finals

*Cathal Talty celebrates a Kilmurry Ibrickane score as a bemused Shane Bermingham of Doonbeg looks on. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.

KILMURRY IBRICKANE are through to a ninth Clare SFC semi-final in eleven seasons after surviving a stern challenge from the ever-determined Doonbeg.

Kilmurry Ibrickane 1-15
Doonbeg 0-16
Venue: Páirc Cuar an Chláir, Cooraclare

Daryn Callinan had a match-winning impact off the bench, scoring the two most defining scores of the contest. His goal arrived on forty minutes with his first touch, palming to the net when he could well have been standing in the square but he also landed the winner when kicking a two pointer in additional time to see Kilmurry Ibrickane secure a two point victory.

Having kicked six points without reply in nine minutes, Doonbeg managed to get back on level terms and momentum was firmly in their sails. Darragh Burns’ equaliser on fifty six minutes was their last score of the afternoon with an Eamonn Tubridy free into the wind and a David Tubridy effort both tailing wide in additional time, either side of Callinan’s winner.

Netminder Eamon Tubridy was called on to stop three certain goals when denying Keelan Sexton (eighth minute), Conor Burke (seventeenth minute) and Daniel Walsh (fifty three minutes) while Tadhg Lillis, Gearoid White and Shane Bermingham made vital blocks in two different attacks. Excellent goalkeeping and defending aside, it also illustrates Kilmurry Ibrickane’s inability to take their chances in this game which was almost their undoing.

Playing with the aid of the breeze in the opening half, though it had died down some bit by the half time whistle, Doonbeg were behind at the break and didn’t develop any real flow during the first half, leading only when David Tubridy opened the scoring with a free on four minutes.

Darren Hickey had a hand in Kilmurry Ibrickane’s first two scores. He was the outlet for Ian McInerney’s short kickout which commenced the move for Cathal Talty’s point and Hickey won the opposing kickout in the air before Daniel Walsh, Keelan Sexton and Josh Moloney brought play forward for Caoilfhionn O’Dea to put them in front.

Mikie Tubridy equalised on six minutes before his namesake Eamon made his first big save of the day when denying Sexton. Keelan then fired two points, one from a free and from play, jumping into the air celebrating the second in front of the nice crowd gathered on the hill.

David Tubridy with a free and Conor Burke from play traded scores, Gavin O’Shea getting fouled to win the placed ball while it was Josh Moloney catching an opposing kickout, linking up with Walsh who found Burke for the Bricks’ fifth point.

A second Mikie Tubridy narrowed the deficit to one but Kilmurry Ibrickane replied with Darragh Sexton and Cathal Talty stretching the gap which was brought back to one with a David Tubridy free in the last score of the half. The margin could have been more but Daniel Walsh’s attempted fisted point ended up dropping into the net, in the second quarter.

Serving up a championship battle in the closing stages, there was some big hits and fine tackles. Dermot Coughlan expertly flicked the ball from Kevin McInerney not once but twice before he was met with an excellent hit by Tadhg Lillis by the sideline. Gavin O’Shea did well to dispossess Daniel Walsh when he was on the attack, creating a direct Doonbeg counter which was stopped when Evan Cahill turned over Darragh O’Sullivan.

Just as it was at the beginning of the first half, David Tubridy put Doonbeg in front on the resumption, firing over a two pointer free.

Well-worked moves were common place for Kilmurry Ibrickane, their eighth point which was finished off by O’Dea was one such example with Daniel Walsh, Dermot Coughlan, Josh Moloney and Cathal Talty all involved in setting up the former Galway Utd midfielder.

Darragh Burns with a two pointer restored the lead for Doonbeg as the Magpies were beginning to find their groove and voice. It was cancelled out by an orange flag at the other end by Cathal Talty

O’Dea then put the Bricks in front for the first time in the second half with forty minutes played, he was sharp to get on the ball after Lillis managed to block a Keelan Sexton attempt.

Callinan then marked his introduction when palmed to the net after Talty selflessly and smartly handpassing across goal to him, whether or not the substitute was in the square was not strongly debated with referee Chris Maguire letting the major stand.

Points from Conor Burke and experienced substitute Shane Hickey followed as Kilmurry Ibrickane put together 1-4 without reply to go six clear with forty six minutes on the clock. In this spell, custodian McInerney also made a big stop from Eoin Killeen.

As the game entered the final quarter, Doonbeg’s challenge kicked into gear and they fired six points on the trot, Eoin Killeen, Cathal Killeen, Tadhg Lillis, Darragh Burns and two from David Tubridy putting them back on level terms.

Crucially there wouldn’t be another score from Doonbeg while Kilmurry Ibrickane worked the ball from a David Sexton kickout, he had replaced the injured McInerney, corner back Conor Kearney latched onto a breaking ball and they managed to feed the ball to Callinan looping around to kick a vital two pointer sending his side into the last four.

Use of the ball from Kilmurry Ibrickane has been very effective, they can mix patient build-up with quick transitions but their achilles heel is missed opportunities. Tubridy made three saves while there were other goal-chances blocked by defenders during the course of the game, they need to become more clinical with their chances if they are to overcome Kildysart in the semi-finals and whoever else may lie ahead.

Daniel Walsh has delivered a fine campaign so far in the middle third for Enda Coughlan’s charges, his quarter-final display was no different, in a similar bracket are Josh Moloney and Darragh Sexton with Sexton one of their real on-field leaders in calling and organising different plays. Cathal Talty and Caoilfhionn O’Dea were the standout forwards with Darren Hickey impressing in defence, of course they wouldn’t have won were it not for the input of Daryn Callinan. They did not have the services of Aidan McCarthy who did not tog in advance of Inagh/Kilnamona’s Clare SHC semi-final next weekend.

Ending a seven-year wait to return to the knockout stages represents a season of progression for Doonbeg, that has been evident in their performances which led them to the quarter-finals. Improvement won’t provide much solace as they will rightfully feel they coughed up a great chance to make the semi-finals and knock out Kilmurry Ibrickane.

Seán Conway who had returned to Australia was a huge loss for Doonbeg in the middle third. They were left to rue their ten missed chances over the hour as they reflect on what might have been. For Brian Shanahan’s side, the standout performers were Tadhg Lillis, Gearoid White, Gavin O’Shea, Darragh Burns and Eamonn Tubridy.

All photographs by Gerard O’Neill.