Cormac Murray brings Enda Boyce to ground. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
Although they have to record a win in this year’s Clare senior football championship, St Josephs Miltown are upbeat with how they are progressing.
A share of the spoils was all the 2019 champions could settle for in their opening clashes against Kilmurry Ibrickane and Cratloe. While a win has not been secured, manager Michael Neylon is positive when assessing their performances.
In the aftermath of their exciting draw with Cratloe, Neylon said, “Either one of us could have won that game and either one of us could have lost it. It probably was a fair result. What we are very happy with is the standard of the game. That was a really good high tempo game against a really good team. It means a lot to us to be able to come out here and play that type of football.
“It wasn’t brilliant at all times but it was committed and we are quite happy with the way we played, this week, a big step up from last week. We took succour punches throughout the game and it was up to us to respond to those. Like last week our boys kept coming back and one of these days we might get at the right side of one of those scorelines. Look, both teams are very happy. We are all a bit better with that game”.
Cooraclare’s battle impressed Colm Collins in the first round and he was equally praiseworthy of the challenge they endured from Miltown. “There was a great fight back from Miltown in the second half and at the end of the day you couldn’t complain about the result. They got a great start, Kieran Malone was o n fire and he got some great scores. At the end of the day it was a fair result, Miltown deserved a draw for what they did I n the second half”.
Injuries will have a pivotal influence in deciding what teams are successful this year, the Clare manager felt. “It’s just a pity that so many people went off injured in the second half. It’s going to be a big factor in the championship. It was a good exciting game, very competition in tough conditions. This is a very tough group and every day you go out and don’t get beaten you have to be happy”.
