*Josh Guyler of Ennistymon battles with Kilmihil’s Ciaran Downes. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
ENNISTYMON will have to examine their preparation following a shock second round loss which puts their championship on the line but the North Clare side can still qualify for the knockout stages of the TUS Clare SFC.
The Clare Echo’s online coverage of the Clare SFC is with thanks to The Shannon Springs Hotel.
Last year’s semi-finalists Ennistymon face a must-win game against Lissycasey in two weeks after losing by three points to Kilmihil a side hotly tipped to be relegated.
Although there is great disappointment and shock at Ennistymon’s latest display, they could still finish Group 2 in top spot with a win over Lissycasey provided Doonbeg defeat Kilmihil which would see them directly advance to the quarter-finals.
Declan Downes who is in charge of Ennistymon wasn’t one bit surprised by the performance shown by his native Kilmihil with whom he won a Clare IFC in 2008. “It was nothing I didn’t expect from Kilmihil. I know the club inside out, know the character of the players and people involved. In the new game, primary possession in the middle of the field gives you a massive platform to go and play. That’s where Kilmihil really came to the fore. They dominated on the ground and in the air and that gave them a great platform to go on and win the game, deservingly”.
Reflecting on Ennistymon’s display, he said, “we will have to go back and look at ourselves and examine our preparation. That game is gone now and we have to go out again in two weeks time when we will have an opportunity to right wrongs. We will rise again and go at it hard for the next round. We still have an opportunity to be involved in knockout football from here. Everything is still to play for in this group. Kilmihil came back from a heavy defeat in the first round and they have thrown it wide open here”.
Downes continued, “Going into the last round it will be wide open, score difference, head to head results could all be very important. We were always going to have to play three games in the group, game three is coming next, we were always going to be going into that looking to win. Nothing has changed. We have to go and win that now”.
Performances from Dan Keating and Ciaran Downes played a big factor in the result, he acknowledged. “There are great footballers in Clare, Ciaran Downes gave a really good exhibition of kicking off the ground tonight while Dan Keating in the middle of the field excelled. There were great individual displays, we had them also, Gearoid Barry up front, he was very unlucky with the last play. There are great footballers in the clubs in Clare”.
Prior to Friday’s game, a minute’s silence was observed as a mark of respect to the late Joe Crosse who had been manager of Ennistymon’s U9 before his tragic death. “It’s been a tough few weeks for Ennistymon. We took to the field in the first round and we honoured Éanna (Rouine) in our own way. Yes the community has taken a few heavy hits. We have addressed that in the group, We are disappointed with today’s result”.
