2020 Clare Senior Football Championship Final – Kilmurry Ibrickane 1-12 Cratloe 0-12

Kilmurry-Ibrickane defeated Cratloe by 1-12 to 0-12 in the Clare Senior Football Championship Final on Saturday September 26th at Cusack Park Ennis.

'Bricks' are Clare kingpins again but dreaded hat-trick for Cratloe https://t.co/fjWcY1Vl4G

— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) September 26, 2020

‘Bricks’ are Clare kingpins again but dreaded hat-trick for Cratloe

Report by JOE O MUIRCHEARTAIGH, CUSACK PARK for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Clare SFC Final: Kilmurry Ibrickane 1-12 Cratloe 0-12

When it comes to county finals, Kilmurry Ibrickane are without peer. They may have been beaten in the 2019 final by neighbours St Joseph’s Miltown, but confirmation that this was only a blip came on Saturday evening as the West Clare giants claimed a seventh senior title since 2008.

They did so thanks to a performance top-heavy with the hallmarks of a team used to winning big games — they were tight in defence and when it came to the crunch had the edge in quality up front to ensure Cratloe were on the receiving end in yet another senior decider.

Having lost the hurling finals in 2018 and ’19, this was the dreaded hat-trick in as many years as the ‘Bricks’s purple patch either side of the first water-break when hitting 1-6 to their opponents 0-2 provided the foundation for victory.

“The goal was the big moment,” admitted winning manager Aiden Moloney, “because it gave us the platform to move forward. We were the better side overall, even though we let things slip near the end.”

Corner-back Mark Killeen got the goal in the ninth minute, after which Keelan Sexton, Ciaran Morrissey and Noel Downes landed fine points as the soon to be 16 times champions started dominating.

Cratloe had begun brightly with points from Conal O’Hanlon, Podge Collins and Diarmuid Ryan, but after trailing at the break by 1-6 to 0-5 it wasn’t until the final quarter that they really roused themselves.

The game looked over as the ‘Bricks moved 1-9 to 0-6 clear by the 40th minute as two further Sexton points and another from Andrew Shannon confirmed their dominance, but Cratloe looked to have grabbed a lifeline in the 44th minute when O’Hanlon fisted a Cathal McInerney delivery to the net.

However, it was controversially disallowed by referee Niall Quinn — a decision that finally sparked Cratloe into action as points by McInerney, Sean Collins and two O’Hanlon frees brought the margin back to just two points with ten minutes remaining.

Briefly it looked as if Colm Collins’ side might produce a great escape to victory, but the ‘Bricks weren’t for wilting as a brace by youngster Daniel Walsh and another by captain Michael Hogan gave them the cushion to withstand another Cratloe onslaught at the death.

“It’s amazing, some of these fellas now have nine senior medals,” gushed Moloney afterwards. “We will be talking about these guys for a long time. And they’re not finished yet. They will be looking for ten next year.”

Scorers for Kilmurry Ibrickane: K Sexton (0-5, 2f), M Killeen (1-0), N Downes (0-2), D Walsh (0-2), C Morrissey (0-1), A Shannon (0-1), M Hogan (0-1).

Scorers for Cratloe: C McInerney (0-4f), C O’ Hanlon (0-3f), P Collins (0-2), D Ryan (0-1), L Markham (0-1), S Collins (0-1).

KILMURRY IBRICKANE: D Sexton, S Hickey, M Killeen, D Hickey, D King, C Morrissey, D Sexton, D Walsh, A McCarthy, M Hogan (Capt), D Coughlan, A Shannon, K Sexton, N Downes, M McMahon.
Subs: D Callinan for Downes (48), E Coughlan for Hogan (53), M O’Dwyer for D Coughlan (56).

CRATLOE: P DeLoughrey, S Chaplin, M Brennan, D Collins, M Murphy, S Collins, L Markham, S Gleeson, D Ryan, S Neville, P Collins (Capt), C O’Hanlon, C McInerney, C McGrath, R Considine.
Subs: E Boyce for Chaplin (Half-Time), B Sheehan for Considine (40), K Phair for Neville (40).

Referee: N Quinn (St Joseph’s Miltown)

County Finals Programme will be on sale in local shops around the county from tomorrow Friday and at all venues. pic.twitter.com/nwEf342OhE

— Clare Gaa (@GaaClare) September 24, 2020