AIB Munster Club Senior Football Championship Semi-Final – St Joseph’s Miltown-Malbay (Clare) 2-11 The Nire (Waterford) 0-9

St Joseph’s Miltown-Malbay (Clare) defeated The Nire (Waterford) by 2-11 to 0-9 in the AIB Munster Club Senior Football Championship Semi-Final on Sunday November 11th at Fraher Field Dungarvan.

Match Highlights

GAANOW has the key moments from @GaaClare Milltown Malbay's victory over @WaterfordGAA The Nire here! Check it out! pic.twitter.com/jLd7MNdHBF

— The GAA (@officialgaa) November 13, 2018

St Joseph’s to face Dr Crokes in Munster club senior football final after win over The Nire https://t.co/HF2ImQEPfW pic.twitter.com/rboz0JgmCZ

— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) November 11, 2018

St Joseph’s to face Dr Crokes in Munster club senior football final after win over The Nire

The Nire 0-9 – 2-11 St Joseph’s Miltown Malbay

Report By Michael Moynihan for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Clare champions St Joseph’s of Miltown Malbay will face Dr Croke’s of Kerry in the Munster club senior football final, having seen off The Nire in a soggy Fraher Field, Dungarvan.

The Waterford champions defended the dressing-room end in the first half, facing the breeze, and opened the scoring with a fine Tom Barron point: Eoin Cleary replied with a Miltown free.

A loose ball squirted to Nire danger man Conor Gleeson but his first-time show was saved by Sean O’Brien in the Miltown goal and the Clare men had a Kieran Malone point when they swept downfield.

Miltown were exposing The Nire by running hard through the middle, where Eoin Cleary got on a lot of ball. Clever supporting runs earned them another Cleary free and a Colin Hehir point – 0-4 to 0-1 on ten minutes.

The Waterford men were far more deliberate in their build-up, but Jamie Barron hit a Nire point, Shane Ryan added a free and Gleeson levelled matters.

Oisin Looney nudged Miltown one ahead on 20 minutes, 0-5 to 0-4, as The Nire rued their errant free-taking. Malone tapped over a neat point. Cormac Murray had a sight of goal for the Clare men just then but blazed wide: he added a good point soon afterwards and Conor Cleary hit a long-range effort. There was just time for Gleeson to point a free, leaving it 0-9 to 0-5 at the half.

Conditions deteriorated dramatically over half-time and both sides struggled to express themsleves, but Shane Walsh hit a Nire point on 35 minutes. Eoin Curtin responded for Miltown. Dylan Guiry cut the Miltown lead to three on 40 minutes, just before Cormac Murray soloed through before crashing home a fine goal, 1-10 to 0-7.

Ni raibh ach suim ag Cormac Murray ar chúl do #MilltownMalbay

Cormac Murray had only goal on his mind for St Joseph’s

All the @MunsterGAA club semi-final highlights at 20.00 on @SportTG4 @GaaClare @Fourmilewater #gaa #thetoughest pic.twitter.com/uhcPtHcsqr

— GAA 2018 (@GAA_2018_TG4) November 12, 2018

In the conditions it was a hugely significant score, giving the Clare men a cushion, but Jamie Barron hit two Nire points to make it a four point game entering the last ten minutes. However, Miltown sub Sean Malone first-time a ground ball to the net to end the game as a contest with nine minutes left.

Referee Padraig O’Sullivan denied The Nire what seemed a certain penalty on 54 minutes which might have made the closing stages more interesting. The Nire’s James McGrath was sent off late on thanks to a second yellow card but was then allowed back on, presumably due to mistaken identity.

Scorers for The Nire: J. Barron (0-3); C. Gleeson (0-2, 1 free); T. Barron, S. Walsh, S. Ryan, D. Guiry (free) (0-1 each)

Scorers for St Joseph’s: C. Murray (1-1);S. Malone (1-0); E. Cleary (frees) (0-3); K. Malone, C. Hehir (0-2 each); C. Cleary, O. Looney, E. Curtin (0-1 each).

THE NIRE: D. Murphy, D. Meehan, T. O’Gorman (vc), M. Moore, J. McGrath, T. Barron, Darren Guiry, T. Guiry, C. Guiry, S. Ryan, Dylan Guiry (c), J. Barron, S. O’Meara, C. Gleeson, S. Walsh.
Subs: D. Ryan for T. Guiry (37); C. Mulcahy for Meehan (47); C. Walsh for O’Meara (57).

ST JOSEPH’S: S. O’Brien, A. McGuane, E. O’Gorman, E. O’Brien, C. Hehir, G. Kelly (c), J. O’Connor, O. Looney, D. McDonagh, E. Curtin, C. Cleary, K. Malone, B. Curtin, E. Cleary, C. Murray.
Subs: S. Malone for McDonagh (48); E. Reidy for J. O’Connor (55); G. Kelly for Curtin (57); M. Murray for Looney (60).

REFEREE: P. O’Sullivan (Kerry).

Ticket Information

Adult: €15
Students/OAP’s: €10, will receive their concession at the designated stile with valid ID prior to entry
U16’s: Free

Tickets are available now from participating Centra & Supervalu outlets

Match Programme