AIB Munster GAA Football Intermediate Club Championship Quarter Final – Miltown / Castlemaine (Kerry) 2-5 Clondegad (Clare) 0-10

MORIARTY LATE STRIKE DENY CLARE SIDE FAMOUS KERRY WIN

Monday, 14 November 2011 08:41

Munster Intermediate Club semi final

Milltown/Castlemaine Kerry) 2-5 Clondegad (Clare) 0-10

By Murt Murphy for kerrygaa.ie

MILLTOWN/CASTLEMAINE had to rely on a late strike from goal-scoring hero Cathal Moriarty to see off Clare side Clondegad in a Munster Club IFC quarter-final in Milltown, Co Kerry yesterday. Moriarty’s delightful goal when he danced his way free inside the Clondegad square with five minutes to go pushed Milltown/Castlemaine 2-5 to 0-9 ahead against a Clare side that was the better team on the day, with midfielder Gary Brennan and wing-back Kieran Browne two of their best players.

A tight first-half saw the sides level at the break, 1-4 to 0-7, with Moriarty scoring Milltown/Castlemaine’s goal when his point attempt ducked under the cross-bar but the Kerry champions needed a penalty save late in the opening half from goalkeeper Joe Daly, from Shane Brennan, to keep his side in the match. Clondegad then had a goal disallowed early in the second half, and as the game wore on, Milltown/Castlemaine brought both Ian Twiss and Derek Twiss off the bench and the duo had a hand in Moriarty’s late winning goal..

There is little doubt but that Milltown/Castlemaine can count themselves lucky to have escaped to victory here as Clondegad dominated for long stages, had a penalty saved in the 28th minute, and a goal disallowed early in the second half for a square ball infringement. Clondegad played with the strong wind in the opening half, and when Tony Kelly raced through in the opening minute, he could well have scored a goal, but a point was his reward. The home side were under the cosh for long periods of the half and in fact all their four points came from the boot of Gavin Wrenn, from placed balls. So Milltown/Castlemaine despite playing poorly and playing against the wind, they retired on level terms on 1-4 to 0-7 with Cathal Moriarty getting the goal. Milltown/Castlemaine team boss was loud in his praise of Moriarty afterwards

The third quarter saw Milltown/Castlemaine fail to score and in fact their first point from play did not come until the 46th minute from midfielder John O’Connor, who levelled the contest at 1-5 to 0-8 but it was tough going. Garry Brennan kept the Clare champions in front but then in the 55th minute came the crucial score and luckily it was for the Kerry side. A long free found substitute Derek Twiss who floated in a high ball that Cathal Moriarty pounced on Gooch like and twisting and turning, he finished clinically to the Clondegad net. The Clare side attacked late on looking for the equalizer but Milltown/Castlemaine held firm with Damien Murphy, Marcus Mangan and Paul Carroll holding firm and despite the heroics of the Brennan brothers at midfield, Clondegad just came up short.

Milltown/Castlemaine boss, Knocknagree native John Fintan Daly, was a relived man afterwards “What a great performance from Clondegad. They came here and probably deserved to win it. Cathal Moriarty is 19 years of age, he scores goals that other player can’t even see. His ability to get that goal out of nothing was absolutely fabulous. “We took off 4 players today and they were stars last week and this is the strength of our panel. After that game my neighbours in Cork, Newmarket will be favourites next week. We must go to them now and have it all to do”. Daly thought that “mental tiredness might have played its part but Clondegad boss Dermot Coughlan ” We gave it everything and we said coming down, we lost four players from the county final, but at the end of the day it is fifteen against fifteen. We had missed chances out there today and so had our opponents. The team that take their chances will always win.”

Milltown/Castlemaine.

Joe Daly, Kevin McKenna, Damien Murphy, John Blennerhassett, Paul Carroll, Marcus Mangan, John O’Connor 0-1, Mike Burke, Brendan Delaney, Shane Murphy, Donal Kelliher, Gavin Wrenn 0-4f, Jerome Flynn, Colm Kerins, Cathal Moriarty 2-0

Subs Derek Twiss for D Kelliher, Ian Twiss for B Delaney, Pa Wrenn for G Wrenn Kieran McKenna for J Flynn

Clondegad

Declan O’Loughlin, Brian Murphy, and Paddy O’Connell. Cormac Ryan, Kieran Browne, Francis Neylon 0-1, Conor Gavin, Shane Brennan 0-1, Gary Brennan 0-4f, Gearoid O’Connell, Francis O’Reilly, Tony Kelly 0-1, Eoghan Donnellan , Patrick Coffey, Padraig McMahon 0-3 ( 2f 45 ).

Referee: Brian Tyrell Tipperary

Moriarty toast of Milltown-Castlemaine

Milltown-Castlemaine 2-5 Clondegad 0-10

By Kieran McCarthy for the Irish Examiner newspaper

A goal from Cathal Moriarty inspired Milltown/Castlemaine to a narrow victory over Clare’s Clondegad in the Munster Club IFC quarter-final at Milltown yesterday. With just five minutes left, and Milltown-Castlemaine trailing 0-9 to 1-5, Moriarty weaved his way inside the Clondegad square before coolly finding the net to set-up a semi-final date with Newmarket next weekend. But Milltown/Castlemaine can consider themselves very lucky to have survived as they were second best for long stretches. Indeed, they needed 40-year-old keeper Joe Daly to save a first-half penalty from Shane Brennan while the Clare side also had a goal disallowed early in the second half.

As well as that, Cathal Moriarty’s 10th minute goal for Milltown/Castlemaine was highly fortuitous, his point attempt dipping under the crossbar to push them 1-1 to 0-3 ahead. With Gary Brennan lording midfield alongside his brother Shane, and with wing-back Kieran Browne driving on, Clondegad’s fast and direct style caused Milltown/Castlemaine a host of problems, and the Kerry side were lucky to be level at half-time, 1-4 to 0-7. With scores hard to come by in the second half, Clondegad led 0-9 to 1-5 with just five minutes left. But then came Moriarty’s matchwinning goal.

Scorers for Milltown/Castlemaine: C Moriarty 2-0, G Wrenn 0-4f, J O’Connor 0-1.

Clondegad: G Brennan 0-4f, P McMahon (2f, 1 45) 0-3, T Kelly, S Brennan, F Neylon 0-1 each.

MILLTOWN-CASTLEMAINE: J Daly; K McKenna, D Murphy, J Blennerhassett; P Carroll, M Mangan, J O’Connor; M Burke, B Delaney; S Murphy, D Kelliher, G Wrenn; J Flynn, C Kerins, C Moriarty.

Subs: I Twiss for D Kelliher (35); I Twiss for B Delaney (48); P Wrenn for G Wrenn (53); K McKenna for J Flynn (60).

CLONDEGAD: D O’Loughlin; B Murphy, P O’Connell, C Ryan; K Browne, F Neylon, C Gavin; S Brennan, G Brennan; G O’Connell, F O’Reilly, T Kelly; E Donnellan, P Coffey, P McMahon.

Referee: Brian Tyrell (Tipperary)

Next Round – the winners play Newmarket (Cork) in the Munster Club Semi-Final on Sunday November 20th at 2:00pm in Mallow.

For the Record

Munster GAA FOOTBALL Club Intermediate Championship 2011

Quarter-Finals (Extra time)

Sunday November 13^th (Replay date – Saturday November 19th)

@ Clonmel Sportsfield                    Mullinahone (Tipperary) v Mountcollins (Limerick) 2:00pm

@ Páirc de Búrca Miltown Miltown / Castlemaine (Kerry) v Clondegad (Clare) 2:00pm

Semi-Finals (Extra time)
Sunday November 20th (Replay date – Saturday November 26th)

@ Waterford or Limerick venue     Dungarvan (Waterford) v Mullinahone (Tipperary) v Mountcollins (Limerick)

@ Clare or Cork venue Newmarket (Cork) v Miltown / Castlemaine (Kerry) v Clondegad (Clare)

Final (Extra time)

Sunday December 11th (Replay date – Saturday December 17th)

2:00pm throw-in

Odds and Ends

Since the competition began in 2003, Kerry clubs have won 5 of the 8 Munster titles on offer, including the last 4 in a row. Cork clubs have won the other 3 Munster titles.

Cork clubs have won just 1 of their last 5 matches in this competition having won the first 3 Munster Club Intermediate Football titles from 2003 to 2005.

Clare clubs have qualified for the final of 4 of the last 5 Munster Club Intermediate Championships.

Limerick clubs have lost their opening match in the last 5 Munster Club Intermediate Championships.

Munster GAA Club FOOTBALL Intermediate Championship Roll Of Honour

Kerry (5) – 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Cork (3) – 2003, 2004, 2005

Munster GAA Club FOOTBALL Intermediate Championship

List of Winning Teams

Visit the Munster GAA web site History section to view the complete list of each winning team since the competition began 1888 – https://munster.gaa.ie/history/ifclub_teams/

All Ireland GAA Club FOOTBALL Intermediate Championship

In the Club Intermediate Football All Ireland Roll of Honour, Cork and Kerry have secured 2 titles each courtesy of Ilen Rovers (Cork – 2003/2004), Carbery Rangers (Cork – 2004/2005), Ardfert (Kerry – 2006/2007) and St. Michael’s Foilmore (Kerry – 2008/2009).