Miltown on course for a historic day

ST JOSEPH’S Miltown Malbay have qualified for their first provincial senior final after a convincing eightpoint victory over The Nire at Fraher Field. The Clare champions deservedly led by four points at the break but it secondhalf goals from Cormac Murray and substitute Sean Malone confirmed their passage to the final. Conditions were awful with constant driving rain and a biting cold breeze making expansive football difficult. However, despite the conditions, Miltown adapted best and warmed to the occasion in front of an attendance of 1,281. With the wind assisting them, Miltown dominated the opening period. Conor Cleary and Oisin Looney controlled proceedings around centre-field with half-backs Gordon Kelly and Colin Hehir roaming forward at every opportunity causing all sorts of problems for Nire. The sides were level at 0-4 apiece after 18 minutes, however Miltown Malbay upped the pace considerably in the second quarter and hit five points in succession before the break with a single score from Conor Glesson coming back in reply. The 0-9 to 0-5 lead at half-time should have been greater as the Clare men hit eight first-half wides. The crucial opening goal arrived after 40 minutes when a long ball from the outstanding Conor Cleary was seized on by Cormac Murray after his marker slipped, and the corner forward blasted the ball to net, 1-10 to 0-7. The Nire needed a goal to get back into it but it didn’t arrive. Jamie Barron came closest after 48 minutes when his rising shot was tipped over by goalkeeper Sean O’Brien, while his brother Tom Barron had a strong claim for a penalty turned down by referee Padraig O’Sullivan. With 10 minutes left substitute Sean Malone struck a second Miltown goal, connecting with a loose ball in front of The Nire posts as his ground strike beat Diarmuid Murphy.

ST JOSEPH’S MILTOWN

MALBAY: S O’Brien; A McGuane, E O’Gorman, E O’Brien; C Hehir, G Kelly, J O’Connor (E Reidy 53), O Looney (M Murray 61), C Cleary, E Curtin (G Kelly 56), B Curtin, K Malone; E Cleary, D McDonagh (S Malone 47), C Murray.

Scorers: C Murray 1-1; S Malone 1-0; E Cleary 0-3f; C Hehir, K Malone 0-2 each; O Looney, C Cleary, E Curtin 0-1 each. THE NIRE: D Murphy, D Meehan (C Mulcahy 46), T O’Gorman, M Moore, T Barron, J McGrath, D Guiry, T Guiry (D Ryan 37), C Guiry, J Barron, C Guiry, S O’Meara (C Walsh 56), S Ryan, C Gleeson, S Walsh.

Scorers: J Barron 0-3; C Gleeson 0-2 (1f); T Barron, S Ryan, C Guiry, S Walsh 0-1 each. Referee: P O’Sullivan (Kerry).