Clougduv back in the big time a year after their last county final appearance
Cloughduv 1-15 Sarsfields 1-11
THE flags and buntings will be back on the streets of Cloughduv in the coming weeks after the local GAA club secured their second adult county final in twelve months last Saturday afternoon.
Just a year after winning the Junior A Hurling title by seeing off Russell Rovers, Cloughduv are back in a showpiece game, this time it is at the higher grade of Intermediate and few would back against them making two pieces of silverware on the bounce.
The Muskerry men booked their place in this season’s final by battling past Sarsfields in Blarney on Saturday afternoon and selector Tim Barry-Murphy couldn’t be happier with how his side performed.
“We knew that Sars would push us all the way. You expect that from players like that. They are all hurlers with plenty experience in their side as well. We knew coming out in the second half with the wind against us that it was going to be a battle all the way to the end but in fairness to our lads we finished strong again – that is a pattern of our game for the last three years.
“Considering the conditions it was a great game with some great scores. Credit to both sets of players for that. We played well in the first half and we were happy to be up at the break but we knew with the conditions and the wind likely to be facing us in the second half that we would need to be that six or seven points in front going in.
“We knew that we would have to play equally as well in the second half without getting the reward on the scoreboard. It took us a while to get scores in the second half but in fairness to Sars they really put it up to us.”
Getting to the final at the first time of asking is obviously a great achievement for the club and Barry-Murphy was clearly delighted for all concerned.
“We are having a fantastic run at the moment and our Junior team won their division as well. Momentum is carrying us at the moment but these are a great bunch of players. They never ever complained about being out training for what is now the last three years at this stage - this is a fantastic achievement for the club.
“It is great to be back in an Intermediate County Final again. We didn’t take anything for granted this year. We took it step by step. Our aspirations were that we would hold our intermediate status if we could. That was the huge challenge but as you go on you get a bit of momentum going and right now we are all just delighted.”
Led in the scoring stakes by Brian and Mark Verling (seven points for the former and 1-2 for the latter, Cloughduv got off to a slow start and trailed by 1-2 to 0-2 after six minutes, but when the boys in green got motoring there was no holding them – scoring 1-8 without response in a 22 minute demolition of their opponents.
All six starting forwards scored for Cloughduv with towering displays also coming in from James Moynihan, Eoghan Clifford and substitute Joe Ryan with Clifford in particular giving a man of the match display at wing-back.
Brian Verling was key to this display showing unerring accuracy even with the elements doing their best to put him off. Captain Mark Verling’s goal on 10 minutes was also key to Cloughduv’s six point half time lead (1-10 to 1-04) after Sars had raised the first green flag of the game through a Cian Darcy strike.
For the vanquished side Cormac Duggan was the main threat with substitutes Shane O’Driscoll and Conor Kelleher also doing their part to reel in a very impressive Cloughduv. Credit to Sars, they fought back in the second half and as the game headed for the last few minutes it was hard to pick a winner.
Cloughduv may have held the lead but the Glanmire men had the momentum but on this day the bird in the hand was worth more and it was Cloughduv that deservedly advanced to what is likely to be another nail-biting final for all concerned at the Muskerry club.
CLOUGHDUV: J Buckley; P O’Sullivan, B Aherne, P Buckley; L Kelleher, D O’Leary, E Clifford; J Moynihan, A Twomey; A Murphy 0-2, M Verling 1-2, D Corkery 0-1; M Walsh 0-1, S O’Connor 0-1, B Verling 0-7 (6f) Subs: J Ryan 0-1 for S O’Connor (37), J Kelleher for D Corkery (42), G Aherne for D O’Leary (50), K Barry-Murphy for A Twomey (61)
SARSFIELDS: C Looney; C English, E Gaffey, K Walsh; D Roche, C Roche, J Leopold; T Murphy 0-1f, K Murphy; R Murphy, D Allen, J O’Leary; D Walsh, C Duggan 0-8 (5f), C Darcy 1-0 Subs: C Kelleher for C English (30) (reversed ht), C Kelleher 0-1 for C English (37), S O’Driscoll 0-1 for D Allen (41), R Hogan for D Walsh (52), D O’Mahony for J O’Leary (57)
REFEREE: D Daly (Brian Dillons)