Daly hits injury-time winner for Kilmurry
When Kilmurry-Ibrickane look back on this famous victory, they will see their second-half performance as instrumental. Facing a four-point deficit at the break, the Clare champions resembled a new-look team after the interval, with Vincent Talty and Odran O’Dwyer inspiring the comeback.
“That was up there with any inter-county game in terms of standards. It was so fast. I’m wrecked right now,” O’Dwyer said later.
“They came out after the interval and had chances to score, but there is great character in this team.
“We were eight points down against a fantastic Éire Óg Ennis team in the Clare county final and we came back. We were only four points down here today, but we knew deep-down we could come back at them. Once we went ahead, it was just a matter of keeping our composure and hold on until the end. But overall, it was a great performance.”
A first half of contrasting fortunes saw the Clare champions go 0-4 to 0-1 ahead after a quarter-of-an-hour, but Drom-Broadford, reinvigorated their challenge, tacking on nine points in a golden 15-minute spell before the interval that looked like the perfect platform for outright victory.
Jason Stokes, inspirational at midfield, got forward to clip over a fine solo point, before Patrick Donnelly, Noonan and Ray Lynch gave the home side a 0-10 to 0-6 half-time advantage.
Kilmurry restarted in flying fashion and by the 40th minute had reduced the margin to a single score with three successive points from the boot of the in-form Daly.
Drom found themselves under incessant pressure though Tommy Stack, while locked in an exciting duel with Daly, proved their saviour in defence.
Drom looked like reproducing the form of their first-half comeback when Shane Buckley pushed his side two ahead, but Michael Hogan and Enda Coughlan equalised matters with nine minutes left on the clock.
The finale played at a frenetic pace saw the game ebb and flow and excitement was at fever-pitch. Reidy and Michael O’Dwyer exchanged points again by the 53rd minute, though at this stage the Clare side owned possession and pushed hard for the winner.
It came a minute into injury-time when a long ball from the Vincent Talty landed in the path of Michael Hogan. He was pulled down and up stepped Daly to land the winner. Kilmurry-Ibrickane found themselves in fantasy-football land as they now prepare to face the Kerry Champions in a Munster club semi-final.
Scorers: Kilmurry-Ibrickane: J. Daly 0-6 (0-3 frees); M. O’Dwyer 0-2; P. O’Dwyer, D. O’Dwyer, S. Hickey, M. Hogan and E. Coughlan 0-1 each. Drom-Broadford: M. Reidy (0-1 free) and G. Noonan (frees) 0-3 each; S. Buckley 0-2; D. O’Leary, J. Stokes, P. Donnelly and R. Lynch 0-1 each.
DROM-BROADFORD: E. Scollard; M. Clancy, T. Stack, M. Boyce; N. Conway, T. McLoughlin, D. O’Connor; D. O’Leary, J. Stokes; P. Donnelly, S. Buckley, G. Noonan; C. Curtain, M. Reidy, R. Lynch.
KILMURRY-IBRICKANE:D. O’Brien; J. O’Connor, B. Maloney, E. Talty; D. Callinan, V. Talty, O. O’Dwyer, P. O’Dwyer, M. Cahill; P. O’Dwyer, E. Coughlan, S. Hickey; M. Hogan, J. Daly, M. O’Dwyer.
Referee: M. Collins (Cork).
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