Smith O’Briens climb back to Clare senior ranks

 

Clare IHC Final: Smith O’Briens 0-14 St Josephs Doora/Barefield 0-12 

Smith O’Briens were crowned Clare IHC champions for the second time after they edged out St Josephs Doora/Barefield in a keenly contested decider at Cusack Park on Sunday afternoon.

The Killaloe side will compete in the senior ranks in Clare next year — they were relegated from the top tier in 2013.

Their latest success is a sweet one as they trailed by six points when the sides retreated for the first water break. Conditions favoured St Josephs Doora/Barefield in this period and they made the most of it, racking up seven points and limiting their opponents to a single score.

Regrettably for the 1999 All-Ireland club champions, this was the most prolific spell, their 0-7 return was not matched, they raised just one white flag in the second quarter, scored two points in the third and tapped on a further double in the final stretch.

Character came to the fore on the Smith O’Briens side as they clawed their way back. Crucially, Tommy Reddan put them on level terms heading into the final water break and while they conceded the first two scores on the restart, Reddan popped up with the final four scores to ensure the Paddy Browne Cup would be residing in Killaloe for the next 12 months.

Joint captain Cian Nolan was colossal at full-back for the winners with Eddie Bourke, Michael Gough and Mark Stritch also to the fore for the side managed and coached by 26-year-old Tony Gleeson.

Doora/Barefield, who were coached by Limerick’s Shane Dowling, will remain in the intermediate ranks next year where they will be joined by two sides facing the drop from the senior grade.

SMITH O’BRIENS: Mark McInerney; Mark Stritch, Cian Nolan, David Gough; Dwayne Sheedy, Cathal Stritch, Eddie Bourke; Michael O’Shea, Marc O’Halloran; Tommy Reddan (0-12 9f 3’65), Michael Gough, Patrick Aherne; David O’Shea (0-02), Keith Stritch, Micheál Ryan.

Subs: John Cusack for Aherne (39), Kevin Walsh for K Stritch (54), Evan Connolly for D O’Shea (56) 

ST JOSEPH'S DOORA/BAREFIELD: Paul Madden; Joey Keane, Adam Mungovan, Jarlath Colleran; Jack Hannan (0-01), Alan O’Neill, David Conroy (0-02); Fionn Kelleher (0-02), Donal O’Halloran; Brian Guilfoyle, Tom Hannan (0-02), Eoin Hanrahan; Cian Barron, Conor Tierney, Cathal Ruane (0-05 3f) 

Subs: Eoghan Thynne for Hanrahan (HT), Mossy Hehir for Colleran (33) (Inj), Aaron Landy for O’Halloran (48), Seanie Keane for Thynne (50) (Inj), Bruce Piggot for Tierney (57) 

Referee: Niall Malone (Éire Óg)

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