Clarecastle's 91-year senior stay comes to crushing end

BAD DAY: Clarecastle have been relegated after a 91-year stay. Pic: Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile

O’Callaghan’s Mills 1-16 Clarecastle 1-13 

Clarecastle’s 91-year stay in the ranks of Clare senior hurling came to an end in Sixmilebridge on Sunday afternoon when they plunged to a fourth successive defeat of a forgettable campaign.

The 12-time champions have teetered on the brink in recent years before this three-point defeat to reigning Division 1 league champions finally pushed the club's top team through the trapdoor to the intermediate ranks for the first time since they won this grade in 1931.

The Mills were never headed and with Colm Cleary and Gary Cooney being their scoring mainstays they built up a 0-9 to 0-4 interval lead. Clarecastle valiantly tried to chase them down on the turnover, but despite bringing it back to a 0-12 to 0-10 game with ten minutes remaining, it was as good as it got.

The Mills settled with points by keeper Killian Nugent and top-scorer Colm Cleary before a 60th-minute goal from Gary Cooney settled matters, even if Conor Halpin’s last-gasp goal made it a one-score game.

Scorers for O’Callaghan’s Mills: C Cleary (0-7, 5f), G Cooney (1-3), K Nugent (0-4f), C Henry (0-1), D Moroney (0-1).

Clarecastle: D Healy (0-4, 3f 1’65), C Halpin (1-1), R O’Connell (0-3), K McDermott (0-2), J Doherty (0-1), A Hayes (0-1), C Whelan (0-1).