Aidan McCarthy return helps Inagh-Kilnamona past Éire Óg into Clare semi
Clare star Aidan McCarthy. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
The perceived advantage of being a group winner was emphatically debunked as Inagh-Kilnamona became the second side to upset the odds in Cusack Park in the Clare SHC quarter-final.
Despite emerging from the ‘Group of Death’ involving the last two winners Clonlara and Ballyea unscathed, Éire Óg frustratingly fell at the last eight hurdle for the second successive season in what was their ninth consecutive quarter-final.
Instead, 2021 finalists Inagh-Kilnamona impressively led from start to finish, soaring as much as eight clear in the opening half following timely goals for Eoghan Foudy and Niall Mullins.
Inevitably, a Danny Russell-led Éire Óg clawed their way back into contention but while they finally lowered the deficit to the minimum by the 59th minute, they simply couldn’t regain full parity in a frantic finish.
The return of talisman Aidan McCarthy for his first start was a major shot-in-the-arm for the winners whereas a clearly injury-hampered Shane O’Donnell inexplicably spent the majority of the second half far from the danger zone for the Ennis side.
Overall however, it was Inagh-Kilnamona’s superior balance and threat that proved decisive as their top eight all got in on the scoring action, combining for 2-9 from play in contrast to only seven points for Éire Óg from four protagonists.
Indeed, the tie was only 25 seconds old when Eoghan Foudy snatched a Darren Cullinan delivery from the air to rifle past goalkeeper Darragh Stack and give Inagh-Kilnamona the perfect start.
That goal would continue to separate the sides until the 23rd minute when the Combo flexed their muscles with 1-3 without reply with recent All-Ireland winners Sean Rynne, David Fitzgerald and Aidan McCarthy’s points sandwiching an unorthodox 26th-minute goal as Niall Mullins blocked down Oran Cahill’s clearance to race through and ensure a 2-9 to 0-8 interval lead.
It was another of their county senior contingent that would cement victory however as goalkeeper Eamonn Foudy made two outstanding full-length saves to deny the Townies a full reprieve.
First keeping out a Danny Russell bullet just after the break, it was his pivotal 58th-minute penalty save from inter-county team-mate David Reidy that kept Inagh-Kilnamona in the ascendency as a goal at that stage would have catapulted Éire Óg in front for the first time at a perfect juncture.
The earner of that penalty Danny Russell would keep up the pressure, predominantly through placed balls, to lessen the gap to one with the resulting ’65.
However, that penalty save would be the relieving boost to provide renewed impetus as injury-time points from captain Darren Cullinan and Conner Hegarty sealed Inagh-Kilnamona’s first semi-final spot since reaching the final in 2021.
A McCarthy 0-7 (5f); Eoghan Foudy, N Mullins 1-0 each; S Rynne, D Fitzgerald, F Hegarty 0-2 each; S Foudy, D Cullinan, C Hegarty 0-1 each
D Russell 0-12 (8f, 1’65); D Reidy 0-3 (1f); D O’Brien, O Cahill, D McNamara, R Loftus, M Cleary 0-1 each
E Foudy; K White, S Woods, C Rynne; J Hegarty, J McCarthy, D Fitzgerald; C Hegarty, S Foudy; F Hegarty, S Rynne, D Cullinan; E Foudy, A McCarthy, N Mullins
E McNamara for Eoghan Foudy (49), D Mescall for Mullins (53), M Callinan for S Foudy (59), R Mescall for Cullinan (62, inj)
D Stack; L Corry, A Fitzgerald, N McMahon; O Cahill, C Russell, R Loftus; J Collins, D McNamara; D Reidy, S O’Donnell, G Cooney; D Russell, D O’Brien, C Perrill
M Cleary for Perrill (ht), L Cleary for Cooney (41, inj), F Treacy for McNamara (45), E O’Regan for O’Brien (48), L Malice for Corry (52, inj)
J Bugler (Whitegate)
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