Clare SHC: Scorefest Saturday gives clearer group picture

Kilmaley had a statement victory over Cratloe. 

Defending champions Feakle had a 1-19 to 1-17 victory over Newmarket-on-Fergus on Friday. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

Following an inch-tight opening round, a much more one-sided Saturday enveloped the second series of group match in the Clare SHC. An average winning margin of just five points across eight matches two weeks earlier whet the appetite for the next instalment but Round 2 rather overpromised and underdelivered as Saturday’s average was stretched to 16 points across four matches.

The ‘Group of Death’ (Group 4) did throw up a leading contender though as Kilmaley exacted full revenge on Cratloe in their top of the table clash in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg. Level at half-time at 0-10 to 1-07, Kilmaley welcomed the wind to put four more goals past a flagging Cratloe whose last gasp heroics had knocked the same opponents out of last year’s championship.