Clare SFC: 2023 winners Cratloe in relegation danger

Colm Collins’ historic 20th season in charge of Cratloe certainly hasn’t gone according to plan. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

There were more eyebrows raised at the relegation candidates than at the nine remaining teams in this year’s Clare SFC after 2023 finalists Cratloe and St. Breckan’s dropped into the danger zone.

Three-in-a-row-chasing Éire Óg, a rampant Kildysart and Kilmurry Ibrickane topped their respective groups to seal seeded quarter-final berths and will be joined in the last eight by St. Joseph’s Miltown, Ennistymon, Lissycasey and Doonbeg. 

The last quarter-final position will be filled this Friday evening when intermediate champions Corofin and last year’s senior finalists St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield face each other in a play-off.

However, it’s the bottom three that have hogged the spotlight following a dramatic final round of group matches as 2023 winners Cratloe, St. Breckan’s and Kilmihil will battle it out to avoid the trapdoor to intermediate level for 2027.

Colm Collins’ historic 20th season in charge of Cratloe certainly hasn’t gone according to plan, as for the very first time in that record-breaking reign, his side have suffered three successive championship defeats following a flooring 4-13 to 2-07 reverse to Doonbeg in Clarecastle on Saturday afternoon.

Nothing from the start suggested such a flagging finale as a Ryan Harkin penalty and a superb solo goal for Jamie Moylan helped power the South East Clare side into a 2-4 to 0-4 advantage by the end of the opening quarter.

Unperturbed, Doonbeg got themselves back on track with a palmed rebound goal for corner-back Jason Linnane and it inspired the Magpies to regain full parity by the break at 2-6 to 1-9.

Despite being without injured talismanic duo Podge Collins and Cathal McInerney, Cratloe inched back in front through Rian Considine on the restart. 

Remarkably, it was to prove their final score though, as goalkeeper Eamon Tubridy prevented Jamie Moylan from doubling his goal bounty.

Instead, the West Clare side gathered momentum at the perfect time as they finished with an unanswered 3-4 final quarter flourish as Eoin Killeen, Gavin O’Shea and Sean Conway powered the Magpies to only their second senior victory in 19 matches and more significantly a first quarter-final since 2019.

The other Group 1 tie was a group decider between current winner Éire Óg and 2018 and ’19 champions St. Joseph’s Miltown in Kilmihil that ended decisively in the holders’ favour by 1-22 to 0-12. 

With both teams already safely through to the quarter-finals before a ball was kicked, Miltown didn’t play their full hand and as a result, 1-9 for Mark McInerney ensured a 28th championship in their last 29 matches to clinch the group.

Vying with Doonbeg for the performance of the weekend was Kildysart who progressed to only their second senior quarter-final in the last 37 years when brushing aside the challenge of previously flawless Ennistymon by 1-23 to 2-09 in Cooraclare on Saturday evening.

Find themselves trailing by five points after the opening ten minutes, 2022 intermediate winners Kildysart responded with the next 12 points including inspirational two-pointers from Emmet McMahon (2), Diarmuid O’Donnell and Luke McGrath to seize full control.

A stunned Ennistymon, who were already assured of a business-end berth, would only score a solitary point in 40 minutes as a momentum-fuelled Kildysart soared into a double-figure cushion before substitute Conall Casey wrapped up an 11-point win that impressively included 1-20 from play.

Early goals in both halves for Joe Rafferty (2) and Tom McDonald saw St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield cement third place in Group 2 with a commanding 3-16 to 2-11 win over a demotion play-off-destined Kilmihil in Lissycasey.

Their opponents in Friday’s preliminary quarter-final are Corofin who despite a rousing backlash were unable to prevent Kilmurry Ibrickane from topping Group 3 by 3-09 to 0-14 in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg in Ennis on Sunday afternoon.

Timely goals for teenage sensation Conor Burke, Dermot Coughlan and Evan Cahill managed to finally fend off a Corofin side that had reduced the arrears to just the minimum before county senior Cahill paved the way for a tenth consecutive quarter-final with a clinching major at the three-quarters mark.

Cusack Cup (Division 1 League) champions Lissycasey secured the final quarter-final spot of the weekend when keeping St. Breckan’s at arm’s length by 2-14 to 0-11 in Miltown Malbay on Sunday afternoon.

A Shane Griffin goal in either half provided Lissycasey with a degree of comfort to frustrate a St. Breckan’s who had been more accustomed to winning the Jack Daly than trying to stay in it since bouncing back to senior level in 2020.

However, one of St. Breckan’s, Cratloe and Kilmihil has to fall back down to the second tier for 2027, with that draw, along with the senior quarter-final pairings, to be made immediately after this Friday’s play-off between St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield and Corofin in Clarecastle at 7.30pm