Outsiders Killimordaly come close to shock group win

CLARINBRIDGE 1-13

KILLIMORDALY 1-13

FRANCIS FARRAGHER AT KENNY PARK

CLARINBRIDGE entered into this Group A clash as red hot favourites . . . but Killimordaly took understandable umbrage at their underdogs rating and turned in a spirited display that came within a puck of the ball of winning the day at Kenny Park.

This is the group of death, with Portumna and St. Thomas’s the favourites to take the two quarter-final places, but Killimordaly are a proud parish and on Saturday evening they just never gave up when, at different stages of the game, the ‘Bridge threatened to over-run them.

Clarinbridge did look very lively early on, especially in attack with the pace of Paul Coen and the industry of Eanna Murphy indicating that the Killimordaly defence was on the point of being carved open.

An inspirational save from Killimordaly ‘keeper Nigel Daly as Clarinbridge centre forward Barry Keane bore down on goal in the 10th minute seemed to galvanise the efforts of the 5/1 outsiders as they doggedly stayed in touch for the rest of the half.

Killimordaly had most of the basics right in defence. Full back Iomar Creaven and centre back Keith Kennedy held their ground with a fair degree of authority while Alan Lawless and Paul Concannon also delivered some telling clearances.

Clarinbridge did edge into a 0-8 to 0-7 interval lead, thanks mainly to six placed balls from the stick of Paul Coen with Shane Burke and Alan Armstrong adding two efforts from play.

At the other end, the Killimordaly forwards were busy bees with Eanna Ryan (3), Andrew Daly (2), Paul Madden and Niall Earls all hitting the target during that first half, although Earls was unfortunate to suffer a recurrence of a shoulder injury that led to his retirement in the 20th minute.

Through the third quarter, Clarinbridge had the gimp of a side poised to pull away again after points from Eanna Murphy (2), Paul Coen and Eoin Forde edged them into a 0-13 to 0-9 lead.