ALL-IRELAND CLUB SFC QUARTER-FINAL/Kilmurry-Ibrickane 1-4 Tir Chonaill Gaels 0-3:THE DISMISSAL of Tir Chonaill Gaels full forward Niall Quinn eight minutes after the restart proved a significant turning point in yesterday's low-scoring All-Ireland quarter-final at Ruislip as Kilmurry advanced to meet Portlaoise with four points to spare.
The London champions will also have good reason to regret spurning a rare opportunity of reaching their first ever semi-final in this competition.
Trailing by just a single point at the interval when Kilmurry-Ibrickane led by 0-3 to 0-2, Tir Chonaill Gael looked well-placed to cause an upset. But just as they did in the Munster final against Kerins-O’Rahilly’s, the Clare champions remained focused on the task and kept probing for that all-important match-winning goal.
Top-scorer Johnny Daly provided the vital finish in the 47th minute after a dropping ball from an Ian McInerney free into the goalmouth was deflected out for the corner forward who promptly blasted to the net.
Daly was one of Kilmurry’s three scorers in the opening half after the hosts took the lead in the opening minute when Kevin Downes pointed a free following a foul on Declan Alcorn. Although the Gaels had made a bright start the sides were level in the fourth minute when Ian McInerney pointed a superb free from 30 metres, close to the sideline.
But, just as it was for much of this completely forgettable match, the contest was more about attrition than quality. A total of 38 frees and 10 yellow cards ensured that the contest would never become free-flowing.
Consequently, as a result of the stop-start nature of the game, scoring opportunities were limited as forwards from both sides struggled to cope with the heavy underfoot conditions.
A 13th-minute point from late inclusion Noel Downes was the only score from play in a dour first half and it gave the visitors the lead for the first time before a left -footed free (following a foul on London-born Liam Gavigan) from Kevin McMenamin tied the scores seven minutes later.
However, Daly’s pointed free four minutes before the end of the first half gave the visitors a slender advantage as the interval.
But Quinn’s dismissal, following a foul on Kilmurry’s captain Enda Coughlan, gave the visitors the impetus and, with man-of-the match Peter O’Dwyer adding a clinching point with four minutes to go, there was simply no way back for the Exiles. They had to wait until the 59th minute for a point from Martin Sweeney, which proved their only score of a hugely disappointing second-half.
KILMURRY-IBRICKANE: D O’Brien; D Hickey, M Killeen, M McMahon; S Hickey, E Coughlan, D Callinan; P OConnor, P O’Dwyer(0-1); M Hogan, I McInerney (0-1, a free), S Moloney; N Downes (0-1), J Daly(1-1, one free), M O’Dwyer. Subs: M McCarthy for Hogan (37 mins), E Talty for McInerney (48 mins), O O’Dwyer for Downes (48 mins), T O’Connor for Moloney (58).
TIR CHONAILL GAELS: B McBrearty; H Cunningham, P Callaghan, R Walsh; S Campbell, C Beirne, S Boyle; G McCloskey, G Kane; D Alcorn, K Downes (0-1, a free), J Hughes; L Gavigan, N Quinn, K McMenamin (0-1, a free). Subs: D Cannon for Cunningham (36 mins), M Sweeney (0-1) for Gavigan (42 mins)
Referee: M Higgins (Fermanagh).
In the All-Ireland club semi-finals, Kilmurry-Ibrickane will meet Portlaoise on the weekend of February 21st, with Corofin taking on St Gall’s.
