Clare SFC Final

Cratloe 1-10 St Breckan’s 1-8

By Eoin Brennan at Cusack Park

A decade on from their first title, Cratloe proved that there was still plenty of life in Colm Collins’ side after cementing their third ever Clare Senior Football Championship title in front of 4,554 in Cusack Park, Ennis.

The famed dual club that secured two football and hurling crowns by 2014, had subsequently lost as many finals in the intervening period. Consequently, having been on the road since their dual senior (hurling) and intermediate (football) feats in 2009, Cratloe admittedly possessed an aging core. They turned that perceived weakness into their biggest asset on Sunday as facing a St Breckan’s side that were competing in their first ever senior decider and the club’s first in 27 years, Cratloe’s experience surged to the fore in a gritty victory.

Never behind at any stage, Cratloe’s bright start of six of the first eight points, including three from scorer-in-chief Cathal McInerney, helped them to a 0-6 to 0-2 advantage by the 23rd minute.

Jamie Stack did halve the deficit by the break at 0-6 to 0-4 while talisman Joe McGann would cap in with two excellent points on the restart to regain full parity at 0-6 to 0-6.

However, while Rowan Danaher somehow cleared a Podge Collins shot off the line, Cratloe would finally make the breakthrough in more fortuitous circumstances in the 42nd minute when Cathal McInerney intercepted a St Breckan’s kick-out before instinctively lobbing goalkeeper Mark O’Donnell at 1-8 to 0-7.

Further glorious chances to finish the game as a contest were passed up though as Podge Collins and Diarmuid Ryan both kicked agonisingly wide of the far right post. Crucially, McInerney and Mike Brennan had more luck over the crossbar to ensure a 1-10 to 0-7 gap by the hour mark.

Despite the major losses of counter-attacking wing-backs Jack Sheedy and Colm O’Brien to injury either side of half-time, a never-say-die St Breckan’s did inevitable rally but an emphatic 55th minute goal for Joe McGann wasn’t enough to derail Cratloe who used all their vast winning know-how to finally bridge a nine year gap and lift the Jack Daly Cup once more.

Scorers for Cratloe: Cathal McInerney 1-6 (3fs), Tommy Rooney, Diarmuid Ryan, Rian Considine, Mike Brennan 0-1 each.

Scorers for St Breckan’s: Jamie Stack 0-5 (2fs), Joe McGann 1-2, Paudie Kelly 0-1.

Cratloe: Padraigh Chaplin; Liam Markham, Kevin Harnett, David Collins; Riain McNamara, Mike Brennan, Enda Boyce; Diarmuid Ryan, Tommy Rooney; Conal O’Hanlon; Sean Collins, Shane Neville; Rian Considine, Cathal McInerney, Podge Collins

Subs: Conor Ryan for Rooney (HT), Jack McInerney Considine (54).

St Breckan’s: Mark O’Donnell; Conor Burke, Raphael Considine, Paddy Doherty; Colm O’Brien, Alan Sweeney, Jack Sheedy; Paudie Kelly, Liam Tierney; Cian Burke, Shane Fitzpatrick, Maccon Byrne; Jamie Stack, Joe McGann, Rowan Danaher 

Subs: Padraig O’Dwyer for Sheedy (20, inj), Denis O’Callaghan for O’Brien (38, inj), Tristan O’Callaghan for O’Donnell (49), Cathal Guerin for Fitzpatrick (55).

Referee: Niall Quinn (St Joseph’s Miltown).