Carmody sets tone for Clare

GAELIC GAMES/ALL-IRELAND IHC/Clare 2-13 Kilkenny 1-11:CLARE'S TONY Carmody scored a first-half goal, went off injured minutes later but raised the rafters when he lifted the All-Ireland intermediate championship trophy in Thurles on Saturday.

The centre forward was one of the more experienced members of a Clare team which won this competition for the first time in the county’s history. “We were the last Clare team left in any competition this year and, for the first time winning an All-Ireland at this grade was absolutely brilliant,” the captain said. “Please God we can all drive on next year.”

After a slow start which saw them conceding 1-1 courtesy of a Paul O’Flynn goal and pointed free by Michael Grace, Clare quickly settled and a fine goal by Carmody set the tone for their performance. He injured himself while scoring, blasting a low shot to the net after emerging with the sliotar from a scramble and running free of the defence, and had to exit the proceedings minutes later. But that goal gave them a two-point lead and they remained in front for the rest of the game.

Their second green flag early in the second half, thanks to an unstoppable drive to the roof of the net by Daire Keane, put them fully in control.

CLARE: A Fahy; M Earley, P Kelly, A Brigdale; K Moynihan, M Hawes, J Fennessy; R Keane (0-1), S Golden (0-2); M Duggan (0-1), T Carmody (1-0), K Dilleen (0-1); J O’Connor (0-2), N Gilligan (0-3, 0-2 frees), P Hickey (0-2). Subs: D Keane (1-0) for T Carmody, P Fitzpatrick for K Moynihan, D O’Rourke (0-1) for M Duggan, S Chaplin for S Golden, C Tierney for N Gilligan.

KILKENNY: R O’Neill; W Phelan, M Walsh, S Phelan; L Harney, PJ Rowe, S Byrne (0-1); M Grace (0-1, free), W O’Dwyer; P O’Flynn (1-2), S Kenny, JJ Farrell; G Shelly, E Hickey (0-2), A Stapleton. Subs: G Aylward (0-2) for A Stapleton, S Burke (0-2, frees) for JJ Farrell, O Walsh for S Kenny, C Conway (0-1, free) for W O’Dwyer, N Kenny for E Hickey.

Referee: Diarmuid Kirwan (Cork).