MUNSTER SFC SEMI-FINALS/Kilmurry-Ibrickane 0-9 Stradbally 0-6:THE CLARE champions advanced to the provincial decider after a three-point win in Dungarvan yesterday.
Kilmurry-Ibrickane won the toss and elected to play with the aid of the gale and they immediately set about using the wind to their advantage. Dangerous corner forward Noel Downes opened their account with an excellent point form play while full forward Odhran O’Dwyer was unflappable from placed balls.
Centre-back and team captain Enda Coughlan also got in on the scoring act with a fine individual point to extend his side’s lead to five points with 18 minutes played.
Stradbally gave themselves a lifeline when Niall Curran and Shane Aherne converted frees but they still trailed by five points at half-time, mainly thanks to the free-taking ability of O’Dwyer.
Stradbally were gifted a golden opportunity to narrow the gap to a very manageable two points in first-half injury-time when referee Brian Tyrell controversially awarded them a penalty. Unfortunately for the Waterford champions, Shane Aherne drove his penalty well wide.
It took Stradbally 13 minutes to open their second half account by which stage they had fallen a further point behind.
They were always going to require a goal to win the game and they very nearly got one when Niall Curran set up substitute Pat Weldon. With goalkeeper Dermot O’Brien bearing down on him, Weldon drove the ball over the bar and the opportunity was lost.
Another free from Niall Curran left Stradbally three points adrift with 10 minutes remaining, but they failed to get any closer than that. In the final minutes, Shane Aherne and Ian McInerney traded frees and Kilmurry-Ibrickane held on for a three-point victory.
Stradbally finished the game with 13 men when both Shane Lannon and John Hearne received their marching orders for separate offences late on.
KILMURRY-IBRICKANE: D O’Brien; D Hickey, M Killeen, M McMahon; S Hickey, E Coughlan (0-1); D Callinan, P O’Connor, Peter O’Dwyer; M Hogan, I McInerney (0-2, frees), S Moloney, M O’Dwyer, O O’Dwyer (0-5, frees), N Downes (0-1). Subs: E Talty for N Downes, J Daly for O O’Dwyer, Paul O’Dwyer for M Hogan.
STRADBALLY: O Costello; T Walsh, K Coffey, T Costello; T Grey, E Rockett, A Doyle; J Coffey, J Hearne; T Connors, S Aherne (0-2, frees), S Cunningham; N Curran (0-3, frees), R Aherne, S Lannon. Subs: P Weldon (0-1) for T Connors, P Doyle for A Doyle.
Referee: B Tyrell (Tipperary).
Kilmurry-Ibrickane will play Kerins O’Rahillys in the Munster final on December 6th.
