Sport

Clare footballers take chance to get hands on silverware

Tommy Murphy Cup Final/Clare 1-11 Sligo 0-11: Maybe the Tommy Murphy Cup does have a role to play after all

Gavin Cummiskey at Croke Park
Mon Aug 23 2004 - 01:00

Tommy Murphy Cup Final/Clare 1-11 Sligo 0-11: Maybe the Tommy Murphy Cup does have a role to play after all. Without it we wouldn't know about the footballing pedigree in Clare. Clare followed the route of several other football minnows in recent years by excelling once outside their provincial championship. Not since 1992, when they shocked Kerry to win Munster, and the league final in 1993, have they stepped out onto the Croke Park turf.

"To get to Croke Park is huge exposure. The lads enjoyed what they got today, they came up and won," said manager John Kennedy. "We were disappointed with some of our league performances but I think we showed glimpses of what we can do today."

After all the criticism, this final showed the competition may have a permanent place in an an already-packed GAA calendar. But not at the expense of the All-Ireland minor semi-final.

The Clare attackers Rory Donnelly, Denis Russell, Odran O'Dwyer and Michael O'Shea all impressed. However, it was midfielder Ger Quinlan's early two points that got things moving. Donnelly added a brace while Denis Russell - the only survivor from the early 1990s - chipped in to leave them four points clear after the first quarter.

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Sligo, a shadow of the side that toppled Tyrone two seasons ago, responded through the boot of Dessie Sloyan but an error from goalkeeper James Curran proved costly. After 27 minutes Curran collected a David Russell shot but his attempted hand-pass to Nigel Clancy was picked off by O'Dwyer, who palmed the ball into the empty net from three yards.

John McPartland reduced the deficit but two excellent curling shots from O'Shea and O'Dwyer left Clare coasting at the interval, 1-7 to 0-4.

For the second time this year Clare looked set to end Sligo's quest for honours (they beat them in the qualifiers) but then they stumbled. The wide count began to mount as points from Sloyan, David Colleary and McPartland brought it back to 1-8 to 0-9.

Clare responded with two O'Shea strikes and some airtight defending finally disrupted the Sligo momentum. Fittingly, Russell closed out the scoring in injury time to earn Kennedy's men a trip to Boston in October.

CLARE: D O'Brien; P Gallagher, C Whelan, D Blake; A Clohessy, N Griffin, R Slattery; David Russell (capt, St Senan's, Kilkee), G Quinlan (0-2); Denis Russell (0-2), S Hickey, M O'Shea (0-4, 0-2 from frees); E Coughlan, O O'Dwyer (1-1), R Donnelly (0-2). Subs: D Kelly for D Blake (3 mins), S O'Meara for S Hickey (44 mins), David Russell (Clarecastle) for David Russell (57 mins), D O'Sullivan for E Coughlan (59 mins), E Talty for N Griffin (66 mins).

SLIGO: J Curran; C Neary, N Clancy, N Carew; R Keane, N Maguire, K O'Neill; G Maye, S Davey; B Curran, D Sloyan (0-5, 0-5 from frees), K Quinn; J Partland (0-2), P Taylor (0-3, frees), A Marren. Subs: K Gallagher for K O'Neill (38 mins), T Taylor for N Carew (42 mins), D Colleary (0-1) for P Taylor (48 mins), M Munds for A Marren (61 mins), B McDonagh for B Curran (68 mins).

Referee: D Coldrick (Meath).