Munster Club FC final replay/Kilmurray 0-9 Stradbally 0-8: A cold, grey afternoon in Kilmallock will be long remembered by these two clubs: by Kilmurry because it marked their first provincial title and by Stradbally because it might be the closest they get to one themselves for a while.
Yesterday's replayed AIB Munster football final scored highly for drama and, if it could equally be docked for some slightly headless play on both sides, it kept a crowd of about 2,500 rapt until Paddy Russell blew his whistle four minutes into injury-time and in doing so, brought the curtain down on the last major GAA event of 2004.
Although the match was there for both sides until the end, Kilmurry did enough over the hour to deserve the honour - Clare's second - and will face Connacht champions Ballina Stephenites in February's All-Ireland semi-final.
"The joy," said manager Pat O'Dwyer afterwards," is unbelievable and the sheer relief when it was over and we had won it. To have gone a player down and still dig as deep as we did is remarkable."
Referring to the sending-off of John O'Connor for a second yellow card with 20 minutes remaining, O'Dwyer wasn't taking the traditional route when analysing the sanction. "No. He'd been booked already and that's the yellow card system. You have to watch it when you already have one. I've no complaints."
O'Dwyer made the point that the remaining 14 players ramped up their work-rate to cope with the adversity. And the intensity of their efforts helped to spook opponents, who had plenty of chances to win.
Stradbally's late point from Noel Curran - a soaring kick that bisected the posts and left only one between the sides going into injury-time - was in stark contrast to the earlier finishing, in fairness by both teams, and the Waterford side will be haunted by how they let a historic opportunity pass.
The difference between this replay and the draw was in the consistency of the Kilmurry effort. They battled away even when being outgunned, showed more creative flair in attack and critically - with less than half their opponents' total of wides - demonstrated better economy.
Within two minutes Stradbally had a penalty after Curran had been brought down. Michael Walsh stepped up, but his shot was well saved by Dermot O'Brien, who would go on to save his team again before the afternoon was finished.
Spectators had to wait until the eighth minute for a score: Johnny Daly kicking the first of five points on a day when his generally (he did have one howler in the dying minutes) accurate kicking proved the difference between winning and defeat. Daly was the TG4 man of the match, but would have had strong competition from teammates O'Brien and Peter O'Dwyer at centrefield, who horsed around particularly after the first quarter, taking constant physical punishment, and turning the tide in a sector that had run strongly against Kilmurry in the drawn match.
There were comparisons with the previous week as Kilmurry took a first-half lead. When they got going, they led 0-5 to 0-2 after 20 minutes. This looked bad for Stradbally because they had failed to translate a bigger share of possession into scores although Ger Power was pulling the strings on the 40 with Curran and Stephen Cunningham threatening. The Waterford club bounced back with three points from Michael Walsh and Curran, from frees, and Power from play and a consensus emerged that the murky light might have to see us through extra-time.
In retrospect, the intervention by Aoghus Curry just before the interval was a major contribution to Kilmurry's success. First he skinned Oliver Costelloe and fed Michael O'Dwyer to reclaim the lead and in injury-time Curry hoisted a spectacular point from the right corner.
An early second-half free by Daly stretched the lead to 0-8 to 0-5 and the target was set. Kilmurry would only score once more.
Stradbally were up for the challenge and under the pressure of their surging attacks, the Clare team's defence creaked. Trevor Costelloe made runs from centre back but didn't get optimum return.
John Hearne's bursts from centrefield were beginning to cause alarm and he did shoot a point, but overall the finishing wasn't good enough.
Nine second-half wides plus a great save from Curran are the most scarifying details for the Waterford champions, who by now were playing depleted opponents.
But Kilmurry-Ibrickane rose to the occasion. Peter O'Dwyer's heavy industry created space for Odhran O'Dwyer to run at Stradbally and they exerted enough pressure to interrupt their opponents' momentum. During his joyous reflections afterwards winning manager O'Dwyer was asked would he be training his sights on Ballina. "No," he replied, "I won't. Actually I feel like going to bed for a fortnight and sleeping like Rip Van Winkle."
KILMURRY IBRICKANE: D O'Brien; M Keavey, J O'Connor, B Moloney; D Callinan, M Cahill, E Talty; P O'Dwyer, O O'Dwyer; A Corry (0-1), E Coughlan, S Hickey; M Hogan, J Daly (0-5, three frees), M O'Dwyer (0-3). Subs: R O'Dwyer for Talty (half-time), G Donnellan for R O'Dwyer (56 mins), M O'Connor for Hogan (62 mins).
STRADBALLY: E Cunningham; E Cummins, K Coffey, T Walsh; O Costelloe, T Costelloe, D Doyle; M Walsh (0-1, a free), J Hearne (0-1); N Curran (0-4, three frees), G Power (0-1), J Coffey; S Cunningham (0-1), G Walsh, S Lannon.
Referee: P Russell (Tipperary).
