Fairytale comes to an end for Brave Cratloe.
Cratloe 0-10 v 2-11 The Spa (Kerry)
As another weekend of celebration spilled into a Monday, a voice rang up from from beside the fire in Setrights last week, “they better get bate soon of we’ll be f****n broke”!
Well rest assured turkey will be back on the tables of Cratloe households this Christmas as the parishes fairytale year came to an close in the Munster Intermediate Football Final at the resplendent Mallow Complex on Sunday.
Along with their obvious talent, Cratloe’s trump card in 2009 was pace. Hunger can come with a wait, aggression is often stoked with a dressing room oration, but pace….pace is unmarkable. And from the middle of May Cratloe’s was the rock upon which every opposition perished on. Every opposition except Killarney’s Spa. Because on Sunday the Kerry champions had it too. In spades, and they werent long showing Cratloe how much of it they had.
When five minutes had elapsed Cratloe fans were still recoiling their jaws at the sight of possibly the greatest G.A.A complex on the Island while The Spa were busy scything through their sides defense like knife through butter. Like when ‘les Bleus’ of the 80’s played Rugby in their pomp, every heroic lunge at a tackle from a defence was nearly sneered at with a deft handpass to yet another free runner. The Spa had them queing in droves in the opening quarter and to quench the flames Cratloe had to spread themselves. Ten minutes in it was clear that players like Michael O Donaghue, Niall O Mahony and Cian Tobin were a different breed of player than any met on the road to Mallow.
O Donaghue found himself standing as the extra man at the edge of the Cratloe square after seven minutes when another interchange from midfield resulted in the former Kerry U/21 billowing the net. Spirit wouldn’t be enough here.
The next ten minutes however belonged to the underdogs. Three unanswered points from Conor McGrath, Sean Collins and Liam Markham’s pointed free, put Cratloe within two points. Further points before the break from Tomás Lynch and livewire captain Niall O Mahony put the Killarney outfit back into the ascendency but Cratloe refused to be shrugged off and responded with McGrath’s second and a hardearned score from Cathal McInerney’s left boot. Sitting in the dressing room with a two point gap would have been just reward for Cratloe’s comeback but every fairytale has a villian and another handpassed exchange started at midfield by Kevin Healy, finished with O Donaghue raising his second green flag. 2-4 to 0-5 at the break.
A robust wind favoured The Spa in the second period but with both side’s fondness for working the ball forward through the hand, it was never going to be the edge between winning and losing the tie. Cratloe opened the second period brighter than their opponents. Joseph O Connor, who soonafter pointed a free, entered the game at left half forward and gave Oige Murphy and Michael Hawes a further attacking option as they tried the Kerry champions at their own game. Sean Collins burst into the tie on the forty and his runs had two further points on the board through McGrath and McInerney.
The Spa drew their defence closer to their goal and in doing so often invited Cratloe to attack. Still, one always felt Cratloe needed to hit the rigging to peg back the first half damage and in a crowded goalmouth patrolled by vetern defender Fergus Clifford half chances were the best they could do. Nobody does match salvage like Padraigh Chaplin and when Liam Markham played the substitute through with ten minutes remaining Chaplin looked like garnering more headlines. The ball didn’t behave itself in his hands however and Chaplin had to make do with a white flag instead of green. The gap was down to two points and a nervous finále looked in store for the men from the kingdom, now without the services of their captain O Mahony and centrefielder Healy. If they were uneasy however, they’d make super poker players.
A barnstorming finish saw the Killarney men rifle three unanswered points to put a cruel falsehood on the scoreboard. Michael O Donoghue again the executioner. When on the rare occasion O Donoghue stole from the shelter of Barry Duggan he had the guile to make it count on the scoreboard. For a man well marshalled for most of the contest, 2-3 is hardly a poor day at the office! And therein lay the divide between the two teams. The ability to find scores.
As has always been the case with Colm Collins side this season, and every Cratloe team that has pulled on the blue, the Clare champions left themselves absolutely empty of effort leaving the field. The Spa knew they were in a contest and what more can be asked of a team who lit up 2009 like no year in the clubs 122 year sojourn.
Thank god says you. Now we might fit in a pint on the medal presentation night.
Cratloe:
Wesley De Loughery, John O Gorman, Barry Duggan, Barry Gleeson, Martin Óige Murphy, Michael Hawes, Sean Chaplin, Kevin Browne (Capt.), Conor Ryan, Liam Markham, Sean Collins, Sean Hynan, Cathal McInerney, Conlor McGrath, Padraigh Collins.
Joseph O Connor, Padraigh Chaplin.
Cratloe 0-10 v 2-11 The Spa (Kerry)
As another weekend of celebration spilled into a Monday, a voice rang up from from beside the fire in Setrights last week, “they better get bate soon of we’ll be f****n broke”!
Well rest assured turkey will be back on the tables of Cratloe households this Christmas as the parishes fairytale year came to an close in the Munster Intermediate Football Final at the resplendent Mallow Complex on Sunday.
Along with their obvious talent, Cratloe’s trump card in 2009 was pace. Hunger can come with a wait, aggression is often stoked with a dressing room oration, but pace….pace is unmarkable. And from the middle of May Cratloe’s was the rock upon which every opposition perished on. Every opposition except Killarney’s Spa. Because on Sunday the Kerry champions had it too. In spades, and they werent long showing Cratloe how much of it they had.
When five minutes had elapsed Cratloe fans were still recoiling their jaws at the sight of possibly the greatest G.A.A complex on the Island while The Spa were busy scything through their sides defense like knife through butter. Like when ‘les Bleus’ of the 80’s played Rugby in their pomp, every heroic lunge at a tackle from a defence was nearly sneered at with a deft handpass to yet another free runner. The Spa had them queing in droves in the opening quarter and to quench the flames Cratloe had to spread themselves. Ten minutes in it was clear that players like Michael O Donaghue, Niall O Mahony and Cian Tobin were a different breed of player than any met on the road to Mallow.
O Donaghue found himself standing as the extra man at the edge of the Cratloe square after seven minutes when another interchange from midfield resulted in the former Kerry U/21 billowing the net. Spirit wouldn’t be enough here.
The next ten minutes however belonged to the underdogs. Three unanswered points from Conor McGrath, Sean Collins and Liam Markham’s pointed free, put Cratloe within two points. Further points before the break from Tomás Lynch and livewire captain Niall O Mahony put the Killarney outfit back into the ascendency but Cratloe refused to be shrugged off and responded with McGrath’s second and a hardearned score from Cathal McInerney’s left boot. Sitting in the dressing room with a two point gap would have been just reward for Cratloe’s comeback but every fairytale has a villian and another handpassed exchange started at midfield by Kevin Healy, finished with O Donaghue raising his second green flag. 2-4 to 0-5 at the break.
A robust wind favoured The Spa in the second period but with both side’s fondness for working the ball forward through the hand, it was never going to be the edge between winning and losing the tie. Cratloe opened the second period brighter than their opponents. Joseph O Connor, who soonafter pointed a free, entered the game at left half forward and gave Oige Murphy and Michael Hawes a further attacking option as they tried the Kerry champions at their own game. Sean Collins burst into the tie on the forty and his runs had two further points on the board through McGrath and McInerney.
The Spa drew their defence closer to their goal and in doing so often invited Cratloe to attack. Still, one always felt Cratloe needed to hit the rigging to peg back the first half damage and in a crowded goalmouth patrolled by vetern defender Fergus Clifford half chances were the best they could do. Nobody does match salvage like Padraigh Chaplin and when Liam Markham played the substitute through with ten minutes remaining Chaplin looked like garnering more headlines. The ball didn’t behave itself in his hands however and Chaplin had to make do with a white flag instead of green. The gap was down to two points and a nervous finále looked in store for the men from the kingdom, now without the services of their captain O Mahony and centrefielder Healy. If they were uneasy however, they’d make super poker players.
A barnstorming finish saw the Killarney men rifle three unanswered points to put a cruel falsehood on the scoreboard. Michael O Donoghue again the executioner. When on the rare occasion O Donoghue stole from the shelter of Barry Duggan he had the guile to make it count on the scoreboard. For a man well marshalled for most of the contest, 2-3 is hardly a poor day at the office! And therein lay the divide between the two teams. The ability to find scores.
As has always been the case with Colm Collins side this season, and every Cratloe team that has pulled on the blue, the Clare champions left themselves absolutely empty of effort leaving the field. The Spa knew they were in a contest and what more can be asked of a team who lit up 2009 like no year in the clubs 122 year sojourn.
Thank god says you. Now we might fit in a pint on the medal presentation night.
Cratloe:
Wesley De Loughery, John O Gorman, Barry Duggan, Barry Gleeson, Martin Óige Murphy, Michael Hawes, Sean Chaplin, Kevin Browne (Capt.), Conor Ryan, Liam Markham, Sean Collins, Sean Hynan, Cathal McInerney, Conlor McGrath, Padraigh Collins.
Joseph O Connor, Padraigh Chaplin.
