Clare SFC Final: Double success for Éire Óg 

Clare SFC Final

Éire Óg, Ennis 1-16 St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 2-6

By Eoin Brennan at Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg

Éire Óg are the undisputed kings of Clare in both hurling and football after finally shrugging off neighbours St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield to complete a historic senior double in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg.

Having bridged a 35 year gap to their last hurling crown only seven days previously, the Ennis side’s double credentials were certainly tested in the football version as they trailed the Parish for over half the contest.

However, being their fourth final in five years, Éire Óg’s superior experience and strength-in-depth would surface just in time to complete a remarkable 11 point final quarter turnaround and emulate their club predecessors Ennis Dalcassians’ double feat 96 years earlier.

Eight dual players featured in both finals in the space of a week including captain Aaron Fitzgerald, man-of-the-match Ciaran Russell, David McNamara, Oran Cahill, Darren O’Brien, Darren Moroney, Jarlath Collins and Nially McMahon as the holders kicked 1-8 without reply to soar to back-to-back football titles.

It’s no consolation to St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield that they proved to be their neighbours’ stiffest final test of all four this decade having snatched the whip hand three times over the first two-thirds of the contest.

Indeed, the defending champions uncharacteristically passed up first half goals chances through Luke Pyne and Ikem Ugwueru before goalkeeper Tom O’Brien came to his side’s rescue in injury-time to prevent the latter from handing Éire Óg the lead by the midway mark.

Meanwhile, Donagh Vaughan’s Doora/Barefield were the epitome of scoring efficiency as Odhran O’Connell pounced on a Cian McDonough rebound off the upright to find the net in only the seventh minute.

It took until the end of the first quarter for Éire Óg to make up the ground through a Mark McInerney two-pointer and scores from Ugwueru and Oran Cahill at 0-5 to 1-1, only to be floored a second time by an O’Connel major.

Joe Rafferty placed an incisive one-two before offloading to O’Connell to double his bounty against the conditions and force Mark McInerney to have to scramble for a late two-point leveller by the break at 0-7 to 0-7.

The champions initially appeared to have weather the Parish storm when David McNamara opened the second half scoring for Éire Óg, but nothing could be further from the truth. Doora/Barefield not only flipped the script but kicked the next five points including two-pointers for Paddy Bugler and Michael Nash to carve out a four point advantage at 2-6 to 0-8.

Éire Óg had to dug deep, but they were greatly aided by fresh legs from the bench as substitute Jack Joyce initiated the fightback with an inspirational two-pointer, Gavin Cooney re-established full control with a goal while fellow replacement Aidan McGrath kicked the final points of a brilliant 1-8 blitz to cap off a perfect dual year.

Scorers for Éire Óg: Mark McInerney 0-7 (2 tpfs, 1tp, 1f); Gavin Cooney 1-0; Jack Joyce (1tp) 0-2, Ikem Ugwueru 0-2; Ciaran Russell 0-1, Oran Cahill 0-1, David McNamara 0-1, Ronan Lanigan 0-1, Aidan McGrath 0-1

Scorers for St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield: Odhran O’Connell 2-0; Paddy Bugler (1tpf) 0-2, M Nash 0-2; T McDonald 0-1, J Rafferty 0-1.

Éire Óg: Cian Howard; Dean Ryan, Aaron Fitzgerald, Manus Doherty; Ciaran Russell, Gavin D’Auria, Ronan Lanigan; David McNamara, Gavin Murray; Oran Cahill, Ikem Ugwueru, Darren O’Brien, Mark McInerney, Luke Pyne, Darren Moroney

Subs: Jack Joyce for Pyne (40), Jarlath Collins for O’Brien (40), Aidan McGrath for Moroney (47), Gavin Cooney for Murray (50), Nially McMahon for McNamara (61)

St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield: Tom O’Brien; Eoghan Thynne, Darragh O’Shea, Fionn Kelleher; Eoghan Boyle, Connor O’Brien, Cian McDonough; James Curran, Tom McDonald; Odhran O’Connell, Michael Nash, Liam Clune, Joe Rafferty, Tom Curran, Paddy Bugler Subs: Nicki Hardiman for McDonald (45, inj), Diarmuid Boyle for O’Connell (50), Charlie Hannan for Clune (55), Samuel Costelloe for T. Curran (59)

Referee: Niall Quinn (St. Joseph’s Miltown)