*Kilmihil players celebrate at the final whistle. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
KILMIHIL will be playing senior football for a successive season after seeing off the challenge of Corofin in the Clare SFC relegation final.
Kilmihil 1-6
Corofin 0-4
Venue: Hennessy Memorial Park, Miltown Malbay
In very windy conditions, Kilmihil kicked six points with a strong breeze and Corofin kicked two while Gavin Downes’ green flag on forty six minutes saw the West Clare side raid for goal when against the elements.
After winning the intermediate title last season, Kilmihil who shipped heavy defeats in the first two rounds are relieved to retain their status.
Lining out in the relegation final for the second year in a row, Corofin did not prevail this time round and end a three year stint in the senior grade, a run which included making the semi-finals in 2022.
They’ve had no luck when it comes to injuries this season and coupled with a winless run in the senior hurling championship, morale is certainly low amongst the Corofin camps. On the football field, they are not the same force without Jamie Malone and they have lost several other players along with the former All Star nominee.
By the eighteenth minute, Kilmihil had six points on the board, three from Marty O’Leary.
They lost Dan Keating to a head injury before half time while Corofin reduced the deficit to four as Gearoid Kelly and John Rees split the posts.
Heading in at the break, Corofin would have been slightly confident of a revival given that the conditions were to favour them. However they didn’t show signs of a resurgence on the restart, taking until the forty third minute to add another scorers this time from Kevin Keane.
Three minutes later, Gavin Downes struck for goal, he appeared to opting for a point but his effort managed to deceive Eoin Davoren for the only major of the game.
Damien O’Loughlin who fought gallantly over the hour, added a point for Corofin, it would be the last score of the hour.
In order for Mickey Doran’s Kilmihil to kick on next season, they will need to redouble efforts to bring back players who were so instrumental in securing their promotion twelve months ago. David Coughlan, Gavin Downes, Marty O’Leary and Cathal Murray impressed for the winners.
Focus for Corofin now turns to avoiding a double relegation when they meet O’Callaghans Mills in the hurling equivalent next weekend. They were without Diarmuid Cahill on this occasion.
Scorers Kilmihil: M O’Leary (0-3 1f), G Downes (1-0), D Keating (0-2), C Downes (0-2 1f)
Scorers Corofin: G Kelly (0-1), J Rees (0-1), K Keane (0-1), D O’Loughlin (0-1).
Kilmihil:
1: Damien Lineen
7: David Coughlan
4: Pádraig O’Grady
3: John Finucane
5: Gavin Downes
6: Mikey Keating
2: Fionn Febbraro
18: Dan Keating
9: Jack Keating
12: Cathal Murray
10: Shane Downes
11: Stan Lineen
14: Marty O’Leary
15: Ciaran Downes
13: Sean Crowley
Subs:
8: Conor Finucane for D Keating (18) (inj)
19: Michael Cotter for C Finucane (42)
Conor Finucane for O’Leary (59)
Corofin:
1: Eoin Davoren
4: John Rees
5: Damien O’Loughlin
27: Marc O’Loughlin
6: Sean O’Brien
3: Cilléin Mullins
2: Colin Fitzgerald
9: Gearoid Kelly
8: Kevin Keane
10: Caoimhin Donovan
14: Gearoid Cahill
12: Evan Doolin
23: Cathal Flanagan
11: Cillian McGroary
15: Cillian Clancy
Subs:
30: Ross Hayes for Flanagan (20) (inj)
25: Killian O’Connor for Clancy
Referee: Barry Kelly (St Joseph’s Miltown)
