Kilmurry Ibrickane have successfully secured automatic qualification to the last eight of the Clare Senior Football Championship following a dramatic comeback victory over Clonedgad in Cusack Park Ennis.
Clondegad began the day atop of the group three standings and embarked on the first half like a side fully deserving of their position. Gearóid ‘Gudgy’ O’Connell, Shane Brennan and Morgan Garry all got in on the scoring act along with Gary Brennan who was enjoying a new lease of life on the edge of the square.
Kilmurry experienced great difficulty breaking down their opponents rearguard in the opening period and struggled to create chances as Darragh Sexton and Dermot Coughlan provided their only scores from play in the first allotted thirty minutes with Keelan Sexton on target from placed balls ensuring the Bricks stayed in touch at the break.
Despite trailing by double scores at the break, Kilmurry emerged from the dressing room with the greater fire in their bellies and would extraordinarily keep their opponents scoreless for the next thirty minutes whilst running riot to rack up a total of 1-07 without reply.
Such was the intent of the bricks on the restart that only four minutes had elapsed by the time matters had been levelled, with Niall Hickey’s point followed by a well worked team goal involving Keelan Sexton and Dermot Coughlan deftly finished by the latter.
Niall Hickey, Keelan Sexton and the impressive Daryn Callinan continued to deposit scores into the Kilmurry bank account until Clondegad finally broke their barren spell with a point from a free in the first minute of additional time as the score board now read 1-11 to 0-09 in favour of the Quilty outfit.
Such was the drama of the day in group three , Cillian Brennan would find the back of the net on the next attack for Clondegad leaving just two points between the sides and even allowing the county finalists of 2017 an opportunity to search for a winner.
However the Kilmurry Ibrickane defence stood firm as it finished in Cusack Park 1-11 to 1-09 in favour of the men from the West who will take an unseeded seat in the Quarter Final draw while Clondegad will battle third place from group two St.Joseph’s Doora-Barefield for the coveted final spot in the last eight.