Kildysart will return to the Senior ranks of Clare Football for 2023 after victory by the minimum in Cusack Park saw Noel O’Grady’s charges claim the clubs third Intermediate Football title.
The neutral punter would have been forgiven for thinking they stumbled into a Clare A vs B training match in the County grounds as both sides ditched their respective sky-blue attire to avoid a colour clash, with Kildysart wearing Clare’s alternative strip and Cooraclare donning the traditional saffron and blue jerseys.
Kildysart came out of the traps the stronger and created a 0-03 to 0-00 advantage inside the opening five minutes with Séamus Casey pointing with the first shot in anger quickly followed by a brace from Jamie Evans.
The sides then traded scores until an opportunistic goal for Cooraclare & Seán O’Donoghue threw the contest back into melting pot on nineteen minutes.
Nevertheless Kildysart regained their composure on concession of the goal and despite immediately having a goal chance of their own foiled by Mark Lillis between the Cooraclare sticks, the eventual winners would kick the next three points in a row to ensure a 0-07 to 1-02 advantage heading into half-time.
Cooraclare enjoyed the aid of the conditions on the restart and the combined efforts of Damien Burke & Conor O’Donoghue who contributed two second half points apiece soon levelled matters on the scoreboard.
Séamus Casey then restored Kildysart’s advantage on fifty-four minutes in what would turn out be the final score of the day to clinch the club’s first Intermediate title since 2003
As it finished in Cusack Park, Kildaysart 0-10 to Cooraclare 1-06.