Clare Senior Football Championship: Cratloe 2-11 V Ennistymon 2-05
For the second year in succession, Colm Collin’s charges have booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the Clare Senior Football Championship, however at the expense of a heavyweight competitor.
The dual county champions of 2014 never wavered in Gurteen after racing into a 0-03 to 0-00 lead after just ten minutes, with Tommy Rooney, Shane Neville and Cathal McInerney all getting in on the act.
However Last years runners up had no intention of laying down their Jack Daly challenge without a fight and soon took the lead.
As a Josh Guyler point preceded a sweeping team move that saw David Fitzgerald unselfishly laying the ball off to Keith White in front of the Cratloe goal, before burying the ball in the back of the net to hold the advantage by 1-01 to 0-03 after 18 minutes.
However Cratloe would regain their composure with further contributions from Conal O’Hanlon and Cathal McInerney propelling them into a 0-06 to 1-01 lead at the interval.
The second half was nearing its halfway marker when Diarmuid Ryan struck for his first goal of the afternoon for the men in blue, stretching Cratloe’s advantage out to five.
The South-East Clare men began to turn the screw at this juncture and much to the delight of the travelling support, Conor Ryan would soon enter the fray and split the posts.
Eanna Rouine ensured Ennistymon stayed in the fight in the closing stages , with a goal on ffity-six minutes , leaving just three ponits between the sides.
However the commanding presence of Diarmuid Ryan once again came to the fore in additional time as the midfielder added a further 1-01 in additional time to ensure Cratloe’s Quarter final spot on full-time score of 2-11 to 2-05.
As a result Group three finished with Kildysart topping the group in the seeded position with Cratloe in second taking the other automatic quarter-final spot.
Lissycasey will advance to a preliminary quarter-final, while Ennistymon will face the relegation scrap.
