A goal in the fourth minute of additional time from Colin Crehan secured O’Callaghan’s Mills first victory of the Clare Senior Hurling Championship and in the process secured their Senior status for 2023.
There was no love lost between the East Clare neighbours at O’Garney Park in Sixmilebridge as O’Callaghan’s Mills and Broadford shared thirty two secures between them in the battle for vital points in group two of the Clare Senior Hurling Championship.
Despite overturning a four point deficit at the halfway mark, leading on fifty eight minutes and achieving a spread of seven scorers over the hour, Broadford failed to see out the day.
The adage of goals win games may never ring as true again for the Mills men who had hit the back of Cian O’Brien’s net twice in the opening eight minutes , first through Colin Crehan after just two minutes while Bryan Donnellan would add the latter.
At half time four points separated the sides on a score line of O’Callaghan’s Mills 2-07 to Broadford’s 0-09.
Despite facing into a fierce uphill battle, undeterred Broadford stormed out of the blocks in the second period where contributions from Stiofáín McMahon, Niall O’Farrell, Paddy Donnellan, Pauric Taylor and finally from Oisín Kavanagh would slowly but surely see them take the lead.
O’Callaghan’s Mills had no intention of throwing in the towel however as the usual suspects of Jacob Loughnanne , Aidan O’Gorman and Colin Crehan ensured the County finalists of 2020 stayed in touch.
In the dying embers of the contest came the cruel twist of fate for Jimmy Browne’s Broadford side as the aforementioned Colin Crehan was quickest to respond to a skirmish for possession in the Broadford square and it was his second goal of the day bringing his perosnal tally to 2-03 which would secure the victory for O’Callaghan’s Mills
It finished in O’Garney Park, O’Callaghan’s Mills 3-11 to Broadford’s 0-18.
Broadford will now face Clarecastle in two weeks time in the final round of the group stages in the Clare Senior Hurling Championship were any result other than a win for the East Clare men will see them face the dreaded relegation battle.
