Superb Nire lowers Cratloe’s colours

Nire 1-13;
Cratloe 2-8.
(after extra-time)

The Fraher Field housed both its best football game and the best performance from a Waterford club side in a number of years when County Champions Nire advanced to this year’s provincial decider at the expense of a fancied Cratloe team last Sunday afternoon. Club rivalries were set aside for this game as Nire enjoyed huge support apart from their own following and there is no doubt but over the whole 80 minutes plus of play, they were the better of the two sides.
Fourteen scores to ten confirms this opinion as the Nire team improved further from their win against Ballylanders in Kilmallock two weeks previously.
Every Nire player who saw action last Sunday ran themselves to a standstill on the punishing Fraher Field sod and they were required to give this performance in order to beat a quality Clare opposition. Cratloe contested last year’s Munster Final against Doctor Croke’s from Killarney, losing out by just the minimum and they came to town on a mission to complete a Provincial final qualification in both codes this year. This Sunday, Cratloe face Kilmallock in the hurling decider and they will now have to switch their focus to the small ball after this stamina sapping contest with the Nire.
The winners’ defending last Sunday was out of the top drawer, culminating in confining Cratloe, apart from their two goals to 0-4 from play. All around the field, Nire played out of their skins and while a Man of the Match choice is a bit out of place for this team performance, the leadership and workrate of Liam Lawlor playing deep, allowing a two man speedy full forward line, was once again outstanding. The class act up front again was Conor Gleeson and a big stage like last Sunday was the ideal location for him to ply his footballing skills.
Tom Wall may have enjoyed better days between the posts while Thomas O’Gorman proved yet again how effective he is as a man marking full back and he did a perfect job on marking Cratloe danger man Podge Collins. What impressed about Nire on Sunday included the standard of football produced by such as Justin Walsh, Michael Moore, who was drafted in for the unavailable Tommy Cooney, Diarmuid Wall and Seamus Lawlor. Brian Wall belied his years with his level of fitness and it was he who scored the last point of the game in the 78th minute. Shane Walsh and Craig Guiry formed a solid and hardworking midfield pairing with a rejuvenated Walsh a bonus for the Nire in recent games as his 0-3 from play indicates.
The Waterford champions’ attacking unit was as much out the field and back defending as in their traditional positions and Michael O’Gorman, until he was blackcarded, Liam Lawlor and Maurice O’Gorman were constant thorns in the sides of their opposing players.
Younger footballers Shane Ryan, Jamie Barron and Conor Gleeson produced both the goods and the scores and between them they accounted for 1-7 of their team’s tally. In this sector, Keith Guiry who came on in the second half is a further addition, he won frees on his introduction and he fitted into Nire’s team play perfectly. Jack Guiry, Dermot Ryan and Alan Lawlor also saw action and overall, Nire have a capable bench to call on.
Prior to the game itself, sympathy was expressed to County Vice-Chairman John O’Leary on the sudden death that morning of his sister Kay Barron, wife of Ger, and the National flag was flown at half mast as a mark of respect.
Cratloe appeared first out of the blocks and their top scorer Cathal McInerney kicked them in front from a free in the 3rd minute. The Cratloe player’s style of free- taking was most unusual as he jigged forward a nice few steps, without testing the patience of referee Derek O’Mahoney, before sending the size 5 on its way. Nire upped the required pace to contest the game and Shane Walsh scored the first of his 0-3 from a Jamie Barron pass.
Barron was influential throughout with his workrate and his dodging runs and after Podge Collins pointed from a Cathal McInerney pass in the 6th minute, he replied similarly two minutes later.
Nire’s defending was excellent throughout the eighty minutes but a short kick-out was intercepted by Podge Collins in the 11th minute and Cathal McInerney was waiting to fist the ball into the town end goal from Collins’ delivery. This setback was a test for the Nire which they passed with flying colours as Michael O’Gorman provided for Shane Ryan to reply with a score from play.
At the beginning of the third quarter, Nire shot into the lead for the first time when Conor Gleeson bravely caught a dropping ball despite close attention and having beaten his marker, he coolly rounded Cratloe goalie Peter De Loughrey to kick the ball off the ground into the Country end goal. It was worth the admission fee alone. What you can do I can do, Conor Ryan proved and immediately, Cratloe worked the ball up the field and Podge Collins and Conor McGrath combined to send Ryan in for a cracking goal.
This put Cratloe back in front at 2-2 to 1-3 but Conor Glesson was at it again when he pointed from a Liam Lawlor pass with 21 minutes on the clock. The sides were level for the third time one minute later when Jamie Barron dissected the posts for the second time. What all this proved was that Nire were up both for this game and up to its standard and they could have taken the lead but Shane Ryan’s free dropped short in the 25th minute after he himself was fouled.
A Cathal McInerney pointed free restored Cratloe’s advantage in the 28th minute but immediately Jamie Barron placed Brian Wall for his first score followed by a Cratloe scoring attempt from a placed ball coming back off the upright. Similarly, Conor Gleeson’s attempt from play came back off the crossbar before Michael O’Gorman was blackcarded needlessly with 32.19 on the clock.
loud cheer
Throughout the evening, John Jackson on P.A. was keeping patrons informed of games at other venues with particular interest from proceedings in Coolyroe and there was a loud cheer when it was announced that Modeligo had shot into the lead for the first time in their second half clash with Feohanagh- Castlemahon.
Keith Guiry was introduced on the restart for Nire and he proved to be a most capable substation indeed. Shane Ryan made up for his missed free before the break with a confidence boosting 33rd minute pointed free after Keith Guiry was upended.
A left legged free taker was required in the 34th minute and Brian Wall obliged with the Nire now in control of the game and leading by 1-8 to 2-3.
However, for the rest of the third quarter, they didn’t work the scoreboard and they kicked three wides and so invited the visitors back into the fray. Podge Collins and Cathal McInerney, twice, split the posts and with 53 minutes played Cratloe were back in the lead at 2-7 to 1-8.
Nire were now looking like a tired team but they passed this test also as Shane Walsh from a pass by sub-stitute Dermot Ryan in the 57th minute and Conor Gleeson from a Jamie Barron ball in the 59th minute send the tie to extra time as two tired teams trouped off the field for a short reprieve from the stamina sapping action.
Nire won the 20 minutes of extra time by 0-3 to 0-1 and Cratloe’s only score was kicked by Cathal McInerney in the 65th minute. Prior to this the Nire defence was again in excellent form while Cratloe elected to go short from two ‘45s’ instead of trying to raise direct white flags. Extra-time play can sometimes turn out to be very one- sided so a very important score came in the 67th minute when Keith Guiry and Conor Gleeson combined to send Shane Walsh in for the equalising score and the seventh time that the teams were level.
John Galvin could have put Cratloe back in front but he overplayed the ball, scheming for a major score and the danger was cleared. A harsh call for a foul by Thomas O’Gorman on Podge Collins gave the Clare side another scoring opportunity just before the break but Brian Wall fielded the resultant free under the crossbar.
Tension mounted on the restart with Cratloe missing one free close in and Nire dropping the ball short into the hands of goalie Pierce De Loughrey. Alan Lawlor replaced Keith Guiry who was blackcarded and when a vital lead score came in the 76th minute, it was Jamie Barron who scored it from a Shane Ryan pass to the delight of the large local following.
Nire finished the stronger of the two gallant teams and after Liam Lawlor won a vital free in the 78th minute, Jamie Barron placed Brian Wall, who used all his experience, to kick Nire into a 0-2 lead. The last play of this not soon to be forgotten game saw a final kick from Cratloe’s Liam Markham go wide of the Country end post and opposite emotions flooded the Fraher Field on the sounding of referee Derek O’Mahoney’s final whistle.
Nire supporters greeted their team’s victory out on the field but, no doubt, their mentors weren’t long reminding their charges that there is no silverware won yet and there is still much to do against arguably stronger opposition in Austin Stacks from Kerry before thoughts can be entertained of a first Provincial title at this level for a Waterford club.
Nire’s Top Three: Liam Lawlor, Conor Gleeson, Thomas O’Gorman.
Cratloe’s Top Three: Cathal McInerney, Podge Collins, Conor Ryan.
Observer’s Man of the Match: Liam Lawlor.
Number of Scorers: Nire 5. Cratloe 3.
Scores from Play: Nire 1-11. Cratloe 2-4.
Score of the match: Conor Gleeson’s engineered and executed 16th minute goal.
Scores – Nire: Conor Gleeson 1-2, Shane Walsh and Jamie Barron 0-3 each, Brian Wall 0-3 (1f),Shane Ryan 0-2 (1f). Cratloe: Cathal McInerney 1-6 (4f), Conor Ryan 1-0. Podge Collins 0-2.
Nire: Tom Wall; Justin Walsh, Thomas O’Gorman, Michael Moore; Diarmuid Wall, Brian Wall, Seamus Lawlor; Craig Guiry, Shane Walsh; Michael O’Gorman, Maurice O’Gorman, Jamie Barron; Conor Gleeson, Liam Lawlor, Shane Ryan. Subs: Keith Guiry (ht), Jack Ryan (54), Dermot Ryan (55), Alan Lawlor (57).
Cratloe: Pierce De Loughrey; Sean Chaplin, Barry Duggan, David Ryan; Shane O’Leary, Michael Hawes, Enda Boyce; John Galvin, Fergal Lynch; Sean Collins, Conor Ryan, Liam Markham; Cathal McInerney, Podge Collins, Conor McGrath. Sub: David Collins (33).
Referee: Derek O’Mahoney (Tipperary).