Carrig-Riverstown show great honesty to win after horrific start as Clara head to relegation play off

THE GAA is littered with examples of the team that has to win getting the result over the team that doesn't, even when underdogs, and it looked like this would happen as already qualified Carrig-Riverstown and struggling Clara went toe to toe in a gripping Senior “B” Hurling Championship final group game in Banagher on Saturday evening.

Molloy Precast and Environmental Systems Senior “B” Hurling Championship Round 5

Carrig-Riverstown 1-19

Clara 0-20

Clara had to win to have a chance of surviving and they made a sensational start as they stormed into a 0-8 to 0-2 lead after fifteen minutes. Clara were flying in that opening quarter, playing with great intensity and all top in all sectors.

Cormac Delaney, better known for his footballing exploits but also a fine hurler, looked like he was going to win the game on his own in that opening quarter. He roasted Carrig-Riverstown full back, Michael Fitzgerald almost every time as Clara looked for him. Delaney got seven of Clara's first eight points, his incredible haul including four from play, a free, a sideline and a '65'.

With their semi-final spot secure, Carrig-Riverstown looked like they were not going to bother a whole lot early on. They were rocked by Clara's all out approach, though that should not have been a surprise, were off the pace, lethargic and a bit sloppy.

Yet the game had changed completely by the interval when Carrig-Riverstown held a 1-8 to 0-9 lead. They showed terrific honesty to find their rhythm and get their work rate and focus up to where it needed to be for a championship match where there was plenty at stake, even if they had no material benefit. A Clara win and a defeat for Lusmagh against Kilcormac-Killoughey would have put Clara through at Lusmagh's expense and Carrig-Riverstown owed it to all teams and to the integrity of the championship to empty the tank.

As things worked out, Kilcormac-Killoughey just got away from Lusmagh to win their clash but Carrig-Riverstown's win ensured that Lusmagh make the semi-finals. Clodiagh Gaels' win over Birr qualified them, meaning that the semi-final lineup is Kilcormac-Killoughey v Lusmagh and Carrig-Riverstown v Clodiagh Gaels while Clara now meet Birr in the relegation play off.

With three members of the Offaly All-Ireland U-20 panel, Conor Doyle, Barry Egan and Marcas Dalton in their ranks, much was expected of Clara but it has been a disappointing year for them and they are now in real danger of a disastrous step back to intermediate. The wheels fell off after an opening round win over Lusmagh and four defeats on the run don't lie.

They certainly bowed out with their boots on here and may feel that they left this behind them. They did to an extent in that their 0-8 to 0-2 lead after 15 minutes could have been bigger as a couple of point chances were missed while Liam Hoare made a great 14^th minute save to deny Ross Brady a goal from close range.

A 1-10 to 0-2 deficit could well have done Carrig-Riverstown but they got going after this, scoring five points without reply to haul themselves back into it. Clara went from the 15^th to 28^th minutes without scoring – Cormac Delaney converted a free they were crying out for at that stage but Carrig-Riverstown struck for a devastating goal and a point before the interval.

Lee Hogan got the point from a free and the goal was scored by David Egan a minute into injury time after a Conor Freeman pass – Freeman was fouled but the referee allowed play to run and that goal changed everything.

It was Carrig-Riverstown's turn to let rip at the start of the second half and they led by 1-13 to 0-11 after 41 minutes. They were 1-15 to 0-12 ahead after 45 mi]nutes and the only questionable aspect of their approach was the decision to replace Lee Hogan then – unless he was injured in which case, they were of course correct. Hogan had been instrumental in C-R getting on top, converting his placed balls and also getting two from play. Conor Freeman missed two frees immediately after he went off, dropping one short and floating the other wide while Cathal King scored and missed ones.

Clara had got back into it with three unanswered points as Conor Doyle finally began to find form when the very lively Freeman missed his two.

Delaney's free made it a two point game with ten minutes left and Clara had the gap back to two twice more late on. Unfortunately for them, their penultimate point from the very speedy Josh Fleming could very easily have been a goal – he was just forced off balance as he shot from five metres and Clara had to get a goal to survive. Conor Doyle also missed a free – the only one he hit as Cormac Delaney had been striking them – and those misses sealed Clara's fate.

Over the course of the hour, Carrig-Riverstown just deserved to win, though it would not have taken a lot for Clara to have won it. After Delaney's early tour-de-force, the winning defence got much tighter and fair play to Fitzgerald for the way he dug in and turned things around as he had to be glancing over at the sideline after fifteen minutes.

Ultimately, Clara were not quite clinical enough to win. Once C-R tightened up on them, their touch was not as good as it was early on and they made a few mistakes. Too often it took a couple of attempts to get ball into hand, if a C-R player wasn't gone with it, and in a game like this, these all mattered greatly. Still they can be proud of the way they performed and if you are to lose a game, this was the way to do it.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Patrick Bergin (Carrig-Riverstown): Cormac Delaney was an obvious consideration and was the reason Clara were so close to the win, though his influence did dwindle noticeably after 20 minutes - part of this was down to less ball going in while Michael Fitzgerald won more of his share.

The choice is Carrig-Riverstown centre half back Patrick Bergin. He was immense when they were in bother early on, winning some great ball and he was instrumental in them not being swamped. He continued to fight hard for everything all day while Joe Hoctor, Cathal King and Lee Hogan really came to their milk when C-R needed leaders to stand up.

Marcas Dalton gave a great hard working shift for Clara at midfield and Cathal O'Meara had a super second half for them in defence while Carrig-Riverstown gave a very balanced display when they settled.

THE SCORERS

Carrig-Riverstown: Lee Hogan 0-8 (5f and 1 '65'), David Egan 1-1, Cathal King 0-3 (1f), Joe Hoctor, Conor Freeman (1 sideline), Andrew Coakley 0-2 each, Conor Hanamy 0-1.

Clara: Cormac Delaney 0-13 (7f, 1 '65' and 1 sideline), Barry Egan and Conor Doyle 0-2 each, Cathal O'Meara, Josh Fleming and Liam Flynn 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

CARRIG-RIVERSTOWN: Liam Hoare; Thomas Hogan, Michael Fitzgerald, Dylan Hogan; Joe Hoctor, Patrick Bergin, Timmy Carey; Cathal King, Peter King; Conor Freeman, Lee Hogan, David Egan; Andrew Coakley, Brendan Hoctor, Conor McDowell. Subs – Conor Hanamy for Lee Hogan (45m),

CLARA: Marius Stones; Conor Taylor, John Ledwith, Ryan Carroll; Myles Handy, Lorcan Hiney, Cathal O'Meara; Marcas Dalton, Conor Egan; Conor Doyle, Ross Brady, Josh Fleming; Scott Griffith, Cormac Delaney, Barry Egan. Subs – Liam Flynn for Griffith (39m), Ed Cullen for Brady (50m),.

Referee – Matthew Farrell (Tullamore).

REFEREE WATCH

Matthew Farrell once again had a very good, solid game. He used the advantage rule efficiently – he may have allowed too long for Clara's Marcas Dalton inside the last 10 minutes, though Dalton had definitely been fouled before getting clear - and there were no flash points. Unusually the two teams were ready waiting for action before the referee and his officials returned from their half time tea break and they certainly were in no hurry to get into position. There were a couple of times when he seemed a bit hard on Clara by not allowing them to take quick frees or puckouts but he could very well have been correct in all those cases. He spoke to Clara's Lorcan Hiney and Ross Brady in the second half but didn't appear to show a yellow either time.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Two big moments. Carrig-Riverstown's injury time goal from David Egan was profound while Josh Fleming's point late on kept Clara at bay – Fleming was unlucky as he just got nudged as hitting but Clara had to get a goal to win it.

VENUE WATCH

St Rynagh's certainly can't complain about the volume of games they have received this year. It was my fifth trip here in a couple of months and they have got other fixtures outside of that. Their excellent facilities is the reason they have got and deserve so many games. They have a top class pitch, adequate dressing rooms, a stand for spectators and considerable car parking. They are very professional hosts and this was an easy one for them to manage with a small crowd present, with everything going like clockwork.

WHAT'S NEXT

Carrig-Riverstown meet Lusmagh in the semi-finals while Clara have Birr in the relegation play off.

STATISTICS

Wides: Carrig-Riverstown – 10 (5 in first half); Clara – 10 (4 in first half).

Yellow cards: Clara – 2 (Cathal O'Meara, Marcas Dalton); Carrig-Riverstown – 0.

Red cards: 0