Clara finish strongly in each half for important win over injury hit Cappincur

TWO clubs with serious ambitions of giving the Senior “B” Football Championship a go clashed in the Division 2 Football League final in Ballinamere on Saturday evening and it was Clara who were smiling after a hard earned win that was a lot tougher than the six point winning margin indicates.

Division 2 Football League final

Clara …...........0-18

Cappincur …...0-12

It was a very beneficial championship warm up for both sides, played with real intensity and bite though Clara had an edge in fitness and strong finishes in each half earned them the result over a terrifically brave Cappincur side.

Injuries dealt Cappincur a cruel hand. They started without former county stalwart Eoin Carroll and he only came on near the end when the game was slipping beyond their reach. They lost a key midfielder, John Colgan to a worrying looking knee injury after just six minutes and the Offaly U20 footballer was a definite loss as he would have helped stop Clara running straight down the middle. And then they lost their star player Bill Carroll to injury a few minutes into the second half – Cappincur's best player as they reached the senior “B” final last year, Carroll was clearly hampered from the start as his influence was much less than normal.

Considering all this, it is to Cappincur's immense credit that they were so competitive and in with a chance of pulling off an unlikely against the head win inside the last ten minutes. They played with heart warming and inspirational spirit, fighting for every ball but there was no disputing the fact that the better team won.

With players such as Conor Doyle and Carl Stewart, back from Australia, to come back into the mix, Clara are in decent health and are moving well. Sensational displays from Adam Kelly and Marcas Dalton were central to their win and you also had to admire so many other players for the way they played.

Full credit to both teams for the way they fought for everything. There won't be many better games in the senior “B” championship and it made for compelling viewing. Clara are still a work in progress, they jury is out on them and they are beatable but this was an important, morale boosting win. They should have won this by more but missed too much with the wind on their back in the first half and then spurned a twice taken second half penalty that would have put Cappincur away – David Graham saving twice from Josh Fleming.

Playing against the wind in the first half, Cappincur were excellent as they controlled the first quarter plus and fully deserved to lead by 0-4 to 0-2 after twenty minutes. Their work rate was exceptional in that spell as they closed Clara down and made the hard runs – the winners didn't help their own cause with some poor wides, four of them coming in a spell of sustained pressure.

In the closing ten minutes of the half, Cappincur floundered and Clara got completely on top all over the field. Dalton and Kelly came to their milk with Kelly levelling it up with two points, getting another one later on as they scored seven points without reply for a 0-9 to 0-4 interval lead. Clara were super in that spell and could have been further ahead as Christian McKeon had a good goal chance saved by David Graham, Cormac Delaney floating over the '45' for the final score of the half, in addition to their six poor wides.

The break came at the right time for Cappincur and they hit the ground running in the second half. A great Bill Carroll two pointer got them motoring and PJ Daly fisted over a point when a goal was half on as Cappincur got back into it, 0-10 to 0-7 after 33 minutes.

Clara were four points ahead when awarded a 40^th minute penalty after Thomas Deehan was tripped by Diarmuid Carroll. David Graham was a couple of metres off his line when he saved John Fleming's first strike but saved very well for a second time when it was retaken.

A goal then would have broken Cappincur but they got a new lease of life after it. They were like men possessed as they went for everything and turned over great ball. Peter Norris and Ciaran Farrell pointed to make it 0-13 to 0-11 with twelve minutes left. It was 0-14 to 0-12 with eight minutes left and Clara were rocking but they found another gear at the most important stage while Cappincur ran out of steam as several players tipped towards empty.

It was still a two point game with three minutes of normal time but it was all Clara from here to the final whistle. Full of running and playing impressively controlled and patient football, they got the final four points for a win that they deserved but does not reflect the way Cappincur performed.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Adam Kelly (Clara): Adam Kelly had possibly his best game ever for Clara as he roved all over the place from centre half forward. It was certainly the best game I have seen him play and he has clearly worked very hard on himself to get himself into super physical shape. Very much a fringe panel member on the Offaly 2021 All-Ireland U20 winning squad, he was immense here, hungry and full of running. He kicked five super points but brought a lot more to the table. His ball carrying and use of it was very good and he was still full of running late on when opponents were tiring.

Marcas Dalton was also excellent for Clara, particularly in the first half when he drove forward very impressively and stopped Cappincur raiders in their tracks.

David Falsey did a lot of very good grafting for Clara in the middle diamond and the veteran Thomas Deehan deserves a special mention. When he was in his peak for Offaly in the middle of the 2000s, you would have put very small change on him still playing football at this stage of his life but he is and going very well. In good shape, he is very hungry and his experience, composure and ability to do the right thing is a great asset to Clara.

Cappincur also had players who performed at a very high level. PJ Daly had a great game in their attack, moving out to midfield in the closing quarter. He foraged well and carried the ball well in addition to kicking three points. Adam Galvin gave a terrific shift at midfield until tiring late on while Brion Carroll did a mountain of the crucial unseen work in defence, blocking runs and closing players down. Peter Norris had a good second half when another veteran, Ger Treacy really tried to turn the tide for Cappiuncur.

THE SCORERS

Clara: Adam Kelly and Josh Fleming (2f) 0-5 each, Cormac Delaney 0-3 (2f and 1 '45'), Thomas Deehan 0-2, Alan Gavin, Jack Reynolds and David Falsey 0-1 each.

Cappincur: Bill Carroll 0-4 (2f and 1 x 2p), PJ Daly 0-3, Peter Norris 0-2, Ciaran Farrell, Adam Galvin and Ger Treacy (f) 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

CLARA: Adam Scanlon; Alan Gavin, Christian McKeon, Darragh McKeon; Ben Loughran, Marcas Dalton, Patrick Phelan;David Falsey, Graham Guilfoyle; Adam Kelly, Cormac Delaney, Conor Egan; Jack Reynolds, Josh Fleming, Thomas Deehan. Subs – Myles Handy for Phelan (49m), Ryan Carroll for Loughran (56m).

CAPPINCUR: David Graham; Sean Flynn, Diarmuid Carroll, Micheal Fitzgerald; Ciaran Farrell, Brion Carroll, Sean Courtney; John Colgan, Adam Galvin; Andrew Strong, Sean Courtney, PJ Daly; Peter Norris, Bill Carroll, Ger Treacy. Subs – Darragh Norris for Colgan, inj. (6m), Ollie Hayes for Carroll, inj. (41m), Eoin Carroll for Hayes (57m).

Referee – Kevin Williamson (Tullamore).

REFEREE WATCH

Having refereed the Division 3 Football League final on Friday evening, Kevin Williamson was out again here. Tullamore's dominance in senior limits his access to big top flight fixtures but he is as good a football referee as there is in the county and he once again handled this well. The only big call was the one to give Clara two attempts at the penalty – they aren't usually given but he was perfectly positioned and Graham definitely had moved out off his line before it was kicked.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Clara's ability to respond with scores every time Cappincur came at them was impressive. One kicked by Adam Kelly in the 49^th minute summed this up. Cappincur had got the gap down to two and Clara were in a situation that they haven't always thrived in over recent years. Kelly, however, lifted the siege, starting the move at midfield after Cappincur were turned over, then racing forward in support and ending the move with a sweet point to put them three up.

VENUE WATCH

Ballinamere have carried out great work at their facilities, developing an excellent new pitch with a stand and this was the setting for this game. The pitch was excellent and Ballinamere ensured the fixture was hosted very well, using a mixture of their own members and vastly experienced regulars at O'Connor Park as stewards.

WHAT'S NEXT

Both sides now focus on the championship.

STATISTICS

Wides: Clara - 9 (6 in first half); Cappincur – 2 (1 in first half).

Yellow cards: Clara – 0; Cappincur – 1 (Diarmuid Carroll).

Black cards: 0

Red cards: 0