Wasteful Clara find form in second half to cruise into final

DESPITE missing an abundance of chances and hitting way too many wides for their own good, especially in the first half, Clara cruised into the Senior “B” Hurling Championship final on Saturday with a surprisingly comfortable win over Birr in Tullamore.

Molloy Environmental Systems Senior “B” Hurling Championship semi-final

Clara 0-18

Birr 1-9

Fourteen first half wides kept the door open for Birr into the second half but Clara were much more efficient with their use of the ball in the second half. Their shot selection was better and their improvement was reflected by the fact that they hit just 3 wides.

It ended up a convincing win for them and they looked like making the final almost the whole way through the second half. Birr had done well to reach the semi-final but on the day they offered very little really and never looked like winning.

They were competitive in the first half but were in the hunt for the second half mainly due to the sheer volume of Clara's misses. In the second half, Clara were much more clinical. They got the first three points from Cathal O'Meara, Lorcan Hiney and Alan Gavin to open up a 0-12 to 1-4 lead and never looked back.

Clara's second half display was impressive. Once they opened a gap, they did exactly what any team in that position needs to – they kept the scoreboard ticking themselves and didn't concede goals.

The result was that Birr never managed more than two points in a row, and even that was just once when Thomas Bolger and Stephen Lonergan got two quick points in the 42nd minute to reduce the gap to four, 0-14 to 1-7.

The next point was a Josh Fleming free and Birr could only manage two more points in the closing quarter. They did try for a goal but a couple of fine saves from Marius Stones denied them while Cathal O'Meara missed a great chance to really clinch it for Clara, drawing a great save from Sean Thompson.

It was a very good win for Clara against a real traditional south club, albeit fielding their second team. John Ledwith, Cormac Delaney, Ciaran Doyle, Marcas Dalton, Alan Gavin, Cathal O'Meara, Josh Fleming and Ed Cullen all impressed in a hard working, honest display.

The semi-final was a bridge too far for Birr. They battled hard but were always chasing their tail and had no complaints at the outcome.

Clara were the better side by a considerable distance in the first half and their 0-9 to 1-4 in no way reflected their dominance.

They had some shocking misses – 14 wides compared to four for Birr while other chances were also spurned. Birr goalkeeper Sean Thompson made two good saves from Cathal O'Meara with the second strike asking tougher questions while Clara dropped other balls short.

They had seven wides before Josh Fleming equalised Ailbe Watkins' opener in the 12th minute and Clara's attack just weren't clinical. They were 0-5 to 0-3 up when they were stunned with a great Birr goal in the 23rd minute – the veteran Stephen Lonergan brilliantly caught the ball, tore at the cover and off loaded to Dylan Murphy who finished very well.

That gave Birr the lead and it was a real disaster for Clara considering the extent of their dominance. Fortunately for them, their shooting did improve coming up to half time as Brendan Buckley, Cormac Delaney (free), Cathal O'Meara and Ed Cullen hit the target. They also had a couple of more poor wides and Michael Mulrooney's 32nd minute free left Birr two behind and very much in the hunt at half time.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Cathal O'Meara (Clara): Josh Fleming, Cormac Delaney and Alan Gavin all had claims for Clara but the choice is Cathal O'Meara. He got five crucial points from play and was very sharp and lively. He could have scored even more – he had three shots that were saved by Sean Thompson as well as a couple of wides but he had a huge influence on the game.

THE SCORERS

Clara: Josh Fleming (2f and 1 '65') and Cathal O'Meara 0-5 each, Ed Cullen and Cormac Delaney (2f) 0-2 each, Ciaran Doyle, Alan Gavin, Brendan Buckley and Lorcan Hiney 0-1 each.

Birr: Dylan Murphy 1-0, Michael Mulrooney 0-3 (2f and 1 '65'), Stephen Lonergan and Cathal Kirwan 0-2 each, Tomas Bolger and Ailbe Watkins 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

CLARA: Marius Stones; Seamus O'Brien, John Ledwith, Martin Fleming; Barry Egan, Cormac Delaney, Ciaran Doyle; Marcas Dalton, Alan Gavin; Brendan Buckley, Lorcan Hiney, Cathal O'Meara; Josh Fleming, Ed Culleb, Conor Egan. Subs – Stephen Weir for Egan (46m), Joey Deehan for Buckley (55m), Paddy Phelan for Cullen (61m), Pa Smith for O'Brien (64m).

BIRR: Sean Thompson; Ben Miller, Michael Verney, Rodhan Dempsey; Jack Pardy, Joe Ryan, Craig Shortt; Michael Mulrooney, Eoin Pilkington; Thomas Bolger, Stephen Lonergan, Darragh Tierney; Cathal Kirwan, Dylan Murphy, Ailbe Watkins. Subs – Joe Boyd for Verney, inj. (3m), Craig Pardy for Murphy (42m), Ben Pardy for Pilkington (51m).

Referee – Declan Cooke (Crinkill).

REFEREE WATCH

Declan Cooke had a very good game and there was nothing contentious here.

TALKING POINT

Clara was mainly a hurling club before football took over from the 1950s on. While football remains their priority, they have a hardcore of great hurling enthusiasts. They treat the game seriously and it would be a great achievement to have a dual senior club.

VENUE WATCH

It was unusual to witness rain after a very dry few weeks but it didn't do any harm for the O'Connor Park pitch.

WHAT'S NEXT

Clara play Tullamore or Kilcormac-Killoughey in the final.

STATISTICS

Wides: Clara – 17 (14 in first half); Birr – 10 (4 in first half).

Yellow cards: Clara – 0; Birr – 1 (Michael Mulrooney).

Red cards: 0.