Kerins helps to get the Bridge back on track

Date Published: 09-Jun-2010

Clarinbridge 3-21 Killimordaly 0-16

FRANK FARRAGHER

IN BALLINASLOE

CLARINBRIDGE’S near calamitous start to this year’s senior championship was rescued with some aplomb at Ballinasloe when they had far too much firepower for a disappointing Killimordaly side.

Given the comprehensive nature of this victory, it was slightly hard to fathom out how Clarinbridge had faltered so badly in their first two outings — on Saturday evening, Killimordaly were in the wrong place to feel the backlash.

The ‘Bridge were far too strong down the centre with Brian Burke, David Forde, Mark Kerins and Alan Kerins all holding the edge over their markers — they also looked far sharper in attack right from the early exchanges.

Alan Kerins might be a name from the past on the county scene but he showed last Saturday evening that he is still a force to be reckoned with in club hurling. On numerous occasions in the first half, he cut open the Killimordaly defence but most effectively in the 12th minute when his run ended with a Roger Federer style finish to the back of Paul Kilkenny’s net.

Mark Kerins also peppered the Killimordaly posts with a series of frees while wing forward Eoin Forde showed commendable accuracy from play. The most telling Killimordaly resistance came from wing forward Niall Earls who struck five crisp points from play and frees to leave his side trailing by 1-10 to 0-7 at the break.

On the other flank, Eanna Ryan also threatened for Killimordaly and he had one cracking shot brilliantly saved by Liam Donoghue in the Clarinbridge goal in the 24th minute. Killimordaly needed some early second half scores to raise their spirits but the ‘Bridge were in no mood to surrender the initiative — when Paul Coen finished off a sweeping move with a crisp strike to the net seven minutes into the second half, the competitive lifeblood had seeped from this contest.

The Kerins’ brothers, impressive sub Alan Armstrong and Paul Coen added points before the lively Eoin Forde fired home the winners’ third goal in the 54th minute. Apart from their dominance down the centre, Liam Donoghue was very sharp between the posts while Jamie Cannon, Eoin Forde and Paul Coen also did a lot of damage.

Killimordaly will have been disappointed not to have given Clarinbridge a better match and they struggled all evening in defence although further forward there was some admirable dash and finish in the play of Niall Earls, Eanna Ryan and Andrew Daly.

Clarinbridge: L. Donoghue; C. Forde, B. Burke, P. Callinan; J. Cannon, D. Forde 0-1, M. Donoghue; B. Daly 0-1, E. Collins; E. Forde 1-3, M. Kerins 0-8 (6 frees), S. Burke; P. Coen 1-1, A. Kerins 1-3, D. Mullins. Subs: E. Murphy 0-1 for Collins (30), S. Forde for Cannon (36), A. Armstrong 0-3 for Mullins (37).

Killimordaly: P. Kilkenny; D. Connolly 0-1, I. Creaven, J. P. Halloran; N. Daly 0-1, C. Daly 0-1 (65), C. McDonagh; P. Madden, T. Madden; N. Earls 0-8 (3 frees, 1 65), K. Kennedy, E. Ryan 0-4; A. Daly 0-1, F. Duane, J. McDonagh. Subs: P. Daly for Kennedy (42).Referee: Joe Larkin.