By 
ALL-IRELAND JUNIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL
Clogher 2-13 Kiltimagh 0-9
By Niall Gartland
CLOGHER in Croke Park – a prospect that until very recently, would have been nigh on unfathomable. Yet here we are.
We may have furtively tip-toed into the new calendar year, but the Éire Ógs’ annus miraculous isn’t finished yet. Having diced with danger in their two previous outings, there was no such drama in Saturday’s All-Ireland Junior Championship semi-final against Mayo side Kiltimagh at Carrick-on-Shannon.
Indeed the final ten minutes were something of a procession after Ciarán Bogue netted his second goal of the game (that’s seven goals in five games for the in-form Clogher forward, by the way).
Their reward is an All-Ireland final berth. Next Sunday they will take on Ballymacelligott for the title. And wouldn’t you know it – they hail from the Kingdom.
Kerry sides have by a country mile the best record in the All-Ireland Junior Championship, a fact that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the rest of us. How they balance their club structures in large part explains their dominance, but Clogher have no reason to be fearful – the last two All-Ireland Junior Champions were Arva of Cavan and Galway side An Cheathrú Rua.
Mercifully Leitrim escaped the yellow weather warning and the pitch at Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada was in pristine condition for Saturday’s game.
The early stages were tentative enough, though Clogher nearly conjured a goal in the eighth minute when a clever flick-on from Marc McConnell into the path of Ciarán Bogue culminated in a save from the opposition net-minder with the Kiltimagh defence very much at panic stations. Rory McElroy, who has had a tremendous campaign, boomed over the resulting 45.
Kiltimagh responded with a lovely effort from Oisin Muldering, but already it was evident that the Clogher rearguard was in no mood to mess about, Ruairi McCaughey and midfielder Barry McKenna forcing early turnovers.
Ryan McCaughey and Thomas Keegan exchanged frees from the dead ball, but Kiltimagh were looking increasingly ragged at the back as Clogher edged into a 0-4 to 0-2 lead courtesy of McCaughey and a free just inside the arc from goalkeeper McElroy.
Their opponents landed their third from Keegan before a really eye-catching effort down the other end of the pitch, point-scorer Bogue playing a double one-two with the influential McKenna en route to their fifth of the day.
They had the alertness of Rory McElroy to thank in the 20th minute when Oisin Muldering latched onto a quick free from Aiden Cosgrove. The goal beckoned but McElroy was attuned to the danger and made a stunning save. It was something of a turning point – their opponents would only muster another two points in the subsequent 40 minutes of play.
A turnover from the exceptional Cillian Barkey – his second of the half– was the catalyst for a rapidfire Clogher attack, Vincent Lowry on hand to play the ball through to Bogue, whose low shot was always destined for the net. 1-5 to 0-3, Clogher were on their merry way.
They were also lording matters in the middle sector, prompting a Mayo-based journalist to state matter-of-factly that Kiltimagh were getting ‘eaten alive’ in the battle for primary possession. Although the lively Thomas Keegan reduced the deficit a fraction, Clogher finished the half strongly with two really well-worked scores from Bogue and Lowry.
While Kiltimagh got the first point of the second-half through Aiden Cosgrove, it proved a false dawn. Ryan McCaughey fisted over a point after tidy interplay, while Kiltimagh were finding it impossible to curtail Bogue, who was clumsily fouled (and not for the first time) before popping over the resulting free.
Kiltimagh midfielder Paul Kelly did well to pop over a two-pointer, but the impressively tigerish Clogher defence ensured it was an isolated incident. Down the other end, Bogue fired over his latest point, in the process accidentally injuring Kelly when following through on his shot.
That preceded a substantial stoppage and shortly after the action got underway again, the unstoppable Bogue applied the coup de grace, slamming home his second goal of the afternoon with 51 minutes on the clock. That left it 2-10 to 0-7 and the game was as good as over.
Ryan McCaughey, in excellent form all day, brought his personal tally to 0-5 with two further points as injury-time approach. There was a lengthy period of injury time during which Kiltimagh ghosted in for two consolation points, while Clogher’s final point of the afternoon arrived via their skipper Conor Shields, who now has the opportunity of leading his club out on All-Ireland final day – the stuff dreams are made of.
Scorers
Clogher: Ciarán Bogue (2-4, 1f), Ryan McCaughey (0-5, 1f), Rory McElroy (0-2, 1 45, 1f), Conor Shields and Vincent Lowry (0-1 each)
Kiltimagh: Thomas Keegan (0-4, 3f), Paul Kelly (0-2, 1 2pt), Conor Malee, Oisin Muldering and Aiden Cosgrove (0-1 each)
Teams
Clogher: Rory McElroy, Sean McCaffrey, Dominic McKeernan, Ruairi McCaughey, Conor Shields, Cillian Barkey, Mark Bogue, Barry McKenna, Darragh Mellon, Seán Bogue, Ciarán Bogue, Jamie Callaghan, Ryan McCaughey, Marc McConnell, Vincent Lowry. Subs: Eoin Mellon for McKernan, Michael McCaughey for Callaghan, Finbarr McCaughey for R McCaughey, Gareth McKenna for McCaffrey
Kiltimagh: Jamie McNicholas, Mattie Cummins, Kevin Muldering, Evan Cosgrove, Jack Niland, Liam Kelly, Darragh McGovern, Paul Kelly, Brian Gallagher, Stephen McDonnell, Conor Mallee, Oisin Muldering, Fionnán Burke, Aiden Cosgrove, Thomas Keegan. Subs: Liam Smyth for McDonnell, Donovan Cosgrove for E Cosgrove, David Lydon for Gallagher, Jack Mahon for Kelly
