Source: Clare Echo
Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
 
SUCCESSIVE VICTORIES HAVE MOVED SIXMILEBRIDGE to top spot in Group 4 of the TUS Clare SHC.

For the second year in a row, Sixmilebridge have prevailed over Crusheen in the group stages of the senior hurling championship. Last year the margin was four points and this time round the gap was halved to two points, ironically Clarecastle was the setting once again for the meeting of the two clubs.

A strength of this Crusheen side has been their ability to produce blistering starts. It was the foundation for their first round win over Newmarket-on-Fergus and it had them in a healthy position early on in round two.

From the throw-in, they won a free and it was converted by Ross Hayes from 70m out. The resulting puck-out from Derek Fahy was won in the Crusheen half-back line, the delivery broke inside to Fergus Kennedy who snapped quickest and fired a rocket to the roof of the net.

By the twentieth minute, the sides had swapped points on four occasions leaving a four point difference between them.

Sixmilebridge had three points in a row via Lorcan Fitzpatrick, Shane Golden and Brian Corry to come back within a point before Crusheen reeled off three points of their own, two placed balls from Hayes and a Conor O’Donnell effort from play.

Shane Golden struck the last score of the half to leave it 1-8 0-8 in favour of Crusheen. At this juncture, Crusheen would not have been flattered by a greater lead.

Two quick points on the restart from Breffni Horner and Jamie Fitzgibbon extended the gap to five points. The sides exchanged white flags twice before Lorcan Fitzpatrick had his second point for The Bridge.

Top scorer Alex Morey struck for goal for Sixmilebrdge, he reacted the quickest to a breaking ball around the 21m line and buried the sliotar beyond Donal Tuohy on forty four minutes. Morey’s major left a single point between the sides.

Points were traded yet again before The Bridge hit a fine spell of form with three points in as many minutes. Morey pointed from play to level matters before he and Jason Loughnane tapped over additional scores to go in front for the first time in the game with forty eight minutes played.

Two of the next three scores, the last from Breffni Horner brought Crusheen to within a point on fifty one minutes but The Bridge hit three points in a row inside the final five minutes to go four clear, their biggest advantage of the day.

Gus Callaghan signalled four minutes of additional time and on the third, Crusheen pulled a goal back through a Ross Hayes free, a score that could yet be significant in terms of scoring difference and deciding who prevails from this group. There had been some confusion with the scoreboard in Clarecastle displaying the wrong score leading some Crusheen supporters to believe they had drawn level with the goal when instead it brought them to within a point.

Regardless, Sixmilebridge struck the last score via a Morey to emerge as the winners with plenty of tension evident on the sideline throughout the game.

Critical to their victory was sticking their noses in front when the game mattered most while they received a big impact off the bench with David Kennedy and Noel Purcell making a difference midway through the second half and Caimin Morey in the final six minutes of normal time picking up a lot of breaking ball in the half-back line.

Alex Morey didn’t miss a free over the hour for the winners managed by Tommy Liddy and Stiofan Fitzpatrick. Barry Fitzpatrick dominated at full-back with Seadna Morey and Jamie Shanahan both prominent while the pace of Brian Corry troubled the Crusheen defence.

On the Crusheen side, Diarmuid Mullins played his heart out with Cian Dillon and Ross Hayes leading the way. Offensively they were not as strong but the workrate of Breffni Horner and Jamie Fitzgibbon was noteworthy.

Scorers Sixmilebridge: A Morey (1-9 7f 1’65), S Golden (0-3), B Corry (0-3), L Fitzpatrick (0-2), J Shanahan (0-1), J Loughnane (0-1), D Kennedy (0-1),

Scorers Crusheen: R Hayes (1-4 1-2f 1’65), B Horner (0-6 4f), F Kennedy (1-0), C O’Donnell (0-3), É McMahon (0-1), J Fitzgibbon (0-1).

Sixmilebridge:
1: Derek Fahy

17: Colm Flynn
3: Barry Fitzpatrick
4: Fiachra Ó Briain

5: Conor Deasy
20: Páidi Fitzpatrick
6: Leon Kelly

7: Seadna Morey
9: Brian Carey

8: Jason Loughnane
10: Jamie Shanahan
12: Shane Golden

13: Brian Corry
14: Lorcan Fitzpatrick
15: Alex Morey

Subs:
2: Noel Purcell for Deasy (44)
21: David Kennedy for Carey (44)
11: Caimin Morey for Kelly (54)
26: Sean Macnamara for Golden (60)

Crusheen:
1: Donal Tuohy

2: Tadhg Dean
3: Diarmuid Mullins
4: Gavin O’Brien

5: Ciaran O’Doherty
6: Cian Dillon
7: Ross Hayes

8: Cilléin Mullins
9: Éanna McMahon

10: Oisin O’Donnell
11: Conor O’Donnell
12: Jamie Fitzgibbon

13: Ian O’Brien
14: Fergus Kennedy
15: Breffni Horner

Subs:
18: Luke Ketelaar for McMahon (HT)
19: Luke Hayes for O’Doherty (44)

Referee: Gus Callaghan (Feakle)