A bridge too far for plucky Clonlara

Sixmilebridge  1-14

Clonlara  0-13

SIXMILEBRIDGE won their third Clare U-21A hurling championship title in five years and their 14th overall when they accounted for Clonlara at Cusack Park on Sunday.
A fortunate goal in the ninth minute played a huge part in their latest success but it would be wrong to suggest this was the crucial score of the game.
Overall, the champions were the better balanced side. Manager Niall Gilligan said, “I think we were the better team, even though we got a lucky goal. We were just that small bit better.
“It’s been a brilliant championship. Every game was real tight. You can’t beat knock-out hurling as it really spices up things,” Clare’s former All-Ireland winning forward said.
The teams swapped points twice before Cathal O’Connor’s delivery from midfield, in the ninth minute, bounced past Ryan Morris in the Clonlara goal. The score clearly rocked Clonlara and they conceded four unanswered points in the next five minutes, leaving the score 1-6 to 0-2 at the end of the opening quarter.
Clonlara did better in the second quarter and three unanswered points by the 20th minute clearly boosted their confidence. When the half-time whistle sounded, four points separated the sides with Sixmilebridge ahead, 1-8 to 0-7.
The second half was very evenly contested with the sides exchanging points on six occasions. Each time the south-east outfit got within a score of the winners, the ’Bridge bounced back with an impressive score, with midfielder Pa Sheehan and corner-forward Alan Mulready picking off some excellent points.
“On the law of averages, players will have to be coming through to senior, given that this is our third U-21 win in recent years,” the winning manager said.
“Pa Sheehan got excellent points in the second half,” he noted, also paying tribute to the defence. “We have had four matches in this championship and we haven’t conceded a goal. The full-back line did very well.”
Eanna Burns, Brian Carey and Barry Fitzpatrick were excellent throughout for the winners, while team captain Kevin Lynch stood out in the half-backline. Pa Sheehan and Alan Mulready were others to impress for the ’Bridge.
Clonlara followers will wonder if they would have done better had they introduced Oisín O’Brien earlier and moved Colm Galvin to midfield. Shane O’Brien and Eoin Meehan impressed but the team’s forward line struggled against a well-balanced Sixmilebridge backline and they were guilty of some poor shooting, hitting 13 wides, eight more than their opponents.
After the game, Clare GAA secretary Pat Fitzgerald presented the cup to the winning captain, Kevin Lynch.

Sixmilebridge: Patrick Freeman; Eanna Burns, Brian Carey, Barry Fitzpatrick; Kevin Lynch, Seadna Morey, Noel Purcell; Pa Sheehan, Cathal O’Connor; Kevin Fennessy, Alex Morey, Conor Deasy; Alan Mulready, Darragh Fitzgerald, Seán Lynch.
Subs: David Murphy for Fitzgerald (27 minutes), Evan McInerney for Seán Lynch (44 minutes) and Brian Corry for Fennessy (51 minutes).
Scorers: Alex Morey (0-5, 4f), Pa Sheehan (0-4), Cathal O’Connor (1-0), Alan Mulready (0-3), Conor Deasy and Kevin Fennessy (0-1 each).
Frees for: 12; wides: 5.
Bookings: Evan McInerney (45 minutes).
Clonlara: Ryan Morris; Fionn Larkin, Shane O’Brien, Michael White; Eoin Meehan, Colm Galvin, Ger Powell; Micheal O’Loughlin, Seamus Downey; Ciarán Downey, Cathal O’Connell, Thomas Begley; Liam O’Grady, David Begley, Ian Galvin.
Subs: Oisín O’Brien for O’Grady (24 minutes).
Scorers: Cathal O’Connell (0-7, 5f), Colm Galvin, Micheal O’Loughlin, Ciarán Downey, Thomas Begley, Ian Galvin and David Begley (0-1 each).
Frees for: 10; wides: 13; 65s: 1.
Bookings: Eoin Meehan (46 minutes).
Referee: Fergal Gray, Feakle.