Better-balanced ’Bridge storm to win

Sixmilebridge    4-14

Cratloe   1-10

A storming final 20 minutes in which they outscored their opponents, 3-9 to 0-3, steered Sixmilebridge to a comfortable win over Cratloe in the U-21A Hurling Championship final played before a good attendance in beautiful weather conditions at Cusack Park last Thursday evening.
The victory marked the club’s thirteenth in this championship in which they lead the roll of honour, six ahead of neighbours Newmarket and it bridged a two-year gap to their last success.
The ’Bridge were the better-balanced team and took control early in the second half. Both sides were guilty of a lot of mistakes in the opening half and poor finishing was the order of the day.
A Declan Morey goal at the start of the second quarter helped the winners to lead by two points at half-time. Cathal McInerney scored a goal early in the second half to give Cratloe the lead but once Jamie Shanahan struck for his side’s second goal in the eleventh minute of this half, the ‘Bridge took control throughout the field.
Remarkably, this was Shanahan’s first score in this final and he went on to finish as the game’s top scorer with 2-6 to his credit. The decision of the Sixmilebridge mentors to switch him to full-forward, where he had been named to start, helped them to take control and he went on to cause all sorts of problems for the Cratloe full-backs.
There was little between the sides in the first quarter when points were swapped twice before Cathal McInerney gave his team the lead for the third time when he pointed in the thirteenth minute.
There have been concerns about weaknesses in the Cratloe full-back line throughout this campaign and these were highlighted again in the seventeenth minute when Declan Morey broke through for the game’s first goal. A Sam O’Sullivan point followed and the winners were a goal clear with 10 minutes left to half-time.
When the half-time whistle sounded it was 1-4 to 0-5 in favour of the ’Bridge and, while the indications were that they would go on and win the game, there was little to suggest that the margin at the end would be 13 points.
Two minutes into the second half Cathal McInerney and Conor McGrath combined for the former to score his side’s goal, which put them back into the lead. For the next few minutes they enjoyed the upperhand but they failed to transfer this onto the scoreboard and much credit for this must go to the Sixmilebridge defence.
Paidí Fitzpatrick was becoming more influential at full-back, while Stephen Fleming made an excellent save.
Shanahan’s goal in the eleventh minute turned the tie very much in Sixmilebridge’s favour. Cratloe should really have cleared their lines but county minor Shanahan pounced and within a minute he added a point before Seadna Morey chipped in with another.
When Shanahan struck for another point at the three-quarter stage, the ’Bridge were five clear.
To their credit, Cratloe fought back and points from Liam Markham (’65) Conor McGrath and Conor Ryan cut the margin to two with 11 minutes to play and Cratloe followers were still holding out hope of victory.
They weren’t to score again, however, as the winners took control and a fortunate goal from their captain Shane Golden, eight minutes from the end, killed the Cratloe challenge. Golden’s shot for a point from 55m out on the stand side, slipped through the hand of David Collins to the net.
It proved to be the killer blow and the winners piled on the pressure. Four pointed frees from Shanahan, one from a penalty, widened the gap before he closed the scoring with their final goal in the first minute of added time.
Much cre-dit must go to Sixmilebridge’s central defenders, Paidi Fitzpatrick and John Fennessy, who did well in curbing Cratloe’s Cathal McInerney and Conor McGrath, Shane Golden was an inspiring captain, while Seadna Morey and Jamie Shanahan were others to make valuable contributions to this victory.
Liam Mark-ham, Paudge Collins, McInerney and McGrath threatened most for a Cratloe side that struggled in far too many areas on the evening.

Sixmilebridge: Stephen Fleming; Ger Quilligan, Paidi Fitzpatrick, Eanna Burns; Barry O’Connor, John Fennessy, Trevor Purcell; Shane Golden (capt), Brian Carey; Seadna Morey, Sam O’Sullivan, Pa Sheehan; Ronan Mullane, Declan Morey, Jamie Shanahan.
Subs: Cathal O’Connor for Mullane (46 minutes); Noel Purcell for Byrnes (46 minutes).
Scorers: Jamie Shanahan (2-6); Shane Golden, Declan Morey (1-0 each); Seadna Morey (0-4); Ronan Mullane, Sam O’Sullivan, Pa Sheehan, Brian Carey (0-1 each).
Frees for: 9; wides: 12
Bookings: Shane Golden (1 minute); Ronan Mullane (14 minutes).
Cratloe: David Collins; Joe Conroy, Sean Hynan, Jack McCourt; Wesley De Loughrey, Liam Markham, Enda Boyce; Conor Ryan, Paudge Collins; Patrick Carey, Cathal McInerney, Dean De Loughrey; Tomás Ryan, Joseph O’Connor, Conor McGrath.
Sub: David McInerney for D DeLoughrey (58 minutes).
Scorers: Cathal McInerney (1-3), Conor McGrath (0-3); Liam Markham, Conor Ryan, Paudge Collins, Joseph O’Connor (0-1 each).
Frees for: 12; wides: 8; ‘65s: 1
Bookings: David Collins (14 minutes); Joe Conroy (57 minutes).
Referee: Rory Hickey, Éire Óg.