Clonlara steal a march on Cratloe

U-21 HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP

BEATEN finalists in 2011, Cratloe made the short journey to O’Garney Park in Sixmilebridge on Friday evening hoping to get over the first hurdle in this season’s race for the title.

BEATEN finalists in 2011, Cratloe made the short journey to O’Garney Park in Sixmilebridge on Friday evening hoping to get over the first hurdle in this season’s race for the title.
They were expected to make a winning start but at the end of play, their South-East Clare neighbours Clonlara, a better-balanced outfit on the day, had emerged as deserving winners having displayed the greater hunger for victory.
Two goals in as many minutes inside the final 10 minutes proved decisive in this, the first game in the 2012 title race.
With the sides level at 1-10 each, Ryan Morris fielded a delivery from Oisín O’Brien before shooting to the net with nine minutes remaining. A Conor McGrath pointed free kept Cratloe hopes alive but their task was made extremely difficult with seven minutes to go when Cathal O’Connell fired home Clonlara’s third goal. James Hastings followed with a point and Clonlara were two goals clear.
A goal from substitute David O’Brien three minutes from time kept Cratloe in the hunt but Clonlara finished strongly and points from Cathal O’Connell (2) and Hastings in just over a minute ensured their progress to the semi-finals.
In the first minute of injury time, Cratloe were awarded a penalty but Conor McGrath’s effort was deflected over the bar by Clonlara goalie Patrick Stritch.
The winners made the better start and a Ryan Morris goal helped them to lead 1-2 to 0-1 after 10 minutes. It was 1-2 to 0-3 at the end of the first quarter when Cratloe moved Conor McGrath to centre-forward with Cathal McInerney moving to the edge of the square. The move paid off and a McInerney goal helped Cratloe to take the lead, 1-5 to 1-3 with 11 minutes to play in the half. They went on to hold this advantage to the break when the score was 1-7 to 1-5.
Clonlara dominated the first 10 minutes of the second half, scoring 0-5 without reply. They also had a couple of bad misses during this period and it looked like these might prove costly when Cratloe fought back with three unanswered points to tied up the game at 1-10 each.
Clonlara, however, had other ideas and they responded with Morris’ second goal and from here on, they held the edge.
Cillian Fennessy, Shane and Oisín O’Brien, Colm Galvin, James Hastings, Ryan Morris and, particularly, Cathal O’Connell caused a lot of problems for Cratloe on the evening.
For Cratloe, Conor Ryan, Aaron Gaule, Wes De Loughrey, Cathal McInerney and Conor McGrath got through a lot of work.
Yellow cards were shown to Shane O’Brien and Ryan Morris (Clonlara) and to Conor McGrath and Pat Carey (Cratloe).

Clonlara: Patrick Stritch; Mike White, Shane O’Brien, Eoin Meehan; Paul Barry, Ronan Carey, Cillian Fennessy; Michael O’Loughlin, Colm Galvin (0-2); Ciarán Downes (0-1), Thomas Begley, Oisín O’Brien; James Hastings (0-3), Cathal O’Connell (1-8, 0-4f), Ryan Morris (2-0).
Cratloe: Dean De Loughrey; Dominick Costigan, Enda Boyce, Aaron Gaule; Patrick Carey, Conor Ryan, Jack McCourt; Wesley De Loughrey (0-1), David Collins; Cathal McInerney (1-1), Paudge Collins, Shane Gleeson; Tomas Ryan, Conor McGrath (0-10, 8f), David McInerney.
Sub: David O’Brien (1-0) for D McInerney.
Referee: Johnnie Healy, Smith O’Brien’s.