Crusheen advance at second attempt

Crusheen 0-16    Ogonnelloe 1-9

Crusheen, at the second time of asking, got over the first game in a three-way-play off in the intermediate championship when they defeated Ogonnelloe on Saturday. As a result of this win they will now play Parteen this week with a semi-final date against Killanena awaiting the winners.

Ogonnelloe despite an impressive opening five minutes are now out of this year’s championship. Danny Cunnane opened the scoring for Ogonnelloe with a second minute goal after indecision in the Crusheen defence. Thomas Condon and Patrick Mooney added points by the fifth minute.

Alan Touhy and Barry Kiely exchanged scores as the Crusheen half-back line of Edward Fogarty, Shaun Dillon and Briain Dillon began to dominate.

Darragh O’Doherty was once again Crusheen’s best forward.  Ogonnelloe still managed to add two more first half points courtesy of Rory Skelly and Barry Kiely as they were forced on the backfoot by a rapidly improving Crusheen side. O’Doherty struck four second quarter scores with Patrick O’Grady and Niall Kearney also on target, to give Crusheen a 0-9 to 1-5 half-time lead that looked most unlikely after the opening action.

Ogonnelloe tried hard in the second half but were unable to score a second goal that would have re-ignited their challenge. Darragh O’Doherty hit four of the first five scores of the second half with a sole response from Barry Kiely by the 42nd minute, as Crusheen went ahead 0-12 to 1-5.

Ogonnelloe hit a large number of wides in the last quarter and were most unlucky not to score at least one goal but David McMahon was alert in the Crusheen goal. Rory Halpin, Rory Skelly and Thomas Vaughan were on target by the 53rd minute as Ogonnelloe were now 0-15 to 1-7 adrift.

Peter O’Brien was now at full-forward as Ogonnelloe were causing problems for the winners but again wides from play and frees weakened their challenge. O’Brien and Skelly once again hit the target to leave a goal between the sides. Extra time would have occurred had Ogonnelloe struck a goal but that option ended with O’Doherty’s final score to leave four points in it at the final whistle.

Best for Crusheen were David and Tony McMahon, Edward Fogarty, Shaun and Briain Dillon, Alan Touhy and Darragh O’Doherty. Ogonnelloe started well but faded despite the best efforts of Colm Forde, Rory Skelly, Peter O’Brien, Barry Kiely, Peter English, Danny Cunnane, Ozer McMahon and John O’Brien.

Crusheen: David McMahon; Donal Dillon, Brendan McMahon, Tony McMahon; Edward Fogarty, Shaun Dillon (0-1), Briain Dillon; Alan Touhy (0-1), Thomas Vaughan (0-1); Rory Halpin (0-1), Niall Fitzgibbon, Youen Horner (0-1); Niall Kearney (0-1), Patrick O’Grady (0-1), Darragh O’Doherty (0-9).
Sub: Donal Wylde for Horner.
Ogonnelloe: Eoin Sheedy; Michael Costello, Colm Forde, Owen Collins; John O’Brien, Peter O’Brien (0-1), Peter English; Ozer McMahon, Sean Kikkers; Thomas Condon (0-1), Barry Kiely (0-3), Rory Skelly (0-3); Patrick Mooney (0-1), Danny Cunnane (1-0), Robert Dreelan.
Subs: Kieran Forde for Dreelin; Michael N Bugler for P Mooney; Aaron Bradley for Cunnane.
Referee: Ger Hoey (Killanena).