Crusheen on track to another title

Crusheen 3-10   Newmarket 1-11

A STORMING finish, which yielded two goals inside the last five minutes helped defending champions Crusheen to this victory over Newmarket at Cusack Park on Saturday evening.
The result keeps Crusheen in line to retain a title they won for the first time last year and it leaves Newmarket depending on other results to keep their hopes of getting to the play-offs alive.
It was a result that didn’t seem likely at the mid-point of the second half at which stage, Newmarket had moved three points clear and were enjoying their best spell. However, their full-back line was always struggling in this tie and Crusheen capitalised with Pat Vaughan, Gerry O’Grady and substitute Paddy Meaney causing them serious problems.
Early points from midfielders Colin Ryan and Martin O’Hanlon had the winners two clear before Joe Meaney broke past a couple of defenders to score the game’s first goal in the 10th minute. At the other end, a timely interception by Alan Brigdale denied Sean O’Connor before Shane O’Brien saw his effort rebound off the upright.
Pat Vaughan and Fergus Kennedy helped keep Crusheen in front with some good points, while Colin Ryan was Newmarket’s chief marksman punishing Crusheen at every opportunity.
The first half was deep in injury time when the lively Shane O’Brien made the break, which saw Colin Ryan, now in the full-forward line, finish to the net to send the Blues to the break leading by a point, 1-5 to 1-4 after playing with the aid of the wind.
Shortly before the break, Pat Vaughan was helped from the field and it looked like he wouldn’t return but when Crusheen came back for the second half, the Clare captain was back in the action. Gerry O’Grady levelled after 20 seconds and then Colin Ryan and Vaughan swapped points, the Crusheen score coming after Vaughan intercepted an attempted short puckout from Kieran Devitt in the Newmarket goal.
As the end of the third quarter approached, Newmarket were enjoying their best spell and points from Enda Kelly, a great effort from near the sideline and a brace from David Barrett pushed them three clear with 15 minutes remaining.
This was still the margin with eight minutes remaining but Newmarket’s substitutes Jamie Fitzgibbon and Paddy Meaney were making an impression. A brace from Vaughan had the margin back to one with five minutes to play before Meaney signalled his arrival in the game with the equaliser.
A minute later, Newmarket were rocked. Ciarán O’Doherty picked out Gerry O’Grady with a 60m delivery and the Crusheen captain blasted to the net. Newmarket replied with a Sean O’Connor point but from the puckout, Crusheen attacked again and Fergus Kennedy’s delivery was superbly added to by Paddy Meaney for his side’s third goal. It was the score, which killed off the Newmarket challenge and may well have put them out of the 2011 title race.
For the most part, the Crusheen defence dominated and this is reflected in the fact that no Newmarket forward managed a score until the second half. Alan Brigdale, Cian Dillon and Ciarán O’Doherty were prominent throughout, while elsewhere, Pat Vaughan, Fergus Kennedy and substitute Paddy Meaney made excellent contributions.
Newmarket struggled in many areas in this outing when their best players were James McInerney and full-forward Shane O’Brien.

Crusheen: Donal Tuohy; John Brigdale, Cronan Dillon, Alan Brigdale; Ciarán O’Doherty, Cian Dillon, Cathal Dillon; Tony Meaney, Shaun Dillon; Gearoid O’Donnell, Pat Vaughan, David Forde; Joe Meaney, Gerry O’Grady, Fergus Kennedy.
Subs: Jamie Fitzgibbon for G O’Donnell (44 minutes), Paddy Meaney for S Dillon (48 minutes),  Conor O’Donnell for Forde (55 minutes).
Scorers: Pat Vaughan (0-5, 1f), 1 65; Gerry O’Grady, Paddy Meaney (1-1 each); Joe Meaney (1-0); Fergus Kennedy (0-2), Gearóid O’Donnell (0-1).
Frees for: 8; wides: 12; 65s: 1.
Bookings: none.
“We have been criticised a bit in the past for not using our bench but I think we used it to great effect today. It’s a 20-man game nowadays and we used 19 and thank God it worked out for us. There was very little in that game. They did put in a creditable second half but we seemed to be that bit livelier and fresher and the couple of pairs of fresh legs helped,” Michael Browne, Crusheen manager

Newmarket: Kieran Devitt; Shane O’Brien Junior, Stephen Kelly, Pádraig Kilmartin; Alan Barrett, James McInerney, Enda Barrett; Martin O’Hanlon, Colin Ryan; Sean O’Connor, David Barrett, Enda Kelly; Tommy Griffin, Shane O’Brien, Martin Murphy.
Subs: Darren Duggan for Griffin (35 minutes), Eoin O’Brien for Murphy (41 minutes), Noel Frawley for E Kelly (53 minutes).
Scorers: Colin Ryan (1-6, 0-5f); David Barrett (0-2), Martin O’Hanlon, Sean O’Connor, Enda Kelly (0-1each).
Frees for: 8; wides: 5.
Bookings: Enda Barrett (26 minutes), Pádraig Kilmartin “Even though we led at half-time, I feel we lost the game in the first half. We picked it up after that. It’s out of our hands now so we have to hope there will be a twist in the tail somewhere,” Bob Enright, Newmarket manager

Referee: Ambrose Heagney, Corofin.