Crusheen 0-19
Carrigtwohill 1-10

PRODUCING arguably their best performance of the season, Crusheen overcame the challenge of Cork champions Carrigtwohill in the Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship semi-final, played before a crowd of 2,344 at Pairc Ui Caoimh on Sunday.
Crusheen will now contest the provincial decider for the first time on Sunday week when their opponents will be Limerick champions Na Piarsaigh.
Managed by Sixmilebridge’s Sean Stack, the Ennis Road club caused a surprise when they overcame a fancied Ballygunner side at Walsh Park in Waterford on Sunday.
Representing Clare for the second year-in-a-row, Crusheen travelled to Cork determined to go a step further than last year when they went out to Kilmallock. This was reflected in their play throughout, particularly in the second half, when they were the dominant outfit.
Fielding an unchanged side from that which lined out against Sixmilebridge in the Clare final, Crusheen took an early two-point lead through Pat Vaughan and Fergus Kennedy, despite playing against a fairly strong wind. The game was six minutes old before the home side opened their account through full-forward Michael Fitzgerald who was on target from a 30m free. Like scores followed from Brian Lordan, Tomas Hogan and Niall McCarthy to leave them two-points up by the 11th minute.
At this stage, the home side looked to be winning the greater share of possession but breaking down a solid Crusheen defence was proving difficult. By the mid-point of the half, the visitors were back on terms after a brace of points from Paddy Meaney.
In the next five minutes the home side hit three points through Niall McCarthy, Stephen Dineen and Liam O’Sullivan who punished a poor clearance by Cathal Dillon. David Forde pulled one back for Crusheen before Donal Tuohy produced a magnificent stop from Stephen Dineen, five minutes from the half-time whistle.
The respective freetakers, Michael Fitzgerald and Pat Vaughan, swapped points in the closing two minutes to leave Carrigtwohill two clear at half time, 0-8 to 0-6. The Cork outfit had chances to be another couple of points clear at this stage but were unable to break down the solid Crusheen defence.
Mindful of the poor start they had made to the second half when they played their first game in the provincial competition last year, Crusheen were clearly determined there wouldn’t be a repeat. Within four minutes of the resumption they had taken the lead with points from Gearóid O’Donnell, Pat Vaughan and Paddy Meaney. While the home side levelled when Michael Fitzgerald sent over an impressive point, it was to be the Cork champions only score of the third quarter.
Three points in two minutes from David Forde, Jamie Fitzgibbon and a superb effort from corner-back Alan Brigdale gave the Clare champions a lead they would not surrender.
In a rare Carrigtwohill attack, full-forward Fitzgerald tried for goal but he found Tuohy in sparkling form and the Clare netminder made another excellent stop before Pat Vaughan, from a free, and David Forde extended the winners’ lead to five points by the end of the third quarter.
The winners were very much in control at this stage and they went seven points clear when Vaughan converted a 65’ and Jamie Fitzgibbon added another, leaving the score at 0-16 to 0-9 with ten minutes to play.
A Niall McCarthy point gave his side some hope but Fitzgibbon replied with his third of the afternoon and as the game approached the final minute of normal time, the margin was still seven.
A Niall McCarthy delivery was won by Fitzgerald who found the net just as two minutes of additional time was signalled but there was to be no way back for the Cork champions. Instead, Crusheen finished strongly and points from Pat Vaughan (free) and team captain Gerry O’Grady sealed a fully merited victory.
Crusheen’s hunger for this win was reflected in the manner in which they defended throughout the second half, regularly closing down Carrigtwohill players when they were in possession.
As was the case throughout the Clare championship and particularly in the county final, the Crusheen defence was magnificent. The Dillon brothers Cian, Cathal and Cronan were rock solid as were the Brigdale brothers, John and Alan and Ciarán O’Doherty in front of goalkeeper Donal Tuohy, who was soundness personified throughout.
Gearóid O’Donnell followed up on his excellent county final display with another top-drawer performance. Jamie Fitzgibbon continued to impress while the experience of David Forde again played a big part. All round, it was a fine team performance from the Clare champions who must be in with an excellent chance of bringing the provincial title back to Clare.
Centre-back Noel Furlong started very impressively for the Cork champions but he struggled to match Jamie Fitzgibbon in the second half. Niall McCarthy and Michael Fitzgerald were Carrigtwohill’s best forwards and while they got through some good work, they failed to break down the Crusheen defence. Indeed, Cathal Dillon had the upperhand on McCarthy throughout the second half.

Crusheen: Donal Tuohy; John Brigdale, Cronan Dillon, Alan Brigdale; Ciarán O’Doherty, Cian Dillon, Cathal Dillon; Pat Vaughan, Joe Meaney; Gearóid O’Donnell, Jamie Fitzgibbon, David Forde; Paddy Meaney, Gerry O’Grady (capt), Fergus Kennedy.
Subs: Conor O’Donnell for Kennedy (45 minutes); Tony Meaney for Forde (59 minutes).
Scorers: Pat Vaughan (0-6, 5f, 1 65’); Jamie Fitzgibbon, David Forde, Paddy Meaney (0-3 each); Gearóid O’Donnell, Fergus Kennedy, Alan Brigdale, Gerry O’Grady (0-1 each).
Frees for: 13; wides: 4; 65s: 1
Bookings: Fergus Kennedy (20 minutes).

Carrigtwohill: William McCarthy; Pat O’Sullivan, Ronan Power, Matthew Foley; Colm O’Connell, Noel Furlong, Michael O’Riordan; Daniel O’Mahoney, Liam O’Sullivan; Stephen Dineen, Tomas Hogan, Niall McCarthy; Brian Lordan, Robert White, Michael Fitzgerald.
Subs: Aaron Gosnell for Foley (39 minutes); Seanie Farrell for Hogan (43 minutes); Stephen Kidney for Lordan (55 minutes).
Scorers: Michael Fitzgerald (1-3, 0-2f); Niall McCarthy (0-3); Stephen Dineen, Brian Lordan, Liam O’Sullivan, Tomas Hogan (0-1 each).
Frees for: 9; wides: 7
Bookings: Pat O’Sullivan (20 minutes).
Referee: Johnnie Ryan, Tipperary.

Fairytale path to the big show

“There is something like a fairytale about it really but, in all fairness could you say that Crusheen don’t deserve to be in the Munster final.”
So said Crusheen manager Michael Browne moments after his charges had defeated Carrigtwohill on Sunday.
“I thought we laid the foundations in the first half. Maybe Carrigtwohill should have scored a little bit more in that half but they didn’t and we were only two points down at half time. That was a strong breeze,” he acknowledged.
“We knew coming out in the second half we were going to give this one hell of a battle. We were also very, very conscious in the dressing room that we were in a better position at this stage last year in Clare and we messed up early on in the second half. We were determined that no way was this going to happen this time,” Browne added.
He agreed that Crusheen “handled Niall McCarthy, who is a serious player, extremely well in the second half. He caused us a lot of trouble in the first half and we were at sixes and sevens as to what to do with him but once the lads got their act in order they dominated completely.”
In the Crusheen manager’s view, playing with the confidence his charges displayed on Sunday comes from experience.
“We had those types of games in Clare. Against Newmarket we were down four points in the second half. We have learned to come back. Our team has matured this year and we were so determined that we were going to take at least one more step.”
“Munster final chances don’t come too often. We will give it everything but that’s what we do with all games. It’s just another game for us. We will get out there and take it on. We will enjoy tonight but then it’s down to business again.”
Agreeing that, to date, it’s been a tremendous year overall for the club, he said “if you asked me at the end of May if we would be in the Clare final I would have said forget about it. We dug out our games. Our group was a tough one and that did us such a favour.
“If we got a soft group there is no way we would be here. Once we came out of the group, the shackles were off. We had three games to a final, played well in all three and got plenty of scores. They did exactly the same today and we can’t ask for more. It’s brilliant to be in a Munster final and we will do the best we can,” he concluded.

Stack leads Na Piarsaigh to Munster final

The fact that former Sixmilebridge and Clare star Sean Stack is the manager/coach with Na Piarsaigh will add to the interest in Sunday week’s provincial club decider.
Being involved in the Munster club final is nothing new to the former club and county captain. He has been there with his native club and also with Toomevara, whom he coached to the title.
This year he led Na Piarsaigh to their first Limerick title and now they are just an hour away from the title. Stack will be well aware of the strength of the Crusheen challenge as he will have seen them in action against his native Sixmilebridge in the county final.
A haul of 2-4 from Shane Dowling was crucial to the Limerick side’s win on Sunday. Favourites Ballygunner looked to be on course for victory when they held a six-point lead at the break, 0-10 to 0-4. They extended that to seven early in the second half but it was all Na Piarsaigh in the final quarter.
Stack’s involvement with the Ennis Road club isn’t the only Clare interest as forward Shane O’Neill is the son of former Clare Bord na nÓg secretary Michael, who is an avid Clare hurling follower, rarely missing a game involving his native county.