First half blitz sets Crusheen on the path to final victory

Crusheen 0-14   Clonlara 1-8

THE foundations for Crusheen’s victory in the Junior A Hurling League final at Newmarket on Saturday evening were laid in the opening half when they ran up a lead of seven points.
Clonlara stepped up their performance in the second period but they found the margin too much and Crusheen went on to deservingly take the honours in a tie that produced some good hurling.
Crusheen made a blistering start and scored five points in the opening seven minutes, three from Niall McMahon and one each from David Forde and Trevor Corbett.
The game was 10 minutes old before Alan O’Connell opened Clonlara’s account from a free. The full-forward and captain was his side’s only scorer in the opening half. Niall McMahon scored six for the winners who went to the break 0-9 to 0-2 in front.
Indeed, such was Crusheen’s play in the opening period, they would not have been flattered had they been a few more points in front when referee Jim Hickey blew the short whistle.
Two points inside the first minute of the second half saw Clonlara put down a marker that they were not going to go down without a fight. When O’Connell struck for the game’s only goal after a great break by Eoin Hackett, it really was game on and by the tenth minute of the half, just two points separated the sides with the score at 0-11 to 1-6.
Crusheen had a goal disallowed at this stage but, as Clonlara tried to close the gap further, the winners’ defence held firm and only conceded two more scores, both from frees,
In fact, the last 17 minutes were dominated by the respective defences as both sides managed just two points each with three of the four coming from placed balls
The McMahon brothers, goalkeeper David, Tony, who is also the club secretary, Brendan and Niall, sons of former club star Johnnie, all played leading roles in the win with Niall contributing no less than 0-7 of his side’s total.
Diarmuid and Gearóid O’Doherty, Briain Dillon, Thomas Vaughan and David Forde were others to do well on the day.
Goalkeeper Patrick Stritch, Fergal Marren, Patrick Clancy, Diarmuid Conway, Barry Moloney, Eoin Hackett and Alan O’Connell were prominent for the Clonlara side.
After the game, Clare GAA assistant secretary Des Crowe presented the trophy to the winning captain, Brendan McMahon.

Crusheen: David McMahon; Donal Dillon, Diarmuid O’Doherty, Tony McMahon; Donal Wylde, Brendan McMahon, Damian Murphy; Thomas Vaughan, Jamie Fitzgibbon; Conor Hayes, Niall McMahon, Gearóid O’Doherty; Trevor Corbett, David Forde, Briain Dillon.
Subs: Rory Halpin for Murphy; Conor O’Loughlin for Corbert.
Scorers: Niall McMahon (0-7, 0-3f); Trevor Corbett (0-2), Thomas Vaughan, Gearóid O’Doherty, Briain Dillon, David Forde, Jamie Fitzgibbon (0-1) each.
Clonlara: Patrick Stritch; Patrick Conlon, Fergal Marren, Paul Barry; Diarmuid Conway, Patrick Clancy, Neil Phelan; Barry Moloney, Neil Ryan; Kieran Murphy, Jason Murphy, James Hastings; Eoin Hackett, Alan O’Connell, Ken Haskett.
Subs: Neil Monaghan for Phelan; Tomas Begley for Ryan.
Scorers: Alan O’Connell (1-5, 0-4f); Jason Murphy, Barry Moloney, Eoin Hacket (0-1) each.
Referee: Jim Hickey, Cratloe.