Goals crucial as Crusheen make history

Crusheen 2-11
Inagh-Kilnamona 0-10

A GOAL in the early stages of each half put Crusheen on the road to victory over Inagh-Kilnamona in the final of the Intermediate Hurling League at Gurteen on Saturday.

The victory helped Crusheen make history as this was the only adult hurling title in Clare hurling the club had never won.
Patrick O’Grady and Gearóid O’Doherty were the goalscorers for the winners and while Inagh-Kilnamona tried hard to get back into contention, they never looked like scoring the goal they needed.
Crusheen made an impressive start with early points from the O’Doherty brothers, Gearóid and Dara. Gerry Coote opened Inagh-Kilnamona’s account when he converted a 60m free but a Patrick O’Grady goal in the ninth minute, when he added to an Alan Tuohy delivery, rocked the mid-Clare combination.
It was 1-4 to 0-2 after 12 minutes when the losers hit their best spell. Two excellent points from full-forward John Rynne and like scores from Coote and Stephen Howard cut Crusheen’s lead to the minimum with five minutes remaining in the half. However, Inagh-Kilnamona lost forward Rynne to injury and this was a blow to their hopes.
At half-time, it was 1-6 to 0-7 in favour of the winners and while Crusheen remained favourites, Inagh-Kilnamona were expected to make things difficult for them on the changeover.
However, in the first minute of the second half, they were dealt another huge blow when Gearóid O’Doherty, the game’s top scorer, struck for Crusheen’s second goal.
To their credit, the Inagh-Kilnamona outfit responded with a brace of points from substitute Enda McGuane but four in-a-row from Crusheen had them seven clear with 10 minutes remaining and they maintained that margin to the final whistle.
Conor O’Loughlin, Briain Dillon, Tony McMahon, Rory Halpin and the O’Dohertys, Gearóid and Dara were prominent for the winners while Thomas McConigley, Gerry Coote, John Ryan until injured and, particularly, the Devitt brothers, Sean and Ciarán, impressed for Inagh-Kilnamona.
After the game, Clare GAA chairman Michael O’Neill presented the league cup to the winning captain, Tony McMahon.

Crusheen: David McMahon; Donal Dillon, Conor Hayes, Tony McMahon; Rory Halpin, Conon O’Loughlin, Briain Dillon; Thomas Vaughan, Jason Greene; Alan Tuohy, Niall Fitzgibbon, Padraic O’Malley; Gearoid O’Doherty, Patrick O’Grady, Darragh O’Doherty.
Subs: Diarmuid O’Doherty for Fitzgibbon (52 minutes); Paul O’Donnell for B Dillon (60 minutes).
Scorers: Gearóid O’Doherty (2-5, 0-1f, 1 65); Patrick O’Grady (1-0), Darragh O’Doherty, Jason Greene (0-2 each); Alan Tuohy (0-1, f).
Inagh-Kilnamona: Christopher O’Looney; Ciarán Devitt, Thomas McConigley, Brian Arthur; Sean Devitt, Stephen Howard, Johnny Cullinan; Jimmy Carmody, Joe Griffin; Stephen Twomey, Gary Lafferty, Gerry Coote; John Rynne, Sean McConigley, Gerry Coote.
Subs: Enda McGuane for Rynne (22 minutes); Alan Mullins for S McConigley (46 minutes), Paddy Healy for Griffin (51 minutes), Mark O’Looney for Cullinan (54 minutes).
Scorers: Gerry Coote (0-4, 3f); John  Rynne, Enda McGuane (0-2), Stephen Twomey, Stephen Howard (0-1 each, both frees).
Referee: Fergie McDonagh, St Joseph’s.