McGrath and McInerney too good for Tulla

Cratloe 4-12 Tulla 0-15

THE twin striking force of Conor McGrath and Cathal McInerney proved too much for Tulla in the first of the Clare Senior Hurling Championship quarter-finals at Cusack Park last Saturday.
Between them, they accounted for all but four points of Cratloe’s total and, as they had done a week earlier for the club’s footballers, helped them become the first of the 2011 quarter-finalists.
This victory for Cratloe keeps their double dream alive. This week, the focus switches back to football and the club’s county semi-final date with Kilmurry-Ibrickane. They are also in the U-21A football final and the club’s minor footballers qualified for the C championship final, where they will play St Breckan’s.
While Cratloe were deserving winners on Saturday, the final scoreline is a little unfair on Tulla. The winner’s third goal came in the 59th minute of the game, while Cathal McInerney completed his hat-trick of goals in the fourth minute of injury time.
While Tulla had the game’s opening score, a point from Aidan Lynch after just 20 seconds, Cratloe made the better start and by the sixth minute they were 1-3 to 0-1 ahead.
Two pointed frees by McGrath were followed by their first from play, which came from McInerney, before he took a pass from Paudge Collins to find the net.
The signs may not have looked good for Tulla at this stage but they settled and it took a great save from Cratloe’s Sean Hayes to deny Danny O’Halloran a goal in the seventh minute. Cathal Dinan from play and a brace from Andrew Quinn (one 65’) cut the margin to two points as the end of the opening quarter approached.
In the next 10 minutes, Tulla outscored Cratloe 0-4 to 0-2 to tie up the game, before a Darragh Corry effort gave the East Clare side the lead with six minutes still to play in the half.
Cratloe finished the half strongly with three unanswered points to lead at the break by two, 1-8 to 0-9.
Andrew Quinn, who returned to action after a long lay-off due to injury, contributed his fifth point in the opening minute of the second half, before Cathal McInerney hit for what was probably the game’s most crucial score.
The game’s top scorer was on hand to shoot to the net after Conor McGrath’s effort had been saved by Philip Brennan.
By the three-quarter stage, Cratloe had opened a two-goal margin, 2-12 to 0-12, but Tulla weren’t giving up. By now they had introduced veteran, Brian Quinn and defender, Paul Lynch, who was unable to start due to injury. A brace from Andrew Quinn (one 65’) and another from David McInerney, closed the gap to three points with seven minutes still to play but, try as they did, Tulla didn’t score again.
A minute from the end, Cratloe breathed a sigh of relief when Conor McGrath found the net after another move involving himself and McInerney and this killed off any hopes of a Tulla revival.
Four minutes of injury time were signalled and in the last of these, McInerney displayed his football skills when he kicked the final goal of the game.
Cratloe’s victory was merited on a day when Sean Hayes, John O’Gorman, Liam Markham, Ogie Murphy, McInerney and McGrath played vital roles.
Sean Torpey, Brian Lynch, David McInerney and Andrew Quinn did well for Tulla.

Cratloe: Sean Hayes; John O’Gorman, Barry Duggan, David Ryan; Enda Boyce, Michael Hawes, Liam Markham; Sean Chaplin, Martin ‘Ogie’ Murphy; Damian Browne, Sean Collins, Conor Ryan; Cathal McInerney, Conor McGrath, Paudge Collins.
Subs: Thomas O’Connor for D Browne (51 minutes), Pádraig Chaplin for S Collins (58 minutes) and Gearóid Ryan for C Ryan (60 minutes).
Scorers: Cathal McInerney (3-2), Conor McGrath (1-6), Paudge Collins (0-2), Ogie Murphy and Damian Browne (0-1) each.
Frees for: 12; wides: 4
Bookings: Conor McGrath (12 minutes), Barry Duggan (34 minutes) and Thomas O’Connor (55 minutes).
“The goals were the difference. The couple of the goals at the end give an unfair reflection to the scoreline. Tulla played very well. We got off to a great start and they came back into it. We made hard work of it but we got there in the end. We knew it was going to be tough. It’s football this week and hopefully the boys will come through ok. There were a couple of niggly injuries going into today’s game and those are the kind of things we can do without.” Mike Deegan, Cratloe.

Tulla: Philip Brennan; Eugene Cooney, Mark Quinn, John Brennan; Cian McInerney, Sean Torpey, Brian Lynch; Declan Murphy, Conor O’Halloran; David McInerney, Andrew Quinn, Darragh Corry; Aidan Lynch, Danny O’Halloran, Cathal Dinan.
Subs: Paul Lynch for M Quinn (39 minutes), Brian Quinn for Dinan (39 minutes), Michael Murphy for C O’Halloran (50 minutes) and Donnacda McNamara for D Murphy (57 minutes).
Scorers: Andrew Quinn (0-8, 3f, 2 65s), David McInerney and Danny O’Halloran (0-2) each, Aidan Lynch, Cathal Dinan and Darragh Corry (0-1) each.
Frees for: 7; wides: 6; 65s: 2
Bookings: Mark Quinn (12 minutes) and Aidan Lynch (30 minutes).
“They got the goals, which proved vital. We had one or two chances but they were more clinical around the square. Scoring 15 points was good. We played well throughout the field but they were able to get the goals and we weren’t. We were always within three points of them until the last five minutes. Their inside forwards were the difference. They are great forwards.” Jim McInerney, Tulla manager.

Referee: Johnny Healy, Smith O’Brien’s.