U-14 honours for Crusheen-Tubber

Crusheen-Tubber  6-9
Tulla 5-2

A STRONG performance that featured lots of skill led Crusheen-Tubber to the county U-14C hurling title on Monday evening in Cusack Park.

The winners, who were the better side overall, delivered the crucial scores early in the game and with a solid defensive display held out despite a spirited late rally from the Tulla boys.
Crusheen/Tubber, who won the U-12D in 2009, have made steady progress as evident by their qualification for the final.
The opening score fell to Crusheen/Tubber centre-forward, Colin Waters before incessant pressure created a goal chance, which Breffni Horner converted.
Tulla rarely broke past the dominant Crusheen half-back line and midfield led ably by Ronan Monahan, CIllian Mullins and John Fawl. James Taaffe, Cillian Mullins and Colin Waters added points in the tenth, twelfth and fifteenth minutes as Crusheen/Tubber surged 1-4 to 0-0 clear.
Within three minutes the game was effectively sealed as a contest with a hat-trick of Crusheen goals from John Fawl, Breffni Horner and Colin Waters as they retired 4-6 to 0-0 ahead at the interval having played with the aid of the wind.
Tulla were hopeful of a resurgence, aided by the wind in the second half, but three moments of skill by Luke Hayes ended these hopes as he bagged 1-2 minutes into the new half.
He rounded off the end of the third quarter with his second goal, as Crusheen went 26 points clear.
The loudest cheer of the evening was heard at the 50-minute mark when Tulla’s Aaron O’Halloran had their first score. To their credit, they dominated the last 10 minutes, adding 4-2 without reply with Aaron O’Halloran (0-2), Sean McNamara (2-0), Owen Shanahan (1-0) and Matthew Culloo (1-0) also on target.
Best for the winners were Gavin O’Brien, Brian McDonagh, Ronan Monahan, Stephen O’Halloran, Colin Waters, Ross Hayes and John Fawl.
Tulla had solid displays from Conor Dinan, Brian Fahy, Sean McNamara, Aaron O’Halloran, Matthew Culloo, Darragh Murphy and Thor Ligtvoet.
After the game Martin Reynolds, chairman of Bord na nÓg, presented the U-14C trophy to Crusheen/Tubber joint captains, Colin Waters and John Fawl.

Crusheen-Tubber: Colm McNamara; Emmet Quinn Gavin O’Brien; Brian McDonagh, Ronan Monahan, Stephen O’Halloran; John Fawl (1-1), Cillian Mullins; Mark Kearney, Colin Waters (1-3), James Taaffe (0-1); Ross Hayes (2-2), Breffni Horner (2-1).
Subs: Joe Copley (0-1) for Hayes, Conor O’Loughlin for Stephen O’Halloran, Calum Turner for Kearney, Chris McDonagh for Horner, Aidan McNamara and Cormac Lee.
Tulla: Conor Dinan; Thor Ligtvoet, Kevin Conlon; Daniel Lauders, Brian Fahy, Darragh Murphy; Shane Hunt, Owen Shanahan (1-0); Michael Vaughan, Matthew Culloo (1-0), James Harrison; Sean McNamara (2-0), Adam Hehir.
Subs: Aaron O’Halloran (1-2) for Harrison, Patrick O’Mahony for Hehir and Austin McInerney for Vaughan.
Referee: Gus Callaghan (Feakle).