Younger Na Piarsaigh escape Crusheen clutches

Barely three minutes had elapsed and already the names of three Na Piarsaigh men had been written into referee Cathal McAllister’s little black book. Perhaps feeling that they had stood off Crusheen seven days earlier, the Caherdavin hurlers were not keen to do so again.
In those early minutes they definitely didn’t. They managed to cordon off their message into a few frantic minutes however and only conceded three frees in the first half, winning just two. After David Breen’s third-minute yellow, Na Piarsaigh hurled the remaining 57 minutes without having another card flashed at them.
Their early actions though made it clear to Crusheen and the 2,486 people who paid the reduced €10 admittance fee, that Na Piarsaigh were prepared to do what they felt was necessary to conquer Munster.
Yet fast forward 45 minutes and their route to glory seemed inexorably blocked by an obdurate collection of teak-tough Crusheen men. Thurles is a huge pitch but Na Piarsaigh were having trouble discovering a sliver of it free of a Crusheen man, who had no compunction about availing of his head, or whatever part of his anatomy he deemed most useful at the time, in the way of a hurler in blue and white.
Slowly yet definitely Na Piarsaigh managed to eke out an inch or two in which to hurl as the hour veered into its fourth quarter.
Paddy Vaughan’s 15th minute free, given for a foul on Fergus Kennedy, put Crusheen 0-9 to 0-6 up and they seemingly had a few fingers gripping the Billy O’Neill Cup. That was as good as it got for Crusheen. Na Piarsaigh took over and outscored the Clare champions 1-7 to 0-0 in the closing quarter. The game wasn’t up for Crusheen though until two minutes from time when substitute Adrian Breen netted following a sublime cross from Kevin Downes, who had been initially located by a visionary cross-field pass from Shane Dowling. Breen also put over three points from play, as his marker, John Brigdale, seemed to find it difficult to keep his feet as the pace upped.
While Breen’s 1-3 was crucial in Na Piarsiagh’s win, their bench was definitely home to more options than Crusheen. None of the Crusheen substitutes impacted significantly, although Tony Meaney, who started at midfield, justified his inclusion from the start. 
Although Crusheen’s epic, two-year journey halted a quarter of an hour shy of a Munster title and an achievable place in the All-Ireland club final, in time they will reflect on what they have carried off this year and last. They have brought unprecedented glory to their community. 
In time they will examine ways of improving their return in attack. Jamie Fitzgibbon is destined to be one of their main men in the years ahead, having again delivered when it mattered. Fitzgibbon’s four points from play followed an equally impressive county final performance in near impossible conditions.
It must be noted that his man, centre-back James O’Brien, again played some outstanding hurling but he is a defender and his man scored four points from play.
Aside from Fitzgibbon, Crusheen didn’t look particularly dangerous in attack, with their movement not as co-ordinated as Na Piarsaigh once they got going. That’s a segment of their game they will seek to develop as they target a third successive county championship in 2012.
On a broader note, it’s now 12 seasons since a Clare club won a senior provincial title. With their first Munster club since 1994 secured and having already won the Munster intermediate title, Limerick club hurling can complete a clean sweep next Sunday if Cappamore beat Charleville in the junior final.