This article is from page 71 of the 2011-05-10 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 71 JPG
WHAT is it about the blue and white of Cratloe that stirs something deep inside Tubber? Whatever it is, they should bottle it and use sparingly throughout the championship after getting the perfect start at Clare heaquarters on Sunday evening.
For the second successive year, Tubber were the hungrier, more determined side while outside of the final quarter when they realised the severity of the deficit, Cratloe were a pale shadow of their free-flowing selves and appeared like a side that expected just to turn up and collect the points.
While the final margin was only a mere point, it doesn’t reflect the fact that Tubber led from start to finish, were eight points ahead at one stage of the contest and six clear as late as the 55th minute.
In addition, Cratloe seemed to learn little from last year’s contest at the same venue. There wasn’t any obvious chest thumping motivation from Tubber this time around but again their victory stemmed from a dominance in midfield, this time through Clive Earley and the inspirational Mark Earley who simply ran the show and ended the day with 1-4 from play.
The Clare senior was instrumental in Tubber’s blistering start, picking off three points on their way to a 1-7 to 0-2 advantage by the 20th minute, with evergreen Eamonn Taaffe grabbing 1-2 in a six minute period. The goal came at the turn of the opening quarter when Taaffe caught a high delivery from Mark Earley before dispatching to the net from close range.
Trailing by eight points finally stoked a reaction within Cratloe and after a glorious Cathal McInerney point in the 21st minute in which he dummied his marker on the right wing before arrowing between the sticks, the county senior added a goal only a minute later. Damien Browne supplied the pass inside to Conor McGrath who attracted three defenders, leaving McInerney all alone to receive the pass and billow the net.
However, just as it seemed as if Cratloe were back in the match, Mark Earley again pulled his side clear with a superb opportunist goal, sensing the oportunity to take on the defence and drive a low shot under the body of goalkeeper Sean Hayes on their way to a 2-7 to 1-6 interval lead.
An uneventful third quarter played into Tubber’s hands, with both sides only managing two points apiece before Tubber decisively struck a third goal at the turn of the final quarter through Eamonn Taaffe after a goalline scramble from Shane O’Connor’s pass.
The seven point deficit finally sparked some urgency into Cratloe but while Conor McGrath attempted to chip away at the lead, Tubber replied on each occasion, twice through substitute Tommy Lee along with Mark Earley.
There was still six points between the sides with five minutes of normal time remaining before a late Cratloe rally of Damien Browne and Conor Ryan points and a Conor McGrath injury-time goal from a 20 metre free that was essentially the last puck of the game.
Overall, Cratloe’s urgency came far too late but there is nothing like losing the first game of the championship to sharpen the focus for the remainder of the must-win group stages. While for Tubber, the championship now opens up in front of them but whether they can take advantage against teams other than Cratloe will only be known in time.
Tubber
RonanTaaffe (7), Justin McMahon (6), Paul Fogarty (7), Eoin Ruane (7), Fergal O’Grady (7), Conor Earley (7), Patrick O’Connor (8) (0-3 2f, 1’65), Mark Earley (9) (1-4), Clive Earley (7), David O’Donoghue (6), Barry O’Connor (7) (0-1), Jack Neylon (6), Darragh O’Connor (6), Shane O’Connor (7), EamonnTaaffe (8) (2-2)
Subs
Tommy Lee (7) (0-2) for Neylon (46 mins, inj), Gerard O’Connor for D. O’Connor (54 mins)
Cratloe
Sean Hayes (6), Philip Gleeson (6), Barry Duggan (7), David Ryan (7), John O’Gorman (7), Michael Hawes (7), LiamMarkham(7) (0-1f), Sean Collins (7),Aidan Browne (6), Damien Browne (7) (0-1), Conor Ryan (7) (0-2), Sean Chaplin (6), Podge Collins (7) (0-1), Conor McGrath (7) (1-7f), Cathal McInerney (8) (1-2)
Subs
Gearoid Ryan (5) for A. Browne (39 mins), Sean Hynan for Chaplin (56 mins)
Man of the Match
Mark Earley (Tubber)
Referee
Rory Hickey (Éire Óg)