This article is from page 68 of the 2011-07-26 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 68 JPG
Newmarket-on-Fergus 2-16 – Crusheen 3-10 at Clarecastle
NEWMARKET-ON-FERGUS finally booked their place in the last four of the Clare Cup but certainly didn’t make it a comfortable journey for themselves after a late Crusheen rally. Last year’s finalists dominated the tie for the opening 40 minutes, building up a 13 point lead in the process but took their foot off the pedal enough for Crusheen to hit three goals in what was to prove a nervy finish.
It was an encounter that the Blues were always expected to win once it was confirmed that Crusheen would be without eight of the starting lineup that clinched a first ever county senior title back in October including county seniors Pat Vaughan and Cian Dillon, former panelists Alan Brigdale and Cathal Dillon, county Under 21’s Fergus Kennedy and Conor O’Donnell as well as Gearoid O’Donnell and Joe Meaney.
Newmarket themselves were without the services of Shane O’Brien who was lining out for Doonbeg in the Cusack Cup final, Sean O’Connor and Martin O’Hanlon but the county senior experience of Colin Ryan and David Barrett in particular saw them open up a 1-7 to 0-3 lead by the 24th minute while also seeing a Ryan 20 metre free stopped by Shaun Dillon. The goal itself came through the strength of Anthony Kilmartin who rounded his man and despite being fouled on his way to goal, the fullforward still managed to bat the ball past goalkeeper Donal Tuohy.
Three further Ryan points saw the Blues take a 1-10 to 0-05 advantage into the break with Crusheen’s only real scoring threat coming from placed balls. It would get worse for the county champions immediately on the restart when David Barrett soloed through for a second goal within two minutes followed by points from Ryan. Kilmartin and James Liddy to open up a commanding 2-13 to 0-06 lead by the 40th minute.
It seemed merely a damage limitation exercise for Crusheen as Newmarket emptied the bench but a defensive error handed the Blood and Bandages a much needed lifeline as Jamie Fitzgibbon dispossessed his marker before striking to the net. A minute later, Patrick O’Grady’s handpass across the square to older brother Gerry yielded a second goal while points for Ciaran O’Doherty and David Forde cut the deficit to just five with 12 minutes remaining.
Colin Ryan eventually stopped the rot with a free in the 50th minute but when Donal Tuohy rifled a 20 metre free to the net in the next passage of play to leave only a goal between the sides, Newmarket began to feel the pinch. However, Crusheen were unable to grab the goal that would regain full parity and Newmarket held on to advance to the last four against Kilmaley while the county champions will have another chance against Inagh/Kilnamona this weekend to decide the other semi-final qualifier from Division 1.