This article is from page 58 of the 2011-08-02 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 58 JPG
Crusheen 0-15 – Inagh/Kilnamona 0-15 at Clarecastle
THE CROWN of county champions is one that is hard earned as can be witnessed from their latest recovery to almost snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Six points down as late as the 36th minute, Crusheen had to dig very deep in order to get themselves back into contention but their county championship winning experience earned them a third tilt at making the last four.
Inagh/Kilnamona for their part while encouraged by their overall display, will be disappointed to have let this glorious opportunity to get one over the county champions pass them by. They were unquestionably the hungrier and more efficient side for the opening two-thirds of the game but when it was needed most, they simply didn’t have enough leadership or guile to close out the win.
In the end, it was Crusheen’s substitute pairing of Paddy Vaughan and David Forde that gave them the final push to almost reverse Inagh/Kilnamona’s hard work. Between them, they had a hand in Crusheen’s last six points, scoring two apiece themselves in the late rally that saw them take an unlikely lead by the hour mark only for Ger Arthur to converted a pressurised free deep into injury time to share the spoils.
Before that, Crusheen had only led once and that in the tenth minute when Fergus Kennedy added to Ciaran O’Doherty’s accurate free a minute earlier to take a 0-2 to 0-1 lead.
However, once Cathal Lafferty levelled with a superb long range point and Ger Arthur put them ahead in the 18th minute, Inagh/Kilnamona simply grew in confidence on their way to hitting six unanswered points and take a 0-7 to 0-2 half-time lead. It was no more than they deserved either as they seemed to pick up every breaking ball while at the back, Der- mot Lynch was having the game of his life in the full-back line.
In fact, Crusheen were fortunate that they were only five points behind at that stage because they had goalkeeper Donal Tuohy to thank for keeping them in the game when smothering Tomás Kelly’s shot from close range midway through the half.
That advantage was extended to six after only nine seconds of the restart when Shane Griffin opened his account and with full-forward Dermot Gannon roaming deep for possession, it was a margin they held until the 36th minute.
Indiscipline cost Inagh/Kilnamona dearly however as Crusheen chipped away at the deficit, scoring five out of the next six points, with three of those coming from placed balls to trim it to two. Inagh/Kilnamona responded through a Niall Arthur free and one from substitute Conor Tierney to give their side some breathing space but it was Crusheen’s two substitutes that would make the decisive difference in the run-in. Forde was fouled for Paddy Vaughan to convert while the county senior captain would turn supplier for the next three inbetween replies for Tierney and Ger Arthur at 0-14 to 0-12 by the 54th minute.
A good passing move involving Cian Dillon and Tony Meaney set up David Forde for his first point a minute later while Vaughan equalised with a solo score from his own puck-out in the 59th minute. And with Inagh/Kilnamona on the backfoot, Forde actually put Crusheen in front for the first time in 50 minutes on the hour mark.
After putting so much into the game, Inagh/Kilnamona scarcely deserved to lose and sure enough they were given one final opportunity when Ger Arthur won a free on the left touchline about 50 metres from goal. And despite the weight of the club’s fortunes on his shoulders, the former county senior held his nerve to dissect the posts and hand his side another crack at the county champions.
Crusheen
Donal Tuohy, John Brigdale, Cronan Dillon,Alan Brigdale, Ciaran O’Doherty (0-1f), Cian Dillon, Shaun Dillon, Fergus Kennedy (0-1),Tony Meaney, Jamie Fitzgibbon (0-1), Joe Meaney (0-6f), Gearoid O’Donnell, Paddy Meaney (0-1), Gerry O’Grady (0-1), Conor O’Donnell Subs David Forde (0-2) for C. O’Donnell (HT), PaddyVaughan (0-2 1f) for G. O’Donnell (40 mins)
Inagh/ Kilnamona
Patrick Kelly,Thomas McConigley, Brian Glynn, Dermot Lynch, Ronan O’Looney (0-1), Cathal Lafferty (0-1), Milo Keane, Brian Foudy, Paul O’Looney, EoinVaughan (0-1), Niall Arthur (0-3 2f), Shane Griffin (0-1), Ger Arthur (0-5 3f), Dermot Gannon,Tomás Kelly (0-1) Subs Conor Tierney (0-2) for Vaughan (38 mins), ColmPilkington for P. O’Looney (44 mins), Gary Lafferty for Gannon (45 mins)
Man of the Match
Dermot Lynch (Inagh/Kilnamona)
Referee
Ambrose Heagney (Corofin)