This article is from page 84 of the 2011-09-27 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 84 JPG
Crusheen 1-24 – Broadford 0-10 at Clarecastle
CRUSHEEN cruised into yet another senior hurling championship semi-final after accounting for a spirited but limited Broadford challenge on Sunday afternoon. The champions would have always been favourites to progress from this tie but the 17point winning margin alone, does not tell the whole story of this clash.
The first half of this encounter was highly competitive with Broadford merely trailing by the minimum at the interval. The second half, however, saw a combination of Crusheen’s class and experience steamroll their young and often naïve East Clare opponents to progress to the next round of this season’s championship with relative ease.
Broadford needed a positive open- ing half to establish themselves in the game but to also make the most of the advantage of having a powerful gale at their backs. Despite this obvious requirement it was Crusheen who notched a score on Clarecastle’s electronic scoreboard first. Paddy Meaney in his usual typical manner side-stepped his loose marker to get free on his trusty left side and pointed from 30m out to set Crusheen on their way.
Mark ‘Mouse’ Moloney however quickly responded for Broadford. A minute later and his high lobbying effort sailed between the posts the level the game. This pattern continued for the opening quarter with both outfits matching each other’s efforts and exchanging scores.
Padraig Hickey grabbed a couple in a row while Niall Moloney made the most of a poor Donal Touhy puck-out to add their names to the Broadford score sheet. Crusheen at the other end of the field were equally accurate. Jamie Fitzgibbon found his first of five points from play while the skillful adopted son David Forde drew on all of his experience to drive the sliotar low into the breeze over the black spot on the crossbar.
Broadford were fighting hard and would have been in front only for a terrible miss-firing patch in front of goal for the remainder of a half. A quarter-final victory was never going to be achieved with an incredible total of ten first half wides. It could have even been harder if two clear cut Crusheen goal chances had been converted.
Both were wasted by Gearoid O’Donnell and Gerry O’Grady but still they managed to at least steal a point on each occasion. The 31st minute saw the last score before the break with Meaney also finding his range at the end of the half to leave Crusheen in front on a score of 0-8 to 0-7.
Crusheen were always going to be pleased with their opening half and with the wind now at their backs they quickly shifted into cruise control and took over proceedings. Broadford’s challenge from the throw-in did not have the same intensity as had been seen in the first 30 minutes of hurling. Crusheen managed 1-16 in the second half while Broadford could only muster up a very disappointing three points.
Crusheen’s defence was rarely tested with Cian Dillion dominating without having to even draw a sweat. Since the team, who won a championship only because of their backs, were in such dominance it was the ideal time to crush this ever-lasting theory. Of the 16 second half points they created, only one was not from play and that was a super Paddy Vaughan free who by his standards had a poor day from placed balls especially against the wind in the first half.
In contrast Fitzgibbon was having a perfect day in front of goal with everything he touched turning into a white flag waving moment no matter whether it was from his role as centre forward or midfield he was shooting from. Even more impressive was Kennedy. His hat-trick of points was only outshone by his well taken goal. An excellent low cross field pass by O’Grady constructed the chance but the young attacker displayed no hesitation in slotting home a peach of a shot to firmly cement the outcome of this game three quarters through.
Broadford tried and tried but they were just not in the same level as Crusheen by the end. For the winners a place in the last four is a huge reward but many sterner tests still await if an incredible two in a row is ever to materialise.