This article is from page 105 of the 2008-10-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 105 JPG
WHATEVER Kilmurry Ibrickane can do with the big ball, Newmar- ket-on-Fergus can do with the small ball.
That was the message announced to the hurling world in Cusack Park on Sunday afternoon as the storied Blues rolled back the years to when they were the most feared combina- tion in Clare hurling to reach only their second county final in 27 years with a sparkling display every bit as good as what the men from the bar- ony of Ibrickane produced against Kilkee.
Newmarket were beaten two years ago in the final by neighbours Wolfe Tones, but now the title is theirs to plunder. This was the general con- sensus of supporters leaving head- quarters after the weekend’s semi-fi- nal programme.
While Clonlara and Crusheen played out a draw in a game that only really touched the heights of qual- ity fare in a hectic finish, the Blues turned in a command performance in beating St Joseph’s Doora-Bare- field by 1-20 to 3-7.
A seven-point differential, but truth told,this was a hammering as a very disappointing St Joseph’s side only made the final scoreline look respect- able when they closed out the game with goals in the 58th and 62nd min- utes of a very one-sided encounter.
“It’s great to be in a final,” said Newmarket-on-Fergus manager D1- armuid O’ Leary afterwards. O’ Leary, who assumed the management reins at Newmarket last year after a string
of under 21 successes, is now on the cusp of delivering a senior title to the most decorated club in Clare for the first time in nearly three decades.
Newmarket won the last of their 22 titles in 1981, but O’Leary, mind- ful of the club’s failure to deliver in the 2006 final and the quarter-final against Tulla last year was taking nothing for granted.
‘“There’s no medals for today,” he warned as the reflected on his side’s best display of they year.
Meanwhile, Newmarket will have to wait until next Saturday to know who their county final opponents will be, after Crusheen and Clonlara drew 1-10 apiece in Saturday’s open- ing semi-final.
“We’re still in it,’ said Crusheen manager Stephen Cunningham after his side came from five points adrift in the closing eight minutes to win another day out.
“With three minutes to go we should have gone on and won, but we let it slip,’ said Cunningham’s coun- terpart Jim Gully. “But when they got the goal we showed great character to come back to get the equaliser.”
If Newmarket play Crusheen in the final it will be a repeat of the 1974 decider, which the Blues won on a scoreline of 1-6 to 2-2.
A Clonlara/Newmarket final would be their first final match-up since the East Clare final of 1936 that doubled as a county semi-final.
The Blues won that day.