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Chaplin: ‘Maybe you have to lose one to win one’

AS A player, Christy Chaplin was on both winning and losing sides on county final day. But even though his young squad made considerable strides this year to contest their first final in nine years, it doesn’t make defeat any easier to swallow.

“At half-time, we thought we were well in there. It was only four points to three, only a point in it but we had scoring chances and didn’t take them in the first half. Crusheen then for a ten minute period got four or five scores and that was the difference.

“Even when we got the ball down at our end, they closed us down well and they won the rucks. Physically they came out with ball and we could make no inroads but look, we have no complaints because we were beaten by the county champions. We gave it a go and it wasn’t good enough today.

“On another day, things might have gone differently. We got the penalty in the first half and it went over the bar but for a lengthy period in the second half we didn’t score for a long, long time. Gilly proably had a chance early on for a goal in the second half but it didn’t come off and they just tacked on the points so we can have no complaints.”

Chaplin need only look to his opponents to realise how difficult it is to win your first final with a new team. After all, Crusheen missed out in the 2007 decider to Tulla but once they got back there last year against Cratloe, they were doubly determined not to let another opportunity slip by.

“Maybe it’s true what they say that you have to lose one to win one. We’re young but at the end of the day, we came up here today to win it and we didn’t so we will just have to start again at the bottom and hopefully we will be back.”

With an average team age of just 24, you can take that as a given.

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‘All our lives waiting for one, now two in a rush’

BEEN there and done that in 2010 where this Canon Hamilton thing was concerned. Now they’ve done it again in 2011.

Last week Michael Browne wondered aloud whether they’d have the hunger – you know he never doubted his team, but anyone who did got their answer with a performance that must rank as Crusheen’s greatest.

“In the sense of a real fought battle and fighting for every ball, yes it was a great display,” said Browne minutes after the final whistle. “We have played better hurling in games, but how could you play good hurling today. It was a great team display.

“Ten points today is about the equivalent of 4-20 on a good day. It was fantastic. I thought they were brilliant. From one to 15 they were brilliant, so much so there were three subs warming up that we were dying to bring on but it was too hard to take anybody off.”

As he spoke he was busy shaking more hands than a presidential candidate would on a busy day on the campaign trail. It’s because Browne is the man, the Messiah who picked up this bunch of players from the low of a county final defeat to a Tulla team in coached in 2007 to the high of putting back-to-back championships together.

“I’m so happy for the team because we worked so hard all year. We kept it low key coming into the final and just focused on the 60 minutes. The conditions were terrible, but the lads really dug in and fought for every ball.

“They had the hunger. They had it themselves. We focused on perform- ance, the lads giving their absolute best out on the field. It was a case of forgetting about first titles or second titles, it was just about the performance on the day, getting on with it and giving our best and not to be coming off on the field and players saying ‘if I only did this and I only did that’. They have no regrets coming off now.” It’s the way with all Michael Browne teams. Tulla said it in 2007. Crusheen said it in 2010 and now they can say it again in 2011. “It’s amazing to win it again,” added Browne just before breaking away to rejoin the celebrations. “We’re all our lives waiting for one. Now we’ve two in a rush. Thanks be to God.” Thanks be to Hurling he’s saying at the same time. The game is Crush- een’s God these days, and long they want it to continue.

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Sport

Cian is county final colossus

County finals call for big game players and after deservedly earning the man-of-the match in back-to-back county deciders, they don’t come much bigger than Cian Dillon. Still only 22, Cian was one of five Dillon brothers on the panel with elder siblings Cathal and Cronan also playing their part on Sunday in this historic second ever title for the club.

The centre-back was simply immense throughout, so much so that some supporters wondered how he was able to glide through the rainsodden pitch while practically every other player was hampered by the underfoot conditions.

“We are thrilled. Our focus from the start of the year was to get back here and once we got here, we knew we weren’t going to let it go so it shows the character we have in the team from one to 31. There were some serious men out there and we battled right through.

“It was tough out there and wasn’t a day for fancy touches or anything like that but we showed out true character, we supported each other, we encouraged each other and we were just not going to let this go today.”

And the main ingredients of Crusheen’s remarkable turnaround in the last two years?

“Ever since Michael Browne got on board, he changed a lot of things about our play. One was discipline, two was workrate and our forwards worked right into the backs and viceversa and we support each other as much as we could. And it paid off because we are delighted to get the Canon Hamilton back.”

However, his ambitions don’t end there.

“Hopefully now we will have a good shot at Munster now. We have the Cork champions coming up so we will take a few days and then we will get back and start preparing for it. And hopefully we will be able to put up another good show there.”

With Cian in this type of unstoppable form, it will take a very good team to stop them.

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Crusheen swim to a county title

Crusheen 0-10 – Sixmilebridge 0-04 at Cusack Park, Ennis

TITLE RETENTION eventually superseded water retention as the menfor-all-seasons Crusheen maintained their history making assault on the senior championship. In a pitch that would in normal circumstances be deemed totally unplayable, it was the defending champions that also proved to be unplayable in a barnstorming second half display that ultimately stamped their superiority on Clare hurling for the second successive year, the first time that such a feat had been completed in 12 years.

To win a championship, a team has to be able to prevail in all conditions and essentially, it was the holder’s superior ability to adapt to the rainsoaked mudbath that greeted the final which saw them grind out the victory.

Aside from Crusheen’s match-win ning flurry of six successive points midway through the half, the contest was far from pretty and for anyone watching the TG4 screening from the comfort of their living room, it must have been more akin to a local rugby match than a showpiece hurling occasion for long periods.

There were endless rucks and throw-ins as the ball repeatedly plugged in the mud but to their great credit, Crusheen were able to raise their game sufficiently and shut the door with a superb defensive display while unlocking it at the other end with a far more efficient strike rate.

All seven defenders and occasional sweeper Paddy Vaughan must take huge kudos in nullifying Sixmilebridge’s threat but it must be said that brothers Cian and Cathal Dillon were immense throughout, as was Gearoid O’Donnell in the forward division.

Last year’s experience certainly stood to the Blood and Bandages as they literally soaked up the Sixmilebridge pressure and hit on the counter-attack at every opportunity. And after a tentative first half, it seemed as if Crusheen had an extra man or two in the second period as they won the physical battle and always appeared to have a spare player at the breakdown to clear their lines.

It was not understating it either to say that this was simply a season defining masterclass from the champions, considering the unprecedentedly dire weather conditions. No one could have grumbled had referee Rory Hickey called a halt to proceedings at any stage of the contest. After all, it’s a miracle that no one was seriously injured in the treacherous underfoot conditions.

Sixmilebridge certainly wouldn’t have complained in the second half but they may look back with a tinge of regret that they failed to take a host of scoring opportunities. Five first half wides saw their second quarter superiority fall on stoney ground as a more efficient Crusheen took all of their opportunities to lead by the minimum at half-time.

And with Sixmilebridge’s young charges being stuck in the mud for long periods, the onus fell on Niall Gilligan and Tony Carmody to inspire, with captain Gilligan perhaps attempting to take on too much in an attempt to find a lifeline. He chose to put a first half penalty over the bar while immediately after halftime, the ‘Bridge legend bore down on goal but hit his shot into the mud instead of aiming for the top corner of the net.

Those misses allied to Crusheen’s second half dominance conspired to turn the tie decisively in the champions favour and once they opened up midway through the half, the writing was on the wall for the Bridge.

Crusheen were also quick to settle into the contest in the opening half when a brace of Jamie Fitzgibbon points as well as a Paddy Vaughan free saw them hold a 0-3 to 0-1 lead by the end of the first quarter. The ‘Bridge’s point came from a Gilligan 20 metre free that could have easily resulted in a goal for Caimin Morey who fielded a Carmody delivery before being pulled down by John Brigdale.

The second quarter was the ‘Bridge’s but while they pulled level through Danny Morey and that Gilligan penalty that he earned himself, they still found themselves trailing at the break after a defensive error was punished by Gearoid O’Donnell.

The ‘Bridge might have made up for that first half profligacy on the restart when Tadgh Keogh expertly picked out fellow 2002 title winner Gilligan to gather and head for goal but he struck his effort into the muddy goalmouth which took the sting out of the shot for goalkeeper Donal Tuohy.

Crusheen wiped their brows and hit back to decisive effect as they shut up shop at the back, thanks in the main to the unstoppable Cian Dillon while also beginning to find holes in the Sixmilebridge rearguard.

Four points from Gearoid O’Donnell (2), Paddy Meaney and Fergus Kennedy in an amazing two minute blitzkrieg around the turn of the final quarter left their opponents shellshocked. And while Gilligan and Co. tried their upmost to find a way back into the contest, they were left continually frustrated by Crusheen’s miserly rearguard that threatened to match Kilmurry Ibrickane’s remarkable feat of keeping their opponents scoreless for an entire half in a county decider.

Points from Paddy Meaney and Vaughan at the other end more or less put a tin hat on the result but Gilligan did manage to end Sixmilebridge’s 35 minute scoring washout on the hour mark with a consolation point.

Considering the atrocious inclement conditions, nobody will hark on the fact that Sixmilebridge’s final total was the lowest in 52 years as this was entirely Crusheen’s day. A day in which they carved out their own piece of history with a exhibition of hurling expertise, and successfully mastered not only their opponents but the weather Gods as well.

Crusheen
Donal Tuohy (7), John Brigdale (7), Cronan Dillon (7),Alan Brigdale (7), Ciaran O’Doherty (7), Cian Dillon (9), Cathal Dillon (8), PatrickVaughan (7) (0-2f), Joe Meaney (7), Gearoid O’Donnell (8) (0-3), Jamie Fitzgibbon (7) (0-2), David Forde (7), Paddy Meaney (7) (0-2), Gerry O’Grady (7), Fergus Kennedy (7) (0-1)

Sixmilebridge
Derek Fahy (7),Tadgh Keogh (7),Aidan Quilligan (7), Seadna Morey (7), John Fennessy (7), Paidí Fitzpatrick (7), Robert Conlon (7), Shane Golden (7),Tony Carmody (8), Jamie Shanahan (6), Rory Shanahan (6), Declan Morey (6), Danny Morey (7) (0-1), Niall Gilligan (7) (0-3 1f, 1 Pen) Caimin Morey (7)

Subs
Trevor Purcell (6) for Conlon (46 mins), Brian Culbert (6) for Declan Morey (46 mins). David O’Connor for Carmody (55 mins)

Referee
Rory Hickey (Éire Óg)

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O’Grady carves a special place in the hurling annals

MAYBE we should have known that Crusheen’s name was written on the Canon Hamilton in 2011.

You see, the last man to captain back-to-back county final winning teams was St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield’s Lorcan Hassett in 1998/’99, while the second of those titles came at the expense of Sixmilebridge.

So with 2010 winning captain Gerry O’Grady filling the same role in ’11 and with the ‘Bridge as opposition, the rune stones around Inchicronan might well have told us that Clare hurling’s greatest prize was heading north to the Village of the Little Cross once more with O’Grady emulating Hassett.

There’s more. The same stones might have been a superstitious lot, pointing to that third time lucky factor when it comes to teams defending their title – where Clonlara and Cratloe had failed in ’09 and ’10 respectively, Crusheen would go on to succeed.

And there’s more again. Consider that the 25-year team honoured on county final day – the flying Magpies of ’86 were captained by Anthony Scanlon, a man who also led them to back-to-back triumphs the following year.

All of the above points to the fact that this was meant to be.

Regardless of piseoga, rune stones and all that, one thing is certain: when Gerry O’Grady finally left Cusack Park’s Ard Comhairle for a pitchside reunion with his teammates with Canon Hamilton in hand, it was all still a bit of a blur.

“It hasn’t sunk in really,” he said on the achievement of lifting the Canon on successive years. “We came here to today just to battle it out and do everything to get over the line. Thankfully that’s the way it worked out. The conditions were so bad out there it was about battling, fighting it out and keeping the workrate up.”

They did more than that, of course, restricting the ‘Bridge to two points from play and only four points, while running up what must of felt like a veritable cricket score of 0-10, such were the conditions of the day.

Where did it come from?

“It was the most important game we’ve played in our lives,” said O’Grady in response. “We lost in 2007 to Tulla and this was our third final. If we had gone away from three finals and only won one of them, it would have been a bad return.

“That was really driving us on here today. We wanted that second title. When you get to a final you have to take your opportunity. The backs were very good and in the second half we took the chances we got up front. We opened them up and when we were able to stretch our lead we were able to hold out after that.”

The quietly spoken captain was be ing kind to ‘Bridge. This was a rout.

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Coole scoreline for Gort side

Coole FC 6 – Inch Crusaders 1 at The County Grounds, Doora

COOLE FC captured their second trophy this year with an emphatic victory over Inch Crusaders in the final of the second division league cup at the County Grounds on Sunday.

Last season’s third division league champions led by just a goal at half time but produced a storming second half display to take the trophy back to Gort.

Weather conditions were far from ideal but just like the victorious Gort hurlers, Coole FC didn’t let the heavy rain undermine their performance.

The County Grounds had been due to host the meeting between Clare and Galway in the Oscar Traynor Cup on Saturday but that was called off due to rain shortly before kick off.

However the pitch was deemed playable on Sunday morning where Inch and Coole met with the prize of some early season silverware on offer.

And it was the Gort based club who made the early breakthrough when Kyle McCarthy scored the game’s opening goal. The former Oscar Traynor panelist found the net with well-hit 20 yard strike.

Coole were ahead at the break be- fore a deluge of goals early in the second half set them on the road to victory. McCarthy’s strike partner, Danilo Bento grabbed two goals in the space of five minutes to leave Inch with a mountain to climb.

McCarthy then brought his tally for the game to two, when he converted from the penalty spot. Managers Barry McCarry and Stephen Cunniffe emptied the Coole bench as the goals continued to rain in. Substitute Liam Papendorf got his name on the scoresheet with a well-executed volley with fellow sub Savio Morentes also finding the net. Midfielder David Cahill played an instrumental role in Coole’s success, setting up three of his side’s goals. Padraig Talty struck Crusader’s lone response before Coole captain Eoin Glynn lifted the trophy.

Coole FC
Abner Cordielo, Gary Morrissey, Alex Brocard,Aidan O’Boyle,Wanderson Lasouta, Padraig Landers, David Cahill,Alan Mannion, Eoin Glynn, Kyle McCarthy, Danilo Bento

Subs
Dave Franklin, Stephen Quinn, Savio Morentes, Liam Papendorf, LeoVercnea,Anthony Coppinger

Inch Crusaders
Andy O’Flynn, DavidTalty, Thomas O’Doherty, Dean Rickter, Mark Connellan, SeanTalty,Alan Clerkin, Brian McDonnell, Padraig Talty, James Rynne,Thiago Santanna

Subs
Conor Neylon for Santanna, ColmRyan for McDonnell, Rory Killeen for Rynne

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Lifford prepare to mark cup success

THE victorious Lifford league and cup double winning team of 1975/76 will be the focus of celebrations when the club marks its 50th anniversary on Saturday night.

Club members past and present will gather in the Auburn Lodge Hotel to recall memories of the club’s half a century in existence.

The mid-seventies is regarded, as a golden period in the club’s long history and a special presentation will be made to members of Lifford’s double winning team on the night.

“We’re hoping for a big night to mark the 50th and the focus will be on the double winning team”, said long serving club member John O’Neill.

The club was set up in 1961 a year before the formation of the first Clare soccer league. It grew out of the ashes of another club – Ennis United – whose members played in the Limerick District Soccer League. Lifford’s founding members includ- ed Michael O’Gorman, Frank McInerney, Jimmy Coughlan, Noel Bane and Declan and Freddy Ensko. Both Michael O’Gorman and Frank McInerney were also centrally involved in setting up the Clare soccer league in 1962. Lifford played its first game in autumn of that year and under the captaincy of Syl Cosgrove, claimed the Fergus Cup in 1963. O’Neill explained that another cup victory was secured in 1968 when Lifford played under the name of Rockmount. The seventies saw Lifford enjoy a sustained period of success at adult and youths level. “The 70s were the highpoint for the club. We were always competitive”, said O’Neill. The emergence of Avenue United in 1983 presented a new challenge and new rivalry to Lifford. The club established a schoolboy’s section in 1984 with a Ladies team following in 1988. Lifford produced a number of schoolboy internationals including Gary Flynn and Alan Brooks. The Ladies team too provided a conveyor belt of talent to Irish teams. Lifford ladies also enjoyed a spectacular period of success from the early nineties onwards, winning numerous county and national titles.

For 31 years Lifford played their home games at land on the site of Our Lady’s Hospital before moving in 2007 to Cassidy Park, a € 500,000 development in Drumcliffe.

Premier league and cup success has eluded Lifford since the seventies but with the establishment of the club’s new underage academy, O’Neill is confident about the club’s future.

“We’ve come close to winning it (league) a few times but we’re well set up for the future. We have 30 kids signed up for the academy. Things are moving on”.

Lifford’s 50th Anniversary night takes place at the Auburn Lodge, Hotel Ennis on October 29. There will be a performance on the night from 12 piece orchestra, the West Coast Big Band.

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Title travels to north Clare

Lisca nnor 1-4 West Cla r e Gaels 1-3 At Hennessy Memor ia l Pa r k, Milt own Ma lbay THE INCLEMENT weather and heavy conditions underfoot meant that this decider was dominated by the defences of Liscannor and West Clare Gaels.

The final started with Liscannor taking the play to their opponents and before long Emer Hillary had laid off a lovely pass to Aishling Torpey who opened the scoring for the northerners. Liscannor were more assertive in the first quarter but against the run of play, Ailish Brew goaled for the Gaels.

Midfielders Shauna Harvey and Collette Keniry kept pushing the at- tack, setting Rachel Clancy free to put the Gaels 1-1 to 0-1 ahead. Despite several Liscannor attacks involving Martina Scales, Sharon Roche and Katie Considine, it took another ten minutes for the next score to register and it was Siobhan Marrinan who oblidged for West Clare Gaels.

After 25 minutes, up and coming Under 13 Katie Considine set free a very industrious Aishling Torpey to take her second point of the game for Liscannor, just before they went in for the break at 1-2 to 0-2 in favour of the ladies from the Corca Baiscinn.

On the resumption, Aishling Torpey had only one thing on her mind but was prevented from goaling, winning a penalty in the process and levelling the game herself at 12. Player-of-the-Match Torpey ran the West Clare Gaels defence ragged in the third quarter, picking off two valuable points in succession to push them two points clear by the 48th minutes, where they would stay until the end.

Liscannor
Aoife Shannon,Therese Shannon, Sinead Considine, Roisin Rouine, Roisin Considine, Fiona Considine, Sarah Clair, Martina Scales, Emer Hillery, Sharon Roche,AishlingTorpey (1-4, 1f, 1-0 pen), Mairead Healy, Katie Considine, Clionadh Considine, Moira O’Donoghue, Niamh Fitzhenry, Sinead Shannon, Elaine Shannon,Aisling Nagle, Sarah Leigh.

Management
Marie Considine, Emma Slattery, Yvonne Flaherty,Anna O’ Connor and Ciara Slattery.

West Clare Gaels
SineadTevlin, Brid Foran, Grainne Harvey, Lauren Keane, Mary Beth Downes, Marie Foran, Emma McMahon, Shauna Harvey, Collette Keniry, Lauren McMahon (Capt), Ailish Brew(1-0), Rachel Clancy (0-1), Shauna Melican, Ciara Lynch, Siobhan Marrinan (0-1)

Subs
Caoimhe Harvey (0-1), Naoise Murray,Amy Keane, Rose Marrinan, Naoise Murray, Michaela Lynch, Becky Madigan

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Blues bridge eight-year gap with ease

Newmarket-on-Fergus 2-14 – O’Callaghan’s Mills 1-05 at O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge

EXPERIENCE at the highest level was the decisive factor in this the first of two county final victories for Newmarket at the weekend. Having lost last year’s decider to double champions Crusheen, the Blues were back with a vengeance, with former seniors Michael McInerney, Dominic McMahon, Brian ‘Beano’ McMahon and captain Brian Clancy guiding their side to a first Junior A title in eight years.

The Mills themselves have been knocking on the door repeatedly in the knock-out stages these past few years but they can have few complaints after failing to take their chances, particularly in terms of goal opportunities over the hour.

As the 16 scores to six total emphasises, Newmarket were the sharper and more clinical side throughout, with an unanswered tally of 1-5 by the end of the opening quarter setting the tone for the win.

Mill’s full-forward Damien O’Connell opened the scoring in the first minute but they would have to take a backseat as Newmarket ruthlessly replied with a 16 minute purple patch. Michael McInerney and Dominic McMahon were both to the fore in that flurry of points while McInerney also set up Shane Liddy for the opening goal in the tenth minute.

That goal was cruel on the Mills particularly after they had just spurned a glorious chance of their own at the other end when Rory Neville picked out fellow corner-forward Cathal McKeogh at the back post but his shot was excellently blocked by the body of Shane Kelliher.

McKeogh did make up for that miss when starting O’Callaghan’s Mills second quarter fightback but further scores from Michael McInerney and Shane Liddy limited the half-time damage at 1-7 to 0-4.

Liddy’s frees also pushed his side further ahead on the resumption before the Mills were handed a lifeline. A goalmouth scramble in the 37th minute allowed substitute Aidan O’Gorman pull through a crowd of players to the net and gathering momentum, they also had two further goal chances that might have altered the narrative of this decider.

Expert defending from Clancy and McMahon ensured that didn’t happen though and after literally weathering the storm, Newmarket finished strongly by outscoring their opponents by 1-5 to 0-1 in the final quarter.

There were goal chances aplenty for either side as the game became more open and fragmented, with Michael McInerney central to the two that fell Newmarket’s way. In the 50th minute, his delivery over the top saw Dominic McMahon beat goalkeeper James Hook to the ball to pull to the net while two minutes later the imposing forward would see his rasping shot canon off the butt of the post to safety.

With only minutes remaining, Newmarket held an eleven point lead but the Mills never threw in the towel and goal efforts for McKeogh and substitute Enda McNamara had to be endured before Newmarket would finally realise their title dream at the second attempt.

Newmarket- on- Fergus
Ian Mulcahy (7), Seamus Meehan (7), Brian Clancy (8), Shane Kelliher (8), Paudie Hayes (7), Brian McMahon (8), Darren Cullinan (7), Neil Ryan (7) (0-1), Niall Enright (7), Martin Frawley (6), Paul McInerney (7), Michael McInerney (9) (0-3), Dominic McMahon (8) (1-3), Gerry Hannon (7) (0-2), Shane Liddy (7) (1-5 3f)

Sub
LiamClancy (6) for Frawley (47 mins)

O’Callaghan’s Mills
James Hook (7), Michael McGrath (8), Barry Heffernan (7), Ollie Nash (7), Brendan Hannon (7) (0-1f), Conor Cooney (7), Darren Cooney (8), Noel Nash (6), John McGrath (7), Paul Murphy (6), Robbie Madden (7) (0-1), Ian Donnellan (6), Rory Neville (6), Damien O’Connell (7) (0-1), Cathal McKeogh (7) (0-2)

Subs
Aidan O’Gorman (7) (1-0) for Donnellan (24 mins), Enda McNamara for O’Connell (52 mins), Eoin McInerney for McGrath (52 mins)

Man of the Match
Michael McInerney (Newmarket- on- Fergus) Referee Fergie McDonagh (St Joseph’s Doora/

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Ballyea breeze past Maggies

Ballyea 2-18 – Clarecastle 1-06 at Fr Murphy Memorial Park, Newmarket-on-Fergus

IT ALL went according to the form book on Saturday as championship favourites powered their way to the final, following an convincing victory over their nearest neighbours.

It was always going to be a tough ask for the Magpies who were the only side in the semi-finals not to have had a player on the Munster minor winning panel this year.

Ballyea had more than enough county experience at that level with Jack Browne, Gearoid O’Connell, Niall Deasy and Tony Kelly in particular proving too hot to handle for the Magpies.

Under 16 Bobby Duggan was Clarecastle’s main scoring threat throughout and it was his 17th minute goal from a 20 metre free that provided a glimmer of hope for the Magpie supporters.

However, they failed to build on it and the revolution was soon quashed as Ballyea finished the half strongly with Kelly and Deasy doing the main damage on their way to a 0-12 to 103 half-time lead.

Ballyea’s focus on the final strengthened significantly after the break when Tadgh Lynch punished a defensive error to give his side a nine point advantage.

And when Niall Deasy struck a second major at the turn of the final quarter, there was only going to be one outcome, a comfortable success as was the case when these two met in the group stage.

From that juncture to the finish, it was damage limitation for the young Magpies who were predominantly made up of 16 and 17 year olds.

However, that was no concern of Ballyea’s as they ruthlessly closed out the game to put themselves to within touching distance of a historic title.

Waiting for them in the final will be the all conquering Sixmilebridge and a clash of epic proportions is expected. With stars of Clare underage hurling on show like Tony Kely and Jamie Shanahan, a large crowd can be expected for this contest.

Clarecastle
Jamie Coughlan,Tommy Howard, Mark McGuane, Dylan Broderick, Pat Tuohy, Gearoid Ryan, Padraig Callinan, StephenWard, Joseph Barry, Robert Duggan (1-5), Michael Casey (0-1),Aaron Green, Mark Foley, Conor Galvin, Kevin Scanlon.

Subs
Shane Galvin, Seanie Lynch, Johnathan Griffey,AdamCrowe, Eanna Cooney, John McInerney, Justin Neville, Brian Gilroy, Conor

Ballyea
Conor Harkins, Darragh Crowe, Jack Browne (0-2), Eoghan Donnellan,Aonghus Keane, Gearoid O’Connell, Joe Nylon, Stan Lineen,Tony Kelly (0-08) (right), Michael Nagle, Martin O’Leary, Tadgh Lynch (1-2), Lee Brady (0-1), Niall Deasy (1-5), Martin Quigley,

Subs
Shane Harkins, Ryan Griffin, Stephen Longe,Aaron Nugent, David Brassil, Niall Lynch, Lee Sherlock, Diarmuid Lorigan, Eoghan O’Leary

Referee
KevinWalsh (WolfeTones)