Cratloe 1-13 v 1-13 Sixmilebridge
And so it finished 1-13 a piece …….. to the ‘Bridge. In normal circumstances a pleasing draw gained by two sides still mapping their escape out of the group of death but there was more on offer than the two points in a sultry Cusack Park lastnight. Bragging rights. And on leaving, you couldn’t help feel Cratloe left theirs behind them.
Hardly a game for the ages but from Rory Hickey’s throw in the battle was keenly contested between a side intent on prooving that there’s more than one summer in them and another clearing their throat for an arrival back to the front stage of Clare Hurling. When the dust clears however, it will probably be remembered for two things. Cratloe’s shyness in putting the result beyond doubt midway through the second half and Niall Gilligan’s salvage show when they did so.
The County Champions quite literally hit the ground running from the opening whistle and were five points to the good after the first quarter, their energy to the ‘dirty’ ball sapping the Bridge of an early rhythm normally a given baggage for the underdog. Cratloe’s scores all came from play too with Sean Collins and Conor McGrath raising flags twice each along with another from Damien Browne. The pace of the game and expanse of Cusack Park seemed to be flagging Sixmilebridge but twenty minutes in they found their breadth with Cyril Crowe launching the first of four unanswered points against a hitherto dominant Cratloe defence where David Ryan and Barry Duggan in particular excelled . One of those scores is worth a special mention – a monsterous Caimin Morey free from under the stand which had the stands debating whether it was over or under a hundred yards out.
Scores from Conor Ryan and Sean Collins brought about a Cratloe reassergence before Trevor Purcell point kept Sixmilebridge on their coat-tails with a point on half time.
The second period opened with Cratloe fixed on winding up the contest. A point from half-back Cathal McInerney and Ryan’s third of the evening put the Blues 0-11 to 0-6 ahead before Conor McGrath shaved the post with a goal effort that could well have put the Bridge to the sword.
Sensing their reprieve, Paul Sheehan pulled them back with a score to leave them dangerously within three moments after his introduction.
With ten minutes remaining Sixmilebridge continued to pilfer ground on their opponents. When Niall Gilligan rifled a 21 yard free to the net , amazingly he had his side level when someone should have been closing the casket. As Alex Ferguson might say – it was squeaky bum time and the Bridge have a history of blooming in it.
Cratloe’s reply however was to raise a green flag of their own. Sean Collins gathered a low puck out and burrowed his way toward goal before releasing Conor McGrath to hit the rigging and restore Cratloe’s three point advantage.
The finale however was a tale of Cratloe failing to kick on and Niall Gilligan nearly single-handedly towing his side to a draw. Gilligan chalked Sixmilebridge’s last three points of evening- the last a sublime pointed free from the whitewash at the very death. One wonders if the draw had not handed The Bridge a first round bye four weeks ago could we have seen Gilligan's form put Sparrow on the phone?
For Cratloe the disappointment was only down to the chance lost. Imagine twelve months ago to be moaning after a draw with a heavyweight? Three points from two games is a comfortable return and without any fanfare we may have seen enough from them to know not to chance a holiday in September. A win against either Wolfe Tones or Tubber will secure passage to the knock out rounds.
For Sixmilebridge - not exactly old order restored but they’re further along on the road back and for the time being the folk across the Garney will shout a little quieter.
Cratloe; S Hawes, P Gleeson, B Duggan, D Ryan, C McInerney, M Hawes, M Óg Murphy, S Chaplin, D Browne, C Ryan, S Collins, G Ryan, B Gleeson, C McGrath.
Replacements; P Collins (51 mins) J Enright (56 mins),
And so it finished 1-13 a piece …….. to the ‘Bridge. In normal circumstances a pleasing draw gained by two sides still mapping their escape out of the group of death but there was more on offer than the two points in a sultry Cusack Park lastnight. Bragging rights. And on leaving, you couldn’t help feel Cratloe left theirs behind them.
Hardly a game for the ages but from Rory Hickey’s throw in the battle was keenly contested between a side intent on prooving that there’s more than one summer in them and another clearing their throat for an arrival back to the front stage of Clare Hurling. When the dust clears however, it will probably be remembered for two things. Cratloe’s shyness in putting the result beyond doubt midway through the second half and Niall Gilligan’s salvage show when they did so.
The County Champions quite literally hit the ground running from the opening whistle and were five points to the good after the first quarter, their energy to the ‘dirty’ ball sapping the Bridge of an early rhythm normally a given baggage for the underdog. Cratloe’s scores all came from play too with Sean Collins and Conor McGrath raising flags twice each along with another from Damien Browne. The pace of the game and expanse of Cusack Park seemed to be flagging Sixmilebridge but twenty minutes in they found their breadth with Cyril Crowe launching the first of four unanswered points against a hitherto dominant Cratloe defence where David Ryan and Barry Duggan in particular excelled . One of those scores is worth a special mention – a monsterous Caimin Morey free from under the stand which had the stands debating whether it was over or under a hundred yards out.
Scores from Conor Ryan and Sean Collins brought about a Cratloe reassergence before Trevor Purcell point kept Sixmilebridge on their coat-tails with a point on half time.
The second period opened with Cratloe fixed on winding up the contest. A point from half-back Cathal McInerney and Ryan’s third of the evening put the Blues 0-11 to 0-6 ahead before Conor McGrath shaved the post with a goal effort that could well have put the Bridge to the sword.
Sensing their reprieve, Paul Sheehan pulled them back with a score to leave them dangerously within three moments after his introduction.
With ten minutes remaining Sixmilebridge continued to pilfer ground on their opponents. When Niall Gilligan rifled a 21 yard free to the net , amazingly he had his side level when someone should have been closing the casket. As Alex Ferguson might say – it was squeaky bum time and the Bridge have a history of blooming in it.
Cratloe’s reply however was to raise a green flag of their own. Sean Collins gathered a low puck out and burrowed his way toward goal before releasing Conor McGrath to hit the rigging and restore Cratloe’s three point advantage.
The finale however was a tale of Cratloe failing to kick on and Niall Gilligan nearly single-handedly towing his side to a draw. Gilligan chalked Sixmilebridge’s last three points of evening- the last a sublime pointed free from the whitewash at the very death. One wonders if the draw had not handed The Bridge a first round bye four weeks ago could we have seen Gilligan's form put Sparrow on the phone?
For Cratloe the disappointment was only down to the chance lost. Imagine twelve months ago to be moaning after a draw with a heavyweight? Three points from two games is a comfortable return and without any fanfare we may have seen enough from them to know not to chance a holiday in September. A win against either Wolfe Tones or Tubber will secure passage to the knock out rounds.
For Sixmilebridge - not exactly old order restored but they’re further along on the road back and for the time being the folk across the Garney will shout a little quieter.
Cratloe; S Hawes, P Gleeson, B Duggan, D Ryan, C McInerney, M Hawes, M Óg Murphy, S Chaplin, D Browne, C Ryan, S Collins, G Ryan, B Gleeson, C McGrath.
Replacements; P Collins (51 mins) J Enright (56 mins),
 |
