Goals win Games.
Co. SHC Championship Quarter Final.
Cratloe 4-12 v 0-15 Tulla
Cratloe’s Senior Hurlers joined their football conterparts in qualifying for a County Semi Final and a tantalising joust with neighbours Sixmilebridge but maybe with far less comfort than the nine point winning margin over Tulla on Saturday last suggests.
This was however a much more appeasing performance for Cratloe’s supporters than their earlier Group 3 outings. Take into consideration the reisistence of a spirited Tulla who, as acknowledged by their manager Jim McInerney, had an equal share of possesion as the victors but possibly lacked the goal threat of Cratloe for whom the return to inspirational form of Cathal McInerney reaped 3-2.
Cratloe opened the contest brighter than the 2007 champions and spun into a deserved 1-3 to nil lead within the first quarter when their return to direct hurling allowed their inside forward line of Podge Collins, Conor McGrath and Cathal McInerney to all strike points with the latter propping up Cratloe’s early dominance with a goal on the 10 minute mark.
Credit Tulla for their reply, settling into the contest with Andrew Quinn’s flawless opening half free taking and well taken scores from Aidan Lynch and Cathal Dinan. The early signs of a Cratloe rout became a memory as the contest wore on. Tulla threw up a wall in their half back line of Sean Torpey, Cian McInerney and Brian Lynch, cutting the supply to Cratloe’s early dangermen. Oige Murphy, McGrath twice and McInerney again did squeeze points with scraps but at the opposite end the scoreboard was kept balanced with points from Danny O Halloran, Darragh Corry and the young David McInerney. Tulla actually headed the contest 0-9 to 1-5 edging close to the break but a quick volley of points, again from each of the inside trio, put Cratloe two to the good at the interval.
Tulla enjoyed possibly even more joy from open play in the second period but ‘goals win games’ and Cratloe’s hatrick of them in the second half effectively decided this contest. The first, and his second, came from McInerney’s resourcefulness, pouncing on to a Phillip Brennan parry after Conor McGrath ended a run with a shot with barely two minutes elapsed. Once again Tulla refused to lie down and followed Cratloe’s attempt to kill the tie off with a rally of their own. Andrew Quinn, Danny O Halloran and David McInerney rescued their side’s interest with four unanswered points before Cratloe awoke again as the clock ran out. Conor McGrath grabbed a goal of his own with two minutes remaining, again capitalising on another stop from Brennan before Cathal McInerney earned the matchball with a deft kick to the top left hand corner in injury time.
Cratloe now face championship favourites Sixmilebridge in a fortnight’s time following their 0-17 to 0-15 victory over Inagh/Kilnamona in the day’s second quarter final.
Cratloe.
S Hayes, D. Ryan, B Duggan, J O Gorman, E Boyce, M Hawes, L Markham, S Chaplin, M. Óg Murphy (0-1), C Ryan, S Collins, D Browne (0-1), P Collins (3-2), C McGrath (1-6), C McInerney (0-2).
T O Connor 45 mins, P Chaplin 50 mins, G Ryan 56 mins.
27.09.11
Co. SHC Championship Quarter Final.
Cratloe 4-12 v 0-15 Tulla
Cratloe’s Senior Hurlers joined their football conterparts in qualifying for a County Semi Final and a tantalising joust with neighbours Sixmilebridge but maybe with far less comfort than the nine point winning margin over Tulla on Saturday last suggests.
This was however a much more appeasing performance for Cratloe’s supporters than their earlier Group 3 outings. Take into consideration the reisistence of a spirited Tulla who, as acknowledged by their manager Jim McInerney, had an equal share of possesion as the victors but possibly lacked the goal threat of Cratloe for whom the return to inspirational form of Cathal McInerney reaped 3-2.
Cratloe opened the contest brighter than the 2007 champions and spun into a deserved 1-3 to nil lead within the first quarter when their return to direct hurling allowed their inside forward line of Podge Collins, Conor McGrath and Cathal McInerney to all strike points with the latter propping up Cratloe’s early dominance with a goal on the 10 minute mark.
Credit Tulla for their reply, settling into the contest with Andrew Quinn’s flawless opening half free taking and well taken scores from Aidan Lynch and Cathal Dinan. The early signs of a Cratloe rout became a memory as the contest wore on. Tulla threw up a wall in their half back line of Sean Torpey, Cian McInerney and Brian Lynch, cutting the supply to Cratloe’s early dangermen. Oige Murphy, McGrath twice and McInerney again did squeeze points with scraps but at the opposite end the scoreboard was kept balanced with points from Danny O Halloran, Darragh Corry and the young David McInerney. Tulla actually headed the contest 0-9 to 1-5 edging close to the break but a quick volley of points, again from each of the inside trio, put Cratloe two to the good at the interval.
Tulla enjoyed possibly even more joy from open play in the second period but ‘goals win games’ and Cratloe’s hatrick of them in the second half effectively decided this contest. The first, and his second, came from McInerney’s resourcefulness, pouncing on to a Phillip Brennan parry after Conor McGrath ended a run with a shot with barely two minutes elapsed. Once again Tulla refused to lie down and followed Cratloe’s attempt to kill the tie off with a rally of their own. Andrew Quinn, Danny O Halloran and David McInerney rescued their side’s interest with four unanswered points before Cratloe awoke again as the clock ran out. Conor McGrath grabbed a goal of his own with two minutes remaining, again capitalising on another stop from Brennan before Cathal McInerney earned the matchball with a deft kick to the top left hand corner in injury time.
Cratloe now face championship favourites Sixmilebridge in a fortnight’s time following their 0-17 to 0-15 victory over Inagh/Kilnamona in the day’s second quarter final.
Cratloe.
S Hayes, D. Ryan, B Duggan, J O Gorman, E Boyce, M Hawes, L Markham, S Chaplin, M. Óg Murphy (0-1), C Ryan, S Collins, D Browne (0-1), P Collins (3-2), C McGrath (1-6), C McInerney (0-2).
T O Connor 45 mins, P Chaplin 50 mins, G Ryan 56 mins.
27.09.11
