*Feakle celebrate. Photograph: Ruth Griffin
FEAKLE are Clare SHC champions for the first time since 1988 after powering past the challenge of Sixmilebridge in Monday’s final.
Feakle 1-17
Sixmilebridge 0-13
Venue: Cusack Park, Ennis
There will be no complaints with the result as Feakle powered to a seventh Clare SHC title and overcame a fancied Sixmilebridge to bring the Canon Hamilton back to the small East Clare village for the first time since 1988.
It’s the stuff of dreams for the tight and united bunch of players who have also demonstrated their abilities as a hard-working side with plenty of skill and this, their greatest day was no different.
So far as dreams come, it will be hard to surpass this year for Adam Hogan. He has already won All-Ireland and National League honours with Clare while with Mary Immaculate College he won a Fitzgibbon Cup and player of the tournament. He adds a Clare SHC to a growing collection which is surely set to be joined by an All Star and Young Hurler of the Year accolades next month.
An attendance of 6,557 watched a hungry Feakle prevail and their victory was fully deserved as they led from start to finish in a contest that they dominated.
As has been known from recent campaigns, Feakle are strong in the air, particularly in attack with Oisin Donnellan, Steven Conway and Martin Daly always effective in this regard. They got great joy by pumping high ball into Daly early on, it led to their second point when he caught a long range delivery from Eibhear Quilligan.
They had opened the scoring through Eoin Tuohy who at wing back ironically had the first and final score of the game. A rally of four points in a row had Feakle leading 0-7 0-2 by the sixteenth minute at a stage where Sixmilebridge were struggling to cause any problems, apart from the lively Brian Corry.
Derek Fahy made a fantastic save from a penalty to deny Shane McGrath and this gave The Bridge some bit of an awakening as they hit two points in succession to reduce the arrears to two points.
Crucially Feakle finished the half with the final two scores from Patrick Daly and Steven Conway to ensure that they had a four point advantage by half time.
McGrath had three of the first four scores in the second half to extend their lead to six points by the thirty sixth minute.
Substitute Owen McGann made the biggest impact possible after sticking the sliotar in the back of the net, four minutes after his introduction to see them lead by nine points with forty one minutes played.
Then came a response of four points on the bounce from Sixmilebridge, even though Feakle were a bit nervy during this window they didn’t lose total composure and came back scores from McGrath and Oisin Donnellan to extend the gap to seven points on fifty three minutes.
Alex Morey replied with a free but Feakle had the last say with McGrath and Tuohy splitting the posts to seal their seven point win.
Very few individuals in the county would have predicted a final pairing of Sixmilebridge versus Feakle and The Bridge’s final know-how was not too visible in this contest. They dethroned Clonlara and edged out Inagh/Kilnamona but this was their poorest knockout display.
Brian Corry was very lively in attack but lacked support while Colm Flynn gave an admirable display at corner back. They missed the presence of Seadna Morey who did his job in curbing Shane McGrath’s influence from play but that had the double edge sword of limiting his own involvement in the game.
In every line of the field, there were leaders for Feakle. They brought an excellent level of workrate while their united and tight-knit nature as a group of individuals will ensure this win is savoured. They were smart and composed in possession, making the right decision while under pressure.
Conn Smyth was excellent at centre back with Ronan O’Connor, Oisin Donnellan, Steven Conway, Martin Daly, Shane McGrath and Adam Hogan also excelling for Ger Conway’s charges.
Scorers Feakle: S McGrath (0-8 6f 2’65), O McGann (1-0), O Donnellan (0-2), E Tuohy (0-2), S Conway (0-2), M Daly (0-1), K Bane (0-1), P Daly (0-1)
Scorers Sixmilebridge: A Morey (0-5 5f), B Corry (0-2), S Golden (0-2), L Fitzpatrick (0-1), D Kennedy (0-1), J Shanahan (0-1), B Carey (0-1).
Feakle:
1: Eibhear Quilligan
4: Oisin Clune
5: Adam Hogan
3: Eoghan Daly
2: Killian Bane
6: Conn Smyth
9: Eoin Tuohy
11: Enda Noonan
7: Ronan O’Connor
13: Patrick Daly
10: Oisin Donnellan
17: Steven Conway
8: Shane McGrath
12: Martin Daly
15: Oisin O’Connor
Subs:
22: Owen McGann for O O’Connor (37)
14: Raymond Bane for P Daly (46)
18: Enda Madden for Noonan (54)
20: Fiachra Donnellan for M Daly (58)
Sixmilebridge:
1: Derek Fahy
2: Colm Flynn
3: Barry Fitzpatrick
8: Seadna Morey
5: Conor Deasy
17: Noel Purcell
6: Paidi Fitzpatrick
10: Jason Loughnane
18: Matthew O’Halloran
14: Lorcan Fitzpatrick
11: Jamie Shanahan
12: Shane Golden
13: Brian Corry
15: Alex Morey
24: David Kennedy
Subs
20: Caimin Morey for Deasy (24)
9: Brian Carey for Loughnane (37)
21: Alan Mulready for Kennedy (37)
4: Fiachra Ó Briain for A Morey (59)
7: Leon Kelly for Purcell (61)
Referee: Joe Mullins (Clonlara)
