*Crusheen’s Éanna McMahon. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
MOTIVATED by the scarring of a below-par Clare Cup campaign and a sobering 17 point last eight exit to Feakle in last year’s championship quarter-final, Crusheen have left nothing to chance this time around in pursuit of recapturing their 2023 form that led them all the way to a county final.
The Clare Echo’s online coverage of the Clare SHC is with thanks to The Temple Gate Hotel.
Crusheen Fact File
Management Team: Michael Browne (Manager); Cronan Dillon, Alan Griffin, Alan Tuohy, Gearoid O’Donnell, Paddy Vaughan (Selectors); Tina Meaney, Conor Stack (Physio); Orla O’Donnell, Helen McMahon (First Aid); Tom Culligan (Kitman)
Captain: Cian Dillon
Key Player: Oisin O’Donnell
One to Watch: James O’Sullivan
Fresh Blood: Sean Hanrahan, Kyle Scanlon
Departure Gate: Diarmaid Mullins (J1)
Treatment Table: Cian Dillon
Titles Won: 2 (2010, ’11)
Last season’s run: Quarter-Finalists
Schedule
Round 1 v St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield on Saturday July 26th in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg Ennis at 16:00
Round 2 v Sixmilebridge on Sunday August 10th in Gurteen at 13:00
Round 3 v Clonlara on Saturday August 23rd in Dr. Daly Park Tulla at 17:00
Championship power ranking (1=weak/unlikely winners, 10=strong contenders): 6
A hugely encouraging start of four successive victories helped top the Division 1A table and surviving an epic quarter-final showdown with O’Callaghan’s Mills that went all the way to penalties.
“I think last year we had that nightmare run where we lost almost every match throughout the Clare Cup campaign,” outlined Manager Michael Browne. “Part of that was because we had lads away while we also had injuries to key players as well. While we did have some injuries this year as well, we still have enough to be able to properly contest the games and we thankfully got on a run. And when you do get on a bit of a run sometimes in a competition, you can go further than you’d expect.
“To be honest, it wasn’t a huge target but advancing to the knock-out stages did provide two extra games that suited perfectly in terms of preparation for the championship. We felt that we came into last year’s championship with very poor preparation as we were without any momentum from the league so thankfully it was different this time and we made it all the way to the semi-final.
”Ultimately we didn’t do very well in the semi-final against Inagh/Kilnamona. We conceded three goals very early on and I’d be hoping that we never do that again but we’ll try and learn from our mistakes and move on”.
Unfortunately, it was the concession of five sucker-punch goals that also confirmed their premature exit from last year’s championship too as despite a superb wrestle for supremacy to come out of the group, that uncharacteristic slump against the eventual county champions left Browne and Co. to endure a period of introspection over the winter.
“Absolutely. It was a bit like the All-Ireland Final on Sunday, a complete collapse and like Cork, it’s so hard to explain things like that when they happen. Much like Inagh/Kilnamona exposing us in the semi-final of the Clare Cup, Feakle scored five goals at their ease so we’ve a lot of work to do in that department and we’ve already tried to improve that situation but we’re in a really, really tough group again.
“I mean it’s our third year in a row with Sixmilebridge and we have failed to beat them in the previous two years and it’s our second year in with St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield and Clonlara. In fact, St Joseph’s ended up beating us in the final group game of the Clare Cup so we’re under no illusions as to how difficult this group is. From our point of view, it’s the group from hell, it’s that difficult to get out of”.
Their first dalliance with the furnace of championship intensity begins in Ennis on Saturday when taking a real unknown St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield side that despite being neighbours pose a real threat due to the fearless attitude of youth according to Browne. “They are a really young, exciting and mobile team that are on the up for sure as they’ve made massive progress and they’re doing huge work to keep developing more and more players. So the challenge ahead is big on Saturday evening as they have a lot of good young players but they’re also led by experience as well.
“It’s like Tipperary last Sunday. Liam Cahill was not afraid to throw in young players who had that no fear attitude and just wanted to go out and hurl. So that’s what they did and that’s what Doora/Barefield are planning to no doubt so we have to be really on top of our game to try and match them. Our hope would be that if we could stay with them that maybe our experience at the end might be enough to scrape us over the line. But that’s the hope, let’s just see how it actually works out on Saturday”.
