*Tubber’s Ronan Monahan is tackled by Clarecastle defender Cian Galvin. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
CLARECASTLE produced a long-overdue proper championship display to thump Tubber by nine points in the quarter-finals of the Clare Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship.
Clarecastle 4-19
Tubber 0-22
Venue: Páirc na nGael, Ruan
When they met in the quarter-finals last September, Tubber prevailed 1-15 1-12. With Hollywood actor Bill Murray in attendance for this game in Ruan, there was no Groundhog Day, instead Clarecastle had Tubber calling for the ghostbusters such was the shivers they sent down their spine with a blistering first quarter where they bagged three goals.
There was shades of Clarecastle of old in this display, they brought ferocity and energy on the sideline and hunted in packs on the field while also chipping over some excellent scores. Dare we say it but there was almost a return of some Clarecastle arrogance which given the struggles endured by the Magpies’ top side in taking flight is a positive omen for them.
Without question Tubber were hard done by when it came to last year’s county final defeat to Wolfe Tones with soft calls going towards the Shannon men. They can have no complaints with their exit this time as they were beaten in every sector of the field and looked to be off the pace in too many positions.
Inside the first three minutes, Clarecastle had three points on the board before Tubber could catch their breath. Cathal Droney ran off the shoulder then split the posts to open their account on three minutes but Clarecastle replied immediately with their first killer blow, Evan Price gathered possession and sent the sliotar into the full-forward line, the lively Paul O’Connell got on the ball and popped to Conor Ralph who tapped to the net.
In response, Tubber hit the next four points to somewhat settle themselves but then Clarecastle pounced for their second major. Cian Broderick went short with his puckout to Stephen O’Halloran who lumped it forward, the ball broke and Josh Brack was quickest to scoop the sliotar before finishing to the back of the net on nine minutes.
Goal number three arrived on the fourteenth minute. Yet again, Clarecastle reacted quickest to a breaking ball, this time a long puckout from Cian Broderick which Conor Halpin raced onto and left in the near post of Ronan Taaffe, putting them seven points ahead.
Seven points from Clarecastle in the second quarter saw them extend their advantage at half time to twelve points as Tubber were left scratching their heads.
While they won the second half 0-11 1-5, it was insufficient for Tubber to bridge the gap. Broderick was forced to make a save from Ronan Monahan on fifty six minutes but the North Clare side never looked like raiding for a green which they needed to stage a comeback.
Work-ethic and hunger again led to Clarecastle’s fourth goal. Conor Ralph turned over possession in the Tubber full-back line in a ruck after Paul O’Connell had made the run forward before getting stopped in his track, Conor Halpin was supplied with the sliotar once they regained possession and he struck for his second goal on thirty eight minutes.
Rory O’Connell produced an excellent one-handed tennis like serve when falling to the ground on forty seven minutes in what was one of the scores of the match but also an indicator that everything was going right for Clarecastle.
Positional switches certainly helped Ger ‘Sparrow’ O’Loughlin’s side in delivering such a dominant performance. Cian Galvin dropped deep in a plus one capacity which offered a bit of stability with Colin Brigdale moving from midfield to wing back where he scored three points.
Other moves included Conor Halpin occupying a central role in attack where he brought energy and pace, he was one of their key men to clean up breaking ball where they greatly punished Tubber. The addition of Stephen O’Halloran and his experience is also a big plus to their defence where Filip Wiechinkski was very composed anytime he won possession.
Winning the breaks led to two of their green flags but also an abundance of scores, many of which were created by the excellent deliveries of netminder Cian Broderick. The O’Connells, Paul and Rory also impressed for Clarecastle who will be a lot more confident heading into the last four than they were for the quarter-finals.
Tubber had been highly fancied heading into this tie but were on the backfoot from the start. They were second to the breaks and came out second best on all the key metrics. They coughed up possession far too easily to gift Clarecastle scores such as Harry Doherty getting their twelfth point on twenty nine minutes when Pappy Taaffe let the sliotar out of his grasp.
Joey Droney’s absence was felt from their defence while it appeared too many of the Tubber players did not have ideal preparation for the game as they appeared to be carrying knocks such was the level in which a number of them were off the pace. Relegated from the top tier in 2015, the outlook of a return to the senior ranks is somewhat gloomier for them at the end of this weekend than what it was only 24 hours previous.
Scorers Clarecastle: P O’Connell (0-10 8f), C Halpin (2-1), C Brigdale (0-3), R O’Connell (0-3), C Ralph (1-0), J Brack (1-0), C Whelan (0-2), H Doherty (0-1).
Scorers Tubber: L O’Grady (0-10 4f 3’65), O Dunford (0-4), C Droney (0-2), C Earley (0-2), S Dunford (0-2), R Monahan (0-1), M Brennan (0-1).
Clarecastle:
1: Cian Broderick
19: Stephen O’Halloran
3: David Tuohy
4: Filip Wiechinski
5: Evan Price
6: Aaron Hayes
8: Colin Brigdale
9: Conor Whelan
17: Cian Galvin
11: Harry Doherty
12: Conor Halpin
10: Josh Brack
13: Paul O’Connell
14: Conor Ralph
15: Rory O’Connell
Subs:
7: Darragh Healy for Tuohy (36) (inj)
20: Oisin Whelan for Brack (51)
23: James Doherty for Halpin (57)
Tubber:
1: Ronan Taaffe
5: Pappy Taaffe
3: Fergal O’Grady
2: Darragh O’Connor
14: Domhnall McMahon
6: Pat O’Connor
7: James Howard
10: Cathal Droney
8: Joe Clancy
18: Osgar Dunford
11: Pádraig Kelly
12: Lorcan O’Grady
15: Clive Earley
9: Ronan Monahan
20: Senan Dunford
Subs:
13: Blaine Earley for Kelly (HT)
25: Macauley Brennan for C Earley (54)
22: Alan Lee for D O’Connor (55)
19: Mark Earley for McMahon (55)
Referee: Niall Malone (Éire Óg)
