*Luke Hayes gets away from Peter Power. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
HAVING LEFT their worst performance until their last outing, Newmarket-on-Fergus have been left deflated with their exit from the Clare SHC.
Three wins from as many outings in Group 3 of the TUS Clare SHC saw Newmarket-on-Fergus claim top spot after overcoming Cratloe, Clooney/Quin and Wolfe Tones.
All appeared to be smooth sailing until it came to the quarter-finals where Crusheen recorded a 3-7 1-7 victory to send a below par Blues out of the race for the Canon Hamilton.
A dejected Newmarket-on-Fergus manager Tomás Ryan admitted, “It’s just so disappointing. It’s the manner of defeat really as it wasn’t too dissimilar that last year’s exit but it was a worse performance. We didn’t perform at all save for ten or fifteen minutes after half-time so it wasn’t a fitting display to the year that the lads put in so that’s the most disappointing thing, that we didn’t perform to where we know we can”.
“We all have to take responsibility for that and it’s just a pity to end the year on such a poor note”.
Within twenty five seconds Crusheen had raided for goal with Breffni Horner getting his first of two green flags. Goal number two arrived from Horner before the sounding of the half-time whistle while in the interval, Fergus Kennedy also struck for a major. “The first goal Crusheen got set the tone but it was fairly even for a long time after that until the second and third went in. Our full-back line was left exposed and credit must be given to Crusheen for that as they worked it well for those two one-on-ones and finished them brilliantly”.
Ryan added, “It was a long way back but I felt that we put ourselves back in a decent position early in the second half but ultimately failed again to kick on and I just think that we were thrown by that start. Crusheen had a great start and we just didn’t respond really at all”.
Any shine from the group series has since vanished, he lamented. “The three group wins count for nothing now as this defeat is how the year will be remembered. But listen, we’re adults, we’ve got to take that on the chin and deal with it as a club. I think overall throughout 2023, a lot of the displays we put in were very good but we have to learn from this defeat and the players have to learn from it and hopefully they will”.
