*Ben Skeritt, Luke Griffin and Shane Griffin celebrate. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
LISSYCASEY’s championship aspirations received a major lift with their Cusack Cup success serving as “brilliant preparation” for what is to unfold as twelve teams get set to battle for the Jack Daly from the August Bank Holiday weekend.
Thomas Collins’ last gasp two pointer free saw Lissycasey win the Cusack Cup for the third time on Sunday, overcoming St Joseph’s Miltown 0-20 2-13 in the sweltering heat of Shanahan McNamara Memorial Park, Doonbeg on Sunday.
David Considine is in his first year as Lissycasey manager with ex Clare footballers Ger Keane and Joe Hayes part of his coaching ticket.
Water breaks came into play in Doonbeg due to the high temperatures but it wasn’t just the players that were finding it hot under the collar. “We’re just coming off the pitch and to be honest I had to ask a couple of lads what the final scoreline was because it just ebbed and flowed right to the end and there was barely time to catch your breath,” Considine reflected.
Conditions were difficult and unfamiliar for both sides, he flagged. “One minute you’re holding onto a point lead, the next you’re chasing a point so in fairness to both sets of players, they couldn’t have done anymore. You really have to admire all 30 or so players that performed here today because the temperatures were sweltering and let’s be honest we’re not built for it. And then you throw in these new rules in that kind of heat for amateur players and they are the real winners here, both sets of teams for putting on such a brilliant spectacle in that heat”.
As well as claiming silverware, the Cusack Cup decider was a tonic in terms of getting set for the Clare SFC, David told The Clare Echo. “It’s brilliant preparation for championship too as we told our players going out today that the performance would define us more than the result and I’m sure that Sean O’Brien said something pretty much the same as Miltown got an excellent work-out too. And that’s what you’re looking for, a game of this intensity you simply couldn’t replicate in a challenge game so our job now is to get our boys down to reality because in three weeks time, we’re got the first round of the championship against a hungry Corofin team that are just coming back up from intermediate. So while it’s lovely to have this and well enjoy it and savour it, ultimately we can’t take our focus off three weeks time and that first round showdown”.
Miltown looked to be on their way to glory after Darragh McDonagh scored an excellent injury time goal to lead by one. The first breach of the game handed Lissycasey a lifeline on sixty six minutes, with the option of a 14m free to force extra time, instead goalkeeper Thomas Collins who had landed a brace of two pointers from the fiftieth minute opted to go for the two pointer from forty metres which he nailed to seal the win.
Players made the decision to go for the two pointer, Considine outlined. “The players called it on the field. There were a couple of players asking what should we do and as I was walking in, I could see that the boys were putting up two fingers to go for it and I said ‘perfect that’s yere decision so let’s go for it’. Ultimately you ask players to make decisions on the field and also implore them not to turn and look at us as once they cross the white lines it’s up to them. You can try and control things at water breaks or half-time but in this instance they called it and it was nice to see them make a bold decision. And in fairness to Tom [Collins], you make a decision but then you have to go and see it our then.
“He had kicked two previously so his radar was in and if had missed one or two, you could forgive him too for opting for a point and force extra-time. Maybe both sets of teams deserved to go to extra-time and have another crack at it as well so it was cruel on Miltown but as I’ve said I’m sure they got a lot out of this league campaign like ourselves and this is great preparation for both teams heading into championship”.
Having claimed top spot in the group stages of the Cusack Cup, Lissycasey advanced directly to the final whereas St Joseph’s Miltown had to overcome St Breckans in the semi-final. “We had a month off from the last round of group matches so players went away on holidays and then got back to work so we’re delighted that it came out in today’s panel. I mean we’ve a decent panel numbers-wise and we needed each and every one of them today just to inch over the line at the end”.
Considine was pleased with the character shown by his Lissycasey charges. “Eoin Cleary nailed an amazing two point effort and then they get an injury-time goal and with that bit of a breeze behind them, if players weren’t really feeling it today, those sucker punches might have asked serious questions of our lads that they perhaps wouldn’t have had the answers to. So it’s a very pleasing thing that our boys rolled the sleeves up in that last ten minute spell that so many things happened against them and it doesn’t always happen but they would be rewarded for that persistence in the end”.
