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*Scariff’s Liam Crotty. Photograph: Ruthie Griffin.
A POWERFUL final quarter which sent Scariff through to the Clare SHC quarter-finals on scoring difference was “incredible” and something that Donal Moloney had never witnessed after a lifetime in hurling.
Needing to beat Crusheen by nine points to claim a place in the last eight, Scariff were only two clear at the three quarter stage of the third round but produced a remarkable finish where they 1-9 without reply to progress to the quarter-finals for the third time in four years.
Donal Moloney who was joint manager of the All-Ireland and Munster winning Clare U21 sides from 2012 to 2014 was stunned with the manner of their finish against Crusheen.
He hailed the “incredible desire” on show from the Scariff side. “They had to perform and they did so. We kept forcing the game, and forcing the game. To go ten points clear early on and Crusheen bring it back and then push on again and at the start of the second half we go seven or eight clear again and they bring it back to two in the final quarter, was incredible. In my time involved and going back to my own playing days, that last fifteen minutes, I have never seen anything like it”.
Confidence is growing ahead of the quarter-finals where they face Clooney/Quin at 15:00 on Saturday in Cusack Park. “We have a young team, the oldest outfield player we have is 24, they have to go through painful experiences and there have been a few, to get there”.
“There is a lot of exhilaration because it was mission impossible, but we have to settle down and go for the quarter final. We will take it and celebrate the most exceptional performance from them and we will go again”.
Moloney continued, “the hunger was there. They all, to a man played out of their skins, they worked their socks off. When they saw the finishing line, they pushed and pushed”.
Additions of Luke Madden, Rory Ryan and Diarmaid Nash from the bench was a big turning point in the game, Moloney acknowledged. “Rory (Ryan) to get the goal, he was here in the Clare Cup final and he had two goal chances and he felt very down that night, but today he got the goal, it was vital and it gave the encouragement to the rest that today was our day”.
