*Sixmilebridge’s Lorcan Fitzpatrick competes with Jamie Fitzgibbon of Crusheen. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
SIXMILEBRIDGE kept their championship aspirations alive after overcoming Crusheen in the group stages for the third year running.
Sixmilebridge 1-20
Crusheen 1-17
Venue: Gurteen
The Clare Echo’s online coverage of the Clare SHC is with thanks to The Temple Gate Hotel.
Missing the services of Seadna Morey, Cathal Malone and Barry Fitzpatrick Sixmilebridge were there for the taking but Crusheen didn’t grasp the opportunity and instead hit eleven first half wides, nine of which were in the first ten minutes.
There comes with a sense of relief for last year’s beaten finalists who had to prevail in order to stay in the championship. The final round will determine who emerges out of Group 1, Crusheen face an unbeaten Clonlara with The Bridge meeting St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield.
Offering an outlet throughout were David Kennedy and Brian Corry in Sixmilebridge’s full-forward line, their combined tally amounted to 1-6 and was central to the final outcome.
On six different occasions in the game, the sides were level but the Bridge once Corry goaled on fifty one minutes were never to be caught.
Crusheen went 0-3 0-1 in front with ten minutes played, Sixmilebridge taking their time to adapt to proceedings, when they hit three points in a row at the start of the second quarter they went in front for the first time and while Breffni Horner and Éanna McMahon pointed to put Crusheen ahead on twenty six minutes, late scores from Luke O’Halloran and Alex Morey had Sixmilebridge 0-9 0-8 clear at the interval.
Conor O’Donnell’s brilliant run on forty two minutes was finished to the net when he offloaded to Diarmuid Mullins who fired beyond Derek Fahy. It came in response to Sixmilebridge six of the first eight scores on the restart. Mullins’ green flag narrowed the deficit to two points.
Corry’s green flag on fifty one minutes dented Crusheen’s hopes but their cause was aided by the tactic of bombing high ball into Cian Dillon who picked off four points in the second half alone.
For a metronomic Sixmilebridge, their knack of keeping the scoreboard ticking was central to them putting a vital two points on the board.
Crusheen didn’t possess such weaponry, especially after Horner had to be withdrawn in the third quarter so while the aerial prowess of Cian Dillon was an effective outlet as were Ross Hayes’ frees, Michael Browne’s side needed more threats to really trouble the ‘Bridge.
The most frustrating aspect for Crusheen is that they didn’t back themselves from the outset as with Morey, Malone and Fitzpatrick out, they opted to employ Ross Hayes as a sweeper in front of the full-back line rather than taking the game to their opponents.
In such a make-or-break showdown that would have qualified Crusheen for a quarter-final place if they’d won, they arguably played too cautiously to really ask questions of their depleted opponents.
There was much more of a who dares wins approach by Sixmilebridge as nothing but victory would suffice to remain in the championship race, a jeopardy that relentless drove them on throughout the hour.
A five points burst midway through the opening half saw Brian Corry, Fiachra Ó Braoin and Jamie Shanahan open their accounts to edge in front for the very first time at 0-6 to 0-4.
Crusheen’s profligacy in front of the posts was parked temporarily when Breffni Horner (2) and Ross Hayes grabbed the lead in the 28th minute. However, the Bridge would have the final say of the half as Luke O’Halloran and Alex Morey fired the last two points to take a 0-9 to 0-8 edge into the recess.
Last years finalists would go for the jugular on the restart, hitting six of the first eight points through Morey (3), Kennedy (2) and Corry to open up their biggest cushion of the afternoon at 0-15 to 0-10. Diarmaid Mullins’ emphatic goal reversed that trend but while they would subsequently lower the arrears to just the minimum on three further occasions, they just couldn’t find that elusive equalising score that may have just turned the tide in their favour.
Shane Golden’s inch-perfect centre was duly dispatched to the net by Brian Corry to seemingly seal victory at 1-17 to 1-13 in the 52nd minute but within six minutes it wold be completely wiped out as Cian Dillon’s aerial dominance helped Crusheen stay on the ‘Bridge’s coat-tails.
Sixmilebridge’s fresh legs from the bench were crucial in eventually clinching their first points of the 2025 campaign though as Sean Macnamara teed up Brian Corry while Jason Loughnane passed to Alex Morey to relievedly stretch the gap to four entering injury-time.
Conor O’Donnell did test goalkeeper Derek Fahy’s reflexes once more but the former title winning joint-captain was equal to it as Sixmilebridge clung on for a merited first win ahead of a tricky final outing against St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield.
Crusheen meanwhile have to get something out of their tie with Clonlara if they are to reach a third successive quarter-final but they’ll certainly reflect on this as a real opportunity lost while for a threadbare “Bridge it was unquestionably one gained to keep their Canon Hamilton hopes alive.
Scorers Sixmilebridge: A Morey (0-10 9f), B Corry (1-3), D Kennedy (0-3), L O’Halloran (0-2), F Ó Briain (0-1), J Shanahan (0-1), B Carey (0-1).
Scorers Crusheen: B Horner (0-5 1f), R Hayes (0-4 3f 1’65), C Dillon (0-4), D Mullins (1-0), L Ketelaar (0-2), J Fitzgibbon (0-1), É McMahon (0-1).
Sixmilebridge:
1: Derek Fahy
18: Leon Kelly
4: Noel Purcell
21: Pa Mulready
19: Fiachra Ó Braoin
6: Páidí Fitzpatrick
8: Matthew O’Halloran
9: Brian Carey
14: Shane Golden
10: Lorcan Fitzpatrick
11: Jamie Shanahan
23: Luke O’Halloran
15: Brian Corry
12: Alex Morey
13: David Kennedy
Subs:
22: Jason Loughnane for Mulready (HT)
20: Alan Mulready for L O’Halloran (49)
26: Seán Macnamara for Golden (55)
7: Conor Deasy for Carey (57)
Crusheen:
1: Donal Tuohy
2: Ian O’Brien
19: Gavin O’Brien
4: Luke Hayes
3: Tadhg Dean
9: Ross Hayes
7: Cilléin Mullins
12: Jamie Fitzgibbon
6: Éanna McMahon
17: Diarmuid Mullins
20: Cian Dillon
10: Conor O’Donnell
15: Breffni Horner
13: Luke Ketelaar
8: Oisin O’Donnell
Subs:
11: Fergus Kennedy for Horner (43)
18: Gerry O’Grady for I O’Brien (51)
21: James O’Sullivan for C Mullins (57) (inj)
Referee: Jim Hickey (Cratloe)
