Crusheen lucky to still be in the hunt, admits captain O’Grady

IT was a Monday morning feeling with a difference for Crusheen captain Gerry O’Grady yesterday after his side and Na Piarsaigh played out the first draw in the Munster club senior hurling championship since 1985.

“It could be better, could be worse, but that’s the nature of a draw. We finished the first half well but they had a period of dominance in the second half and were on top for a crucial period near the end. Donal (Touhy, Crusheen keeper) made a few crucial saves, David Breen got a great point for them; we were probably lucky to get back and snatch the draw. They were on the attack again at the end when the referee blew it up. We’re happy enough to be still in it.”

Goal-scoring, the absence even of any goal-scoring chances (as alluded to by Tony Considine in his analysis in these pages yesterday), is proving a problem for O’Grady and his forward colleagues. They failed to raise a green flag against Sixmilebridge in the Clare final, against Carrigtwohill in their Munster semi-final and on Sunday, Na Piarsaigh keeper Padraic Kennedy was never tested.

O’Grady accepts the criticism but also points to the efforts of the Na Piarsaigh defence. “They were very good, the half-back line especially. The centre back, James O’Brien was on the Limerick U21 team this year but I don’t think it’ll be too long before we hear of him with the seniors. He was excellent and that half-back line drove them on in the second half when they got on top. They took their goal chance very well, Shane Dowling hit a rocket of a penalty and that was a great boost for them. Shane really impressed me. I had seen him with the Limerick U21s, but this was my first time seeing him up close. He was still a minor this year but he’s so well built and able to win ball. He’s some player.”

Despite not scoring goals in their last three games, however, Crusheen are better than they showed on Sunday.

“Well I’d hope so anyway!” says Gerry. “We might have been a bit flattered by the win over Carrigtwohill, they sort of faded away, but it was their first county senior title in 93 years so in the same way that we found it hard in Munster last year after winning our first county title ever, they probably found it hard to get up to the pace of the game. In the game against Sixmilebridge though, and even though the conditions were atrocious, I think we were up to scratch, and it’s a case of getting back to that level again.”

One advantage Crusheen have as they face into training this week – unlike last week there is now no mystery about the size of the task facing them, no mystery about the quality in this Na Piarsaigh side. Of course, exactly the same applies to Na Piarsaigh. “That’s it — it’s a question now of who has learned the lesson better, and whoever does that will be Munster champions.”