Clare SHC: Giants Sixmilebridge crash out

In Group 3 Peter Duggan’s personal tally of 2-6 helped Clooney-Quin book a quarter-final place when ending Cratloe’s hopes with a comprehensive 5-12 to 0-13 win in Sixmilebridge on Saturday.

Ballyea's Gearoid O'Connell and Scarriff's Keelan Hartigan in action. Pic: Eamon Ward

The vagaries of a new GAA rule hit the dominant force of Clare hurling over the past 50 years as Sixmilebridge crashed out of the Clare SHC on Friday when slumping to a 3-17 to 1-21 defeat to O’Callaghan’s Mills.

An injury-time goal from Colm Cleary that brought his tally to 3-6 sealed the Bridge’s fate, as it allowed Crusheen pip them to the second quarter-final place behind Clonlara in Group 2 — all thanks to the rule where only the ‘Bridge’s (+2) and Crusheen’s (+5) score difference against each other and the Mills, and not Clonlara, decided matters and left the five-time champions since 2013 down and out.