Clare SHC: First-half blitz sees Crusheen past Newmarket

A general view of Cusack Park. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Crusheen 3-7 Newmarket-on-Fergus 1-7 

A devastating first-half display did for Crusheen and buttressed them for the pride that the Newarket-on-Fergus Blues eventually showed in the second half before their inevitable fall.

It was this quarter-final in microcosm as Crusheen clinically punished Newmarket’s lethargy to plunder 3-5 in the opening half for a 12-point interval lead that always looked like being enough to secure a first semi-final berth in four years.

It was plenty, but when the Blues hit the ground running with 1-3 inside the opening ten minutes of the second half there was finally some semblance of a contest, which forced Crusheen onto the backfoot and confined to defensive duties thereafter.

It told in this game of two halves as Crusheen’s sum scoring returns in the second half were breakaway points from Breffni Horner and James Fitzgibbon — a tally that mirrored Newmarket’s first-half efforts when they only eked out pointed frees from Peter Power and Colin Guilfoyle.

The key takeaway was Crusheen’s opening blitz that started as early as the 25th second when Breffni Horner got inside the Newmarket rearguard and rattled the net from 12 yards for a dream start.

It was only going to get better, as they kept the scoreboard ticking despite the dreadful conditions that mitigated the prospect of good hurling and quickly reduced matters to a slog.

What Crusheen teams of old thrived on and did once more and ruthlessly punished a totally out-of-sorts Newmarket side. The goal was added to with a brace of points by Jamie Fitzgibbon and another from Eoghan McMahon as they led by 1-3 to 0-2 after 20 minutes, but it was the closing burst of 2-2 without reply that effectively decided this game with a half to spare.

Time and time again holes were punched in the Newmarket defence, with the goals from Fergus Kennedy on 24 minutes and Horner’s second two minutes later when he confidently drove home from the tightest of angles sealed an interval lead of 3-5 to 0-2.

That Newmarket didn’t roll over was to their credit, with Eanna Crimmins’ goal within 30 seconds of the restart being the clarion call for a battling second-half display, even if it was always destined to be a losing one as Cian Dillon and company held firm in the Crusheen defense.

They had to work hard though, because when Crimmins followed up his goal with a point, while Peter Power and Eoin Hayes also registered white flags it was suddenly a six-point game with 20 minutes remaining.

They never got closer, however.

Scorers for Crusheen: B Horner (2-1, 1f), F Kennedy (1-0), J Fitzgibbon (0-3), Eoghan McMahon (0-1), R Hayes (0-1f), C Mullins (0-1).

Scorers for Newmarket-on-Fergus: E Crimmins (1-1), P Power (0-2f), C Guilfoyle (0-1f), E Hayes (0-1), E Guilfoyle (0-1), M McInerney (0-1).

Crusheen: D Tuohy; T Dean, C Dillon, L Hayes; D Mullins, R Hayes, Eanna McMahon; C Mullins, O O’Donnell, Eoghan McMahon, B Horner, J Fitzgibbon; C O’Donnell, G O’Grady, F Kennedy. 

Subs: I O’Brien for Eoghan McMahon (46), M Perrill for Kennedy (52), L Ketelar for O’Grady (60), G O’Brien for D Mullins (64).

Newmarket-on-Fergus: P Guilfoyle; S O’Connor, C Guilfoyle, P McMahon; J Enright, N O’Connor, E Barrett; E Hayes, E Crimmins; M McInerney, P Power, J Fehilly; S Casey, C Ryan, E Guilfoyle. 

Subs: J Freeman for Ryan (46), L O’Connor for O’Connor (54), M Delaney for Fehilly (56), S Lynch for E Guilfoyle (60). 

Referee: J Healy (Smith O’Briens)