Crusheen blitz Scariff to power into Clare decider

In balmy conditions, Crusheen's first half of hurling took the breath away

Scarriff's Shane Kavanagh and Crusheen's Gerry O'Grady in action during the Scarriff V Crusheen Senior Hurling semi final at Cusack Park, Ennis on Saturday. Picture: Eamon Ward

Clare SHC semi-final: Crusheen 1-24 Scariff 0-19 

Crusheen could only play when the going underneath and overhead got tough — that has always been the narrative. But this thesis was well and truly blown into the nearby River Fergus on Saturday afternoon as they hurled up a storm to make a county final return after nine years.

In balmy conditions, their first half of hurling took the breath away as they laid the foundations for victory when moving 0-15 to 0-8 clear — an advantage that proved more than enough against a Scariff side that was left to rue a number of missed goal chances in the second half.

For Crusheen it was the power of the collective that secured this impressive eight-point victory — at the back in snuffing out the space by hunting in packs that suffocated Scariff and ensured that their potent inside line, and Mark Rodgers in particular, was kept in check.

This power play, when allied to a blitz of scoring in the opening stages, created the platform for the Aidan Harte-coached side and was something Scariff couldn’t live with and left them chasing a losing cause from a long way out.

Some brilliant point-taking by Oisin O’Donnell, Conor O’Donnell and Breffni Horner had Crusheen in double figures by the tenth minute as they eased 0-10 to 0-5 clear, and they kept it up relentlessly for much of the hour against a Scariff team that couldn’t engineer the goals that were the hallmark of their run to the semi-final stage.

Yes, there were chances aplenty in the second half, but it was Crusheen who struck the killer blow in the 35th minute when the scintillating Horner raced in along the end-line before picking out Fergus Kennedy, who scrambled it over the line for a 1-15 to 0-10 lead.

From there Crusheen’s ability to pick off points, with substitute Luke Ketelaar, Óisín O’Donnell, Cillein Mullins and Horner getting the best of them, ensured they had plenty in hand as Scariff’s goal chances went a begging.

Patrick Crotty threatened to raise a green flag on a few occasions, but that it just wasn’t their day was hammered home six minutes from time when Rodgers' first-timed Patrick Ryan’s centre over the bar from point-blank range.

It may have breathed new and belated life into their challenge, but as it was Crusheen were full of life right until the very end.

Scorers for Crusheen: B Horner (0-6, 3f), O O’Donnell (0-4), C O’Donnell (0-3), F Kennedy (1-0), R Hayes (0-3f), L Ketelaar (0-2), C Mullins (0-2), J Fitzgibbon (0-1), C Mullins (0-1), T Dean (0-1), G O’Grady (0-1).

Scorers for Scariff: M Rodgers (0-8, 5f, 1 ’65), K Hartigan (0-3), P Ryan (0-3), P Crotty (0-2), F Madden (0-2), L Crotty (0-1).

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

Subs: I O’Brien for (Half-Time), Luke Ketelaar for Eoghan McMahon (Half-Time), G O’Brien for Kennedy (49), M McMahon for C O’Donnell (61), M Perrill for O’Grady (62) 

SCARIFF: W Kavanagh; S McCaul, M Scanlan, D Treacy; S Cairns, D Nash, S Kavanagh; C Downes, K Hartigan; M Barrett, P Crotty, L Crotty; P Ryan, M Rodgers, F Madden. 

Subs: J Ryan for Downes (38), S Collins for Cairns (41), E O’Brien for Barrett (48), S Minogue for L Crotty (58)

Referee: N Malone (Éire Óg)