O'Loughlin answers Clonlara critics with sensational scoring haul

15 YEARS TOO LONG: Clonlara kitman John McGuinness lifting the cup after the Clare County Senior Club Hurling Championship final between Clonlara and Crusheen at Cusack Park in Ennis, Clare. Pic: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Clonlara 3-18 Crusheen 2-16 

In a throng of celebrating black and yellow, Crusheen manager Michael Browne found John Conlon and grasped his hand. 

Conlon took one look before burying his head in his opponent’s shoulder. County finals, cruel pain and extravagant pleasure.

Conlon was back on the summit, finally. 

“I waited 15 years to get here,” he said pleadingly, as he raced through post-match selfies and autographs so he could go and celebrate with his Clonlara team-mates. 

He is the sole survivor from the last time they won the Canon Hamilton Cup. Two weeks ago, when they gathered in an Ennis hotel for a meal after their semi-final victory over Feakle, it was the Clare stalwart who gathered the team together to stress the task was not done.

Browne knows that struggle too. He led his club to their historic Clare SHC back-to-back in 2010 and 2011, before returning this year in a bid to deliver delirium again.

Long before throw-in, Cusack Park’s soundtrack was tuned perfectly for a gorgeous county final day. 

A giddy hum of fog horns, youthful ovations and a pipe band. A black flare ignited on the east terrace during the parade. 

Just before throw-in, the entire ground came together, united by a singular intoxicating emotion, giddy all over. 5,048 turned out to see Michael O’Loughlin fire 2-9 in a superb showing.

Oisin O’Donnell and John Conlon traded scores during a frantic opening period that saw Clonlara squander two goal chances. 

The first fell to an under-pressure Dylan McMahon, the other saw Colm O’Meara cut through a scrambling defence and opt to shoot himself despite Ian Gavlin’s supporting run. The high effort was well-stopped by former Clare number one Donal Tuohy.

They were in again after 15 minutes with Ian Galvin spinning away from full-back Cian Dillon to race in along the endline. The Crusheen captain did remarkably well to recover and hook the strike. It was yet another warning shot across the bow. The defensive structure failed to adapt in time.

Three minutes later, Galvin spun his man once more and teed up Michael O’Loughlin who made no mistake. Tadhg Dean was swapped back in a bid to stifle the electric full-forward, but O’Loughlin added two points, one from a free, immediately after as the favourites stretched away.

Clonlara would raise another green flag before the turnaround thanks to Colm Galvin. Aidan Moriarty timed his run to the puckout break perfectly and managed to get his handpass away for Galvin to collect and ensure a healthy 2-7 to 0-6 half-time lead.

After hitting 11 first-half wides, Crusheen dug deep to respond. A Conor Donnell goal midway through the second half had the margin back to just three. 

O’Loughlin swung back minutes later, soaring high and storming towards goal. Luke Hayes did exceptionally well to hook his initial strike but the corner-forward would not be denied, swinging again to beat Tuohy a second time and ensure his club got it done.

“We always had an incredibly strong bond in our team and that was often questioned by other people when they were looking in,” O’Loughlin said post-match.

"'What's going on in Clonlara? What are they doing down there?' 

"I heard someone in Clare make a comment recently that 'it depends what side of the bed Clonlara get out of' and that drove us on a bit."

Scorers for Crusheen: Oisin O’Donnell 1-4, Breffni Horner 1-3 (2 free), Ross Hayes 0-3 (3 free), Conor O’Donnell 0-2, Fergus Kennedy 0-2, Diarmuid Mullins 0-1, Jamie Fitzgibbon 0-1.

Scorers for Clonlara: Michael O’Loughlin 2-9 (7 free), Colm Gavlin 1-0, John Conlon 0-2, Ian Galvin 0-2, Dylan McMahon 0-1, Aidan Moriarty 0-1, Jathan McMahon 0-1, Colm O’Meara 0-1, Diarmuid Stritch 0-1.

Crusheen: D Tuohy; E McMahon, C Dillon (C), Luke Hayes; D Mullins, R Hayes, T Dean; E McMahon, J Fitzgibbon; G O’Grady, C O’Donnell, C Mullins; O O’Donnell, F Kennedy, B Horner.

Subs: I O’Brien for McMahon (41), L Ketelaar for Mullins (51), G O’Brien for O’Grady (64), M Perrill for Kennedy (64).

Clonlara: S Gully; M Clancy, G Powell, L Ryan; D Fitzgerald, D McMahon, P O’Loughlin; A Moriarty, J McMahon (C); C O’Meara, J Conlon, C Galvin; D Stitch, I Galvin, M O’Loughlin.

Subs: C Moriarty for O’Meara (53), M Stritch for Stritch (59), C Bourke for Moriarty (62).

Referee: N Malone (Éire Óg).