Cuala (Dublin) 3-12
Clara (Kilkenny) 0-17
Paul Keane reports from Parnell Park
COUNTY ACE MARK Schutte scored one goal and created two others as Cuala held on in tense circumstances at Parnell Park to qualify for the AIB Leinster club hurling championship final.
Full-forward Schutte created Dublin champions Cuala’s first-half goals which were scored by Colm Cronin and Sean Treacy.
And he blasted the third himself early in the second-half to open up a seven-point advantage that Mattie Kenny’s side required to repel a strong finish from the Kilkenny representatives.
Clara reduced the gap to two points twice in the second-half, including with just seven minutes to go, but late Cuala points from David Treacy and Cronin proved the insurance scores. Their reward is a provincial final clash with Wexford champions Oulart-the-Ballagh on 29 November, when they will bid for a first ever title.
Little separated the sides for much of the opening half until a 1-1 burst from the hosts approaching the break put them in the clear. The Treacy brothers were responsible for that mini scoring siege, Sean netting Cuala’s second goal after 29 minutes and David converting a free shortly after.
It left Cuala with a 2-8 to 0-10 half-time lead that perhaps flattered them considering the close nature of the encounter. The sides were level six times in the half, with the game quickly setting into a tit-for-tat encounter in scoring terms.
Clara led 0-6 to 0-5 when Cuala scored their first goal through Colm Cronin after 15 minutes. Schutte picked out Cronin with a clever ball from left to right across the goals, but it still required a precise finish from 15 metres to the left corner.
Clara, with free-taker Keith Hogan registering seven first-half points, typically fought back to level terms. But that strong finish to the half came from Cuala, which included Sean Treacy’s 29th minute goal after a brilliant Schutte run and only partially-saved shot from the Clara ‘keeper.
Cuala put themselves into a strong position shortly after the restart when Schutte flicked in their third goal to open up a seven-point lead. But they were forced to defend their lead for the remainder of the half as Clara upped the ante considerably.
Hogan continued to punish foul play with a series of converted frees and twice the Kilkenny men reduced the deficit to just two points. But they couldn’t kick on from there and Cuala held their nerve at the finish, blasting an excellent score at the death from Cronin to put some gloss on the score line.
Scorers for Cuala: David Treacy 0-6 (0-5f), Colm Cronin 1-2, Shane Treacy and Mark Schutte 1-0 each, Jake Malone 0-2, Darragh O’Connell and Cian Waldron 0-1 each.
Scorers for Clara: Keith Hogan 0-12 (0-12f), Chris Bolger 0-2, Lester Ryan, Liam Ryan and Jack Langton 0-1 each.
Cuala
1. Sean Brennan
2. Ross Tierney
3. Cian O’Callaghan
4. Simon Timlin
7. Sean Moran
6. Oisin Gough
18. John Sheanon
8. Jake Malone
9. Darragh O’Connell
12. Colum Sheanon
11. Colm Cronin
10. Cian Waldron
15. Sean Treacy
14. Mark Schutte
13. David Treacy
Subs
24. Con O’Callaghan for Colum Sheanon (40)
19. Nicky Kennny for Waldron (60)
Clara
1. Killian Phelan
2. Dermot Nolan
3. Sean O’Shea
4. Tom Ryan
5. Neal Prendergast
6. Shane Prendergast
7. David Langton
8. Lester Ryan
9. Jack Langton
12. Liam Ryan
10. Conor O’Shea
13. Jason Byrne
14. Chris Bolger
11. Keith Hogan
15. Ciaran Prendergast
Subs
18. John Murphy for Hogan (60)
Referee: Gearoid McGrath (Wexford).
