Cratloe 0-14
Crusheen 0-06
CRATLOE EASED TO a first Clare Senior Hurling title in five years in what is the first of a potential hurling and football double.
With the senior football decider to come next Sunday against Éire Óg back in Clare headquarters, Cratloe shortened their path by controlling matters from the outset, leading from start to finish in front of an attendance of 6,369.
In contrast to the 2010 decider between the pair that saw Crusheen claim their first ever title a year on from Cratloe’s breakthrough, this was an open affair that suited Cratloe’s All-Ireland winning forward division.
Led by four points from All Star Conor McGrath who finished as the championship’s top scorer with 7-41, the 2009 champions built up a 0-9 to 0-2 half-time advantage as they benefitted from Crusheen’s profligacy in front of the posts that tallied 11 wides by the halfway mark.
McGrath could have put the result beyond doubt just after the restart when intercepting a Crusheen clearance and bearing down on goal but his effort was excellently stopped by goalkeeper Donal Tuohy.
Two Paddy Vaughan points did reduce the deficit to six entering the final quarter but Crusheen never looked like getting the goals they so badly craved.
Instead, Cratloe punished a flagging Crusheen with last year’s All-Ireland winners Cathal McInerney, Podge Collins and Conor McGrath all on target to run out comprehensive winners.
Scorers for Cratloe: Conor McGrath 0-6 (4 frees); Sean Collins, Cathal McInerney 0-2; Gearoid Considine, David Collins, Padraic Collins, Liam Markham (free) 0-1 eachScorers for Crusheen: Paddy Vaughan 0-5 (3 frees); Colin Vaughan 0-1
Cratloe:
Gearoid Ryan
Shane O’Leary
Michael Hawes
David Ryan
Sean Chaplin
Conor Ryan
Enda Boyce
Martin Oige Murphy
Liam Markham (Captain)
Shane Gleeson
Padraic Collins
Sean Collins
Cathal McInerney
Gearoid Considine
Conor McGrath
Subs
David Collins for Gleeson (37)
Barry Duggan for O’Leary (58)
Damien Browne for Considine (61)
John O’Gorman for D. Ryan (61)
Philip Gleeson for Chaplin (63)
Crusheen:
Donal Tuohy
Jason Greene
Cathal Dillon
Alan Brigdale
Ciaran O’Doherty (Captain)
Cian Dillon
Shaun Dillon
Paddy Vaughan
Fergus Kennedy
Gearoid O’Donnell
Gerry O’Grady
Alan Tuohy
Conor O’Donnell
Joe Meaney
Colin Vaughan
Subs:
Darragh O’Doherty for Tuohy (42)
Jamie Fitzgibbon for Meaney (47)
Cronan Dillon for G. O’Donnell (55)
Conor O’Loughlin for Brigdale (63)