AFTER A GREAT year for Clare hurling, the county’s senior hurling championship final took place today in Ennis between Newmarket-on-Fergus and Sixmilebridge.
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RESULT: Sixmilebridge 1-10 Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-11
It’s the big day for Clare hurling with the county senior final down for decision between Newmarket-on-Fergus and Sixmilebridge.
Throw-in at Cusack Park in Ennis is at 2.30pm.
Newmarket-on-Fergus are the reigning champions after defeating Cratloe in last year’s county final. They are the traditional kingpins after winning their 23rd title in 2012 but that victory saw them bridge a 31-year gap since their previous win.
Sixmilebridge last won the Clare senior hurling title in 2002. They lost the 2011 final to Crusheen and overall the club has lifted ten county SHC crowns.
These clubs last met in a Clare senior hurling final in 1976 when Newmarket-on-Fergus triumphed.
Here’s the Newmarket-on-Fergus starting side:
Darren Duggan; Eoin O’Brien, James McInerney, Sean O’Connor; Niall O’Connor, Enda Barrett (captain), Alan Barrett; Eoin Hayes, Martin O’Hanlon; David Barrett, Shane O’Brien Snr, Colin Ryan; Ronan Goode, Stephen Kelly, Shane Liddy.
And here’s the Sixmilebridge starting team:
Derek Fahy; Aidan Quilligan (captain), Paul Fitzpatrick, Tadgh Keogh; John Fennessy, Caimin Morey, Noel Purcell; Kevin Lynch, Seadna Morey, Rory Shanahan, Shane Golden, Alan Mulready; Jamie Shanahan, Niall Gilligan, Danny Morey.
Game underway and dramatic start as Sixmilebridge are awarded a penalty. Alan Mulready is fouled!
Sixmilebridge 1-0 Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-0: And 37 year-old Niall Gilligan fires the ball to the net!
Sixmilebridge 1-0 Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-1: Colin Ryan helps settle the Newmarket challenge by pointing a close-range free.
Ryan the only member of Clare’s All-Ireland winning starting team in action today but Seadna Morey did come on as a substitute in the final replay against Cork.
Long range free by Newmarket-on-Fergus defender James McInerney but the ball tails wide.
Sixmilebridge 1-0 Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-2: Shane Liddy on the mark for Newmarket-on-Fergus with a neat point after good work by Enda and David Barrett. 8 minutes gone.
Sixmilebridge 1-1 Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-2: First point of the day for Sixmilebridge and it’s registered by Shane Golden, a member of Clare’s 2012 All-Ireland U21 winning side, as he shows the opportunism to seize a loose ball and lob over a point.
11 minutes gone in Cusack Park, three wides for Sixmilebridge and one for Newmarket so far.
Sixmilebridge 1-2 Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-2: Great point by Seadna Morey to stretch Sixmilebridge’s lead after fine defensive work by John Fennessy.
Sixmilebridge 1-3 Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-3: Free converted by Niall Gilligan but then Shane Kelly hits back with a nice point for Newmarket.
Sixmilebridge 1-3 Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-4: Ronan Goode cuts Sixmilebridge’s lead by raising a white flag for Newmarket-on-Fergus.
Sixmilebridge 1-4 Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-5: Colin Ryan with a free for Newmarket to respond to a point by Jamie Shanahan for Sixmilebridge. 23 minutes gone.
Sixmilebridge 1-4 Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-6: Another point for Colin Ryan for Newmarket cuts the gap to the minimum.
Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-8 Sixmilebridge 1-4: Martin O’Hanlon nudges Newmarket-on-Fergus into the lead with a neat point.
Colin Ryan had grabbed the earlier point from a free to tie the teams at 1-4 to 0-7.
HALF-TIME: Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-9 Sixmilebridge 1-4: Another Colin Ryan free helps send his team into a two-point advantage at the break.
Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-9 Sixmilebridge 1-5: We’re back under way for the second-half and Jamie Shanahan clips over the first point of the half as he scores for Sixmilebridge.
Eoin O’Brien of Newmarket with Alan Mulready of Sixmilebridge
Pic: INPHO/Donall Farmer
Mike McInerney coming on for Eoin Hayes on the Newmarket team.
Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-9 Sixmilebridge 1-6: And now we’re level with Niall Gilligan firing over a free for Sixmilebridge. 41 minutes gone in the battle to land the Canon Hamilton Cup.
Sixmilebridge 1-7 Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-9: Gilligan on target again to edge Sixmilebridge in front from a free. We’re entering the final quarter.
Jamie Shanahan fouled and free in to Sixmilebridge.
Sixmilebridge 1-8 Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-9: 49 mins – No mistake from Gilligan as he proves accurate and edges his team ahead by two points.
Sixmilebridge 1-9 Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-9: 51 mins – Terrific work by Aidan Quilligan with his battling qualities helping Sixmilebridge create a scoring chance that is finished off by Niall Gilligan.
Still no score in the second-half by Newmarket-on-Fergus, the reigning champions.
Free for Colin Ryan, crucial moment for Newmarket.
But Ryan’s shot hits the post and goes wide.
Sixmilebridge 1-9 Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-10: 56 mins – Finally Newmarket get off the mark in the second-half with a point from Mikey McInerney.
Sixmilebridge 1-9 Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-11: Now Colin Ryan points from play, two minutes left.
Sixmilebridge 1-10 Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-11: 59 mins – But Sixmilebridge hit back with Gilligan firing over a point from play. Two between the teams again.
FULL-TIME: Sixmilebridge 1-10 Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-11: All over and Sixmilebridge are crowned Clare senior hurling champions.
That’s Sixmilebridge’s first title win since 2002. They advance to face Midleton in the Munster semi-final next Sunday.
That’s all from us, thanks for joining us today.
