Sixmilebridge 1-19 Clarecastle 1-10

Last Sunday evening in Newmarket the Sixmilebridge Under 16A team contested the U16A Semi Final against Clarecastle. If the game just two weeks previously between these two sides was anything to go by, it promised to be a lively game of hurling. It started just like that, with both sides even enough with David Kennedy (SMB) opening the scoring with a nice point in the corner after receiving a long accurate pass down the line from Evan Murphy 3 minutes in only to be followed by two Brandon Healy (Clarecastle) points both from placed balls. Ferdia Ó Lionáin put Scott Kirkland through for a point on 10 minutes with a lovely pass and a minute later Storm Devanney put the ‘Bridge ahead when he made a good run out on the wing popping over a nice point from 20 metres. It was very close as Brandon Healy again tied the game with a cracking point 50 metres out on 12 minutes. Heading into the second quarter and the move of the match took place when Storm Devanney won possession on the 65m line and made a blinding run at the Magpie’s goal letting off a sublime pass to Luke Keogh who continued the run setting up Luke O Halloran in the full forward line. Aware he was going to be blocked, he gave a hand pass to the unmarked David Kennedy who calmly slotted the ball into the back of the Clarecastle net. It was Devanney again who set up Sean MacNamara for a point 3 minutes later and the ever threatening Brandon Healy kept his side in touch with a point from play. The rest of the half was very even with both sides playing some cracking hurling and at the halftime stage the ‘Bridge were leading on a score line 1-8 to 0-7 with a very light wind advantage to come.

The ‘Bridge took full advantage of this wind and Luke O’Halloran had three points scored within 8 minutes of the restart as the ‘Bridge took complete control of the game. They kept the pressure on Clarecastle and outscored them eight points to one with Filip Wiechcinski registering the Magpie point 18 minutes in. Cian Galvin put in a very strong finish for Clarecastle getting the last 3 scores one of them being a bullet of a goal with the last score of the game. Unfortunately for Clarecastle it came much too late. The ‘Bridge will now go on to meet Corofin/ Ruan in the final in a couple of weeks.

For Clarecastle, Sam Browne, Cian Galvin, and Brandon Healy were excellent especially in the opening half.

For Sixmilebridge it would be unfair to name any player in particular as this was as good a team performance as you could hope for. They didn’t get everything right but they got stuck in from the start and worked very well with and for each other always looking for the player in the better position all over the field. This was reflected in the score line and the number of different scorers.

Sixmilebridge: Cian Fawl, Conor Morey, Colin Kelly, Colm Flynn, Leon Kelly, Darragh Toomey, Evan Murphy, Scott Kirkland 0-1, Matthew Hurley, Ferdia Ó’Lionáin, Storm Devanney 0-2, Sean McNamara 0-4, 0-1F, Luke O Halloran 0-7, 0-3F, Luke Keogh 0-2, David Kennedy 1-3, Cian Gleeson, Seamus O Connell, Adam O’Sullivan, Evan O Callaghan, Noel Flynn.

Clarecastle: Cian Broderick, Darragh Keogh, Evan Dolan, John Cullinan, Filip Wiechcinski 0-1, Cian Galvin 1-2, Barry Morrissey, Sam Browne 0-1, Patrick Maxwell, Brandon Healy 0-5, 0-2F, 0-1(65), Conor Halpin, Noel Copley, Rory O’Connell, Bence Benko, James Doherty 0-1.

Referee: Niall Malone