Sixmilebridge ... 2-13 Blackrock ... ... 1-15 Sixmilebridge, the Clare champions, and Blackrock, the Cork holders, served up a thriller at Cusack Park, Ennis, in yesterday's semi-final, with the Banner side snatching victory in injury time thanks to a Paul Fitzgerald point.
This was club hurling at its best. Both sides contributed in producing a classic game of passion and skill, complete with a thrilling finish. For Blackrock it was heart-breaking to lose, for Sixmilebridge it set them up for a provincial decider meeting with Mount Sion of Waterford, a team they defeated in the final two years ago.
The "Bridge" got off to a fantasy start, with just 30 seconds gone when corner forward Cyril Crowe beat Trevor Barry, the Blackrock goalkeeper for an opportunist goal. He connected with a John Reddan delivery and tapped it home with ease.
But Blackrock replied with a goal from David Cashman in the ninth minute after Barry Hennebry blocked down an attempted clearance by corner back Wayne Kennedy.
A pointed free from Adrian Coughlan saw the sides level at 1-2 by the 10th minute.
Blackrock's ability to recover from the early goal saw them come from four points behind to lead by four in a 10-minute spell. By the mid point of the half they led 1-7 to 1-3, with team captain Wayne Sherlock putting in a sterling performance from corner-back.
The Sixmilebridge forward line were finding it difficult to produce scores as a tightly knit defence, ably lead by centre back Alan Cummins, kept them at bay playing a direct brand of hurling, setting up their forwards with some good scoring chances. Their 1-8 to 1-5 lead at the break was no more than they deserved.
At the beginning of the second half, Sixmilebridge brought Alan Mulready to centrefield, while man of the match Christy "Rusty" Chaplin reverted to wing back.
Immediately from the throw-in it was evident that a hungrier Sixmilebridge outfit had re-emerged. Four unanswered points in as many minutes saw the Claremen regain the lead in a frantic opening to the half. John Chaplin was on hand to put over a pair of long-range frees, while Niall Gilligan managed another two, one from a free and the other from play.
Blackrock's Alan Browne made it 1-9 each to keep the Corkmen in touch, but a Sixmilebridge goal three minutes later suddenly had the large home crowd on their feet. Teenager Cyril Crowe took advantage of an error on the 40. He moved forward with pace and fed Gilligan who first-timed to the net.
Yet Blackrock returned and began to exert a pressure that yielded five points to regain the lead five minutes from time.
Finally, in injury time Fitzgerald, a second-half substitute, got on to John Chaplin's long ball and the youngster split the posts to steal a dramatic victory.
SIXMILEBRIDGE: D Fitzgerald; W Kennedy, P Hayes, T Keogh; A Mulready (0-1), J Chaplin (0-4), C Walsh; M Culbert (0-1), C Chaplin capt (0-1); A Chaplin (0-1), J Reddan, S Fitzpatrick (0-1); C Crowe (1-1), N Gilligan (1-2), B Culbert. Subs: P Fitzgerald (0-1) for M Culbert, B Kennedy for A Chaplin.
BLACKROCK: T Barry; W Sherlock (capt), N Keane, J Browne; C Connery, A Cummins, F Ryan; A Coughlan (0-5), P Tierney (0-1); B Hennebry (0-2), L Meaney (0-2), J Young (0-1); B O'Keefe (0-1), A Browne (0-3), D Cashman (1-0). Sub: D Gosnell for Young.
Referee: W Barrett (Tipperary).
