Once again Eugene Cloonan proved vital to Athenry’s success, when he contributed two goals in either half to his side’s 3-12 to 1-11 win over Tipperary and Munster champions Toomevara, in the semi-final of the AIB All-Ireland Hurling Championship at Cusack Park, Ennis.
He capitalised on two defensive errors to claim the first on 11 minutes. He registered the second, 12 minutes after the break when he scrambled the ball over the Toomevara goal-line to put seven points between the sides.
His brother Diarmuid wasn’t as lucky though, having been shown a red card in the second period along with “Toome’s” John O’Brien for an off the ball incident.
The Galway and Connacht champions played with the aid of a strong breeze in the first half but found it difficult to outhurl a determined Toomevara outfit in the opening quarter.
But for Cloonan's opening goal, Athenry appeared to be in trouble.
As half-time approached the Galway half-back line of Brian Higgins, Brian Feeney and Shane Donohue began to dominate and this superiority reflected in their 1-8 to 0-3 lead at the break. A succesion of well taken Athenry points put an amount of daylight between the sides as the half came to a close.
Within ten minutes of the re-start, the men from the Premier County had reduced the deficit to just four points (1-9 to 0-8), thanks in the main to the switching of John O'Brien to full-forward, moving his brother Paddy to the wing and the placing of Tommy Dunne at mid-field.
But then Cloonan struck once more. A long delivery from Michael John Quinn found the full-forward, and on the second attempt he managed to guide it over the line.
A third goal for the Connacht men on 50 minutes sealed victory when Donal Moran beat Justin Cottrell the Toomevara net-minder, to ensure a St. Patrick's Day outing for manager Billy Caulfield's men.
Athenry scorers: E Cloonan (2-5) 0-4 f’s, D Moran (1-0), D Donohue (0-2), J Rabbitte (0-2), E Caufield, L Howley, B Higgins (0-1) each.
Toomevara scorers: P Hackett (1-0), K Dunne (0-3) f’s, J O’Brien (0-2), Tommy Dunne, W Ryan, F Devanney, P O’Brien, B Dunne, K Cummins (0-1) each.
Athenry: M. Crimmins, T. Kelly, D. Cloonan, J. Feeney, B. Higgins, B. Feeney, S. Donohue, L. Howley, B. Hanley, J. Rabbitte, M.J. Quinn, E. Caufield, D. Moran, E. Cloonan (capt.), D. Donohue.
Toomevara: J. Cottrell, B. Duff, T. Delaney, D. Young, Terry Dunne, B. Dunne, P. Hackett, J. O’Brien, E. Brislane, K. Dunne, F. Devanney, Tommy Dunne, M. Bevans, P. O’Brien (capt.), W. Ryan.
