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Newmarket Crowned 2017 Clare Cup Champions

Newmarket are the 2017 Clare Cup Hurling Champions.

They beat neighbours Sixmilebridge by 2-9 to 0-13 to capture the title for the fourth time this decade.

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A brace of frees from Colin Ryan got the scoring underway and set Newmarket 0-2 to 0-0 clear inside the opening minutes.

The Bridge responded in kind with Brian Corry’s opener and Jamie Shanahan’s free levelling matters once more.

Two more Ryan frees followed either side of one from Shanahan to see Newmarket lead by one before Colin Guilfoyle found the back of the net to send the Blues 1-4 to 0-3 clear after 17 minutes.

Sixmilebridge then hit five unanswered to go back in front, with four Shanahan frees and one from Niall Gilligan seeing the scoreboard read Sixmilebridge 0-8 Newmarket 1-4 as half time approached.

Colin Ryan then landed his fifth pointed free of the half to see the sides level as they headed for the dressing room.

The county champions were quickest off the mark after the restart with the first three scores of the half to lead 0-11 to 1-5.

Ryan then pounced on a loose ball to hammer home a goal for the Blues and level matters again before adding another free to send Newmarket one clear inside the closing quarter.

The Bridge then tied the game up for the fifth time with 17 minutes gone in the second half.

It took a while before another score came and when it did, it was a Jamie Shanahan free to put Sixmilebridge one point in front with less than 5 minutes left to play at 0-13 to 2-6.

Mikey McInerney ensured a nervy finish was in store when he levelled matters just moments later, before Colin Ryan took his personal tally to 1-7 when he put Newmarket in front again.

That became 1-8 for Ryan as he sent his side two points clear with a “65 as the game entered injury time, and they held firm to take a first title since 2013.

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