Ballyea 2-14 Éire Óg 1-16
Ballyea’s incredible powers of resilience again came to the fore at the death when producing a dramatic late turnaround to retain the Clare Senior Hurling title for the first time in their history over neighbours Éire Óg in Cusack Park, Ennis on Sunday afternoon.
Having come from behind in all their three previous final wins since 2016, the holders’ extra sprinkling of experience proved essential once more when grabbing the last four points to prevail by the bare minimum.
The wafer-thin margins in this historic derby decider were epitomised in injury-time when Shane O’Donnell was hooked by fellow Clare senior Tony Kelly just as he was about to put the Ennis side two clear. Instead, the break was gathered by Paul Flanagan who picked out substitute Cathal O’Connor to regain parity at 2-13 to 1-16.
Two minutes later, Niall Deasy earned and converted a 20-metre free to inch Ballyea back in front for the first time in 30 minutes whereas Éire Óg, in their first hurling final in 22 years, passed up a last-gasp opportunity to force extra-time when David Reidy’s free from the left wing drifted agonisingly wide of the left post.
Éire Óg’s inability to close out the contest despite powering three in front entering the final 10 minutes was in contrast to a never-say-die Ballyea, that somehow unearthed another title-winning recovery when all seemed lost.
“It was gone from us but it just goes to show the character that’s in these boys.” exclaimed Ballyea Manager Robbie Hogan at the final whistle. “There’s comfort in certainty and you know one thing’s for certain with these lads is that they will go right to the final whistle.”
The holders also began in the ascendency when Aaron Griffin opened the scoring in emphatic fashion with a fourth-minute goal on their way to an early four-point cushion.
Shane O’Donnell and Tony Kelly both passed up glorious goal chances but the latter did match a resurgent Éire Óg’s late surge with Ballyea’s last three points to ensure that the sides were deadlocked by the break, 1-6 to 0-9.
Within two minutes of the resumption, Niall Deasy had provided the perfect boost when catching and clincially finishing a Brandon O’Connell delivery to the net, only to see it wiped out within seconds after a defensive lapse spilled perfectly for David Reidy to scramble the ball over the line for the Ennis side, to move the scores to 2-6 to 1-6.
Éire Óg’s fortunes only got brighter from that juncture as they grabbed four of the next five points, three from Danny Russell placed balls, to hit the front for the first time by the two-thirds mark at 1-13 to 2-7.
That three-point cushion would be doggedly maintained until the final minutes when after slumping to three consecutive wides, Ballyea finally ressurected their retention hopes through back-to-back All-Star Kelly along with substitutes Martin O’Leary and Cathal O’Connor.
And while Éire Óg still have the senior football decider to fall back on next week, it was scant consolation on this day as contrasting late frees finally sealed Ballyea’s fourth title in seven seasons.
Ballyea: B Coote; B O’Connell, P Flanagan, P Casey; G O’Connell, J Browne, J Murphy; S Lineen, M Garry; N Deasy (1-6, 6f), P Lillis, G Brennan; M Gavin, T Kelly (0-4, 1′65), Aaron Griffin (1-1). Subs: C Brennan for Garry (23, inj), C O’Connor (0-2) for Gavin (34), M O’Leary (0-1) for Lillis (54).
Éire Óg: P Walsh; J Collins, A Fitzgerald, N McMahon; C Russell, L Corry, O Cahill (0-1); D Reidy (1-0), C O’Dea; D McNamara, G Cooney (0-1), M Moloney (0-1); D Russell (0-11, 9f, 1′65), Shane O’Donnell, Darren O’Brien (0-2). Sub: A McGrath for C. Russell (45-47, BS).
Referee: J Donnellan (Wolfe Tones).
