*Ballyea’s Paul Flanagan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
BALLYEA’s involvement in the Clare SHC is ‘in their own hands’ as they prepare to face Cratloe with the winner advancing to the quarter-finals.
The Clare Echo’s online coverage of the Clare SHC is with thanks to The Temple Gate Hotel.
O’Garney Park in Sixmilebridge hosts Saturday’s Group 4 tie which throws-in at 18:30, the prize for the victor is a place in the last eight in what is essentially a knockout encounter and arguably the game of the weekend.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Ballyea senior hurling manager Robbie Hogan said they’ve had to treat each game as knockout following their first round loss to Kilmaley. “When you lose the first game, it’s a straight knock-out after that so we’re happy to be still in contention but it’s knock-out again against Cratloe and we know that we’ve a lot more to improve upon but the most important thing is that it’s in our own hands now and not relying on other results”.
Round two saw them bounce back to winning ways when they eliminated Scariff from the Clare SHC with a 1-21 2-16 win. “It was always going to be a battle because there was a huge amount at stake for both clubs. Fair play to Scariff, we knew that it was going to take everything to overcome them but we just got there in the end. We conceded a goal at the end to leave just a point between us but we just showed a bit of composure there at the end to get back and track and kill their momentum. The goal gave them huge belief so it was important to respond so we got a score or two and we’re delighted with that because it was a really game of work”.
Having let a ten point lead slip in the opening round against Kilmaley to lose by a point, Hogan admitted the manner of the defeat left a mark. “We led for most of the way today which was important because after the last day and thy way our second half went, it was very hard to shake off that hangover but we met on the Tuesday night, drew a line under it and just reminded ourselves that we only lost that game by a point to Kilmaley and look how good they did against Cratloe. We regrouped, got back to work and I thought showed perhaps that little bit more experience today to grind it out”.
