*Cathal Doohan holds off the challenge of Cratloe’s Tadhg Lohan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. IT WAS a a complete role reversal for Ballyea as this time the 2022 champions turned up the heat in the second half to produce a stirring revival of their own and advance to the last eight of the Clare SHC.
*Cratloe’s Jamie Moylan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. CRATLOE AND Ballyea face off in what is arguably the tie of the third round in the Clare SHC this Saturday in Sixmilebridge, a game that has been described as “win or bust” within the Cratloe camp.
*Kilmaley’s Eoin Enright. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. UNBEATEN KILMALEY have very high competition for places on their starting team with players “absolutely mad” to break into the first fifteen while Scariff are determined to roll over despite the end of their championship aspirations.
*Sixmilebridge’s David Kennedy. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. DEFEATING CRUSHEEN in round two of the TUS Clare SHC was “one of the biggest wins in four or five years” for Sixmilebridge.
*Crusheen defender, Luke Hayes. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. CRUSHEEN still have a chance of making the knockout stages of the Clare SHC but only if they beat a fancied Clonlara by three points or more and Sixmilebridge overcome St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield.
*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.
*Kilmurry Ibrickane’s Daryn Callinan is tackled by Aaron Brennan of Wolfe Tones. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill CONTRASTING fortunes unsurprisingly didn’t change for the final stanza of Group 3 as Kilmurry Ibrickane maintained their perfect start to this year’s championship with a fifteen-point win over Wolfe Tones.
*Tadhg Lillis and Kevin Pender swarm Kilmihil’s Mikey Keating. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill A quintessential derby showdown complete with an exceedingly anxious crescendo that saw Doonbeg just shade the spoils to progress to the last nine of the Clare SFC and send Kilmihil back to the relegation play-offs.
*Cian Kirby takes on Diarmaid Nash. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. BALLYEA brought their Clare SHC bid back to life when picking up their first victory which puts Scariff out of the reckoning for honours this season.
*Peter Duggan is tackled by James Hegarty. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. CLOONEY/QUIN claimed the spoils in the game of the second round to overcome Inagh/Kilnamona.