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*Ballyea’s Mossy Gavin. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
BALLYEA “don’t have full control” on their future heading into the final round of the Clare SHC but they remain determined to deliver a performance that can keep their campaign alive.
A first round defeat to Inagh/Kilnamona was followed by a second round draw with Clonlara that needs Ballyea requiring a win over St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield on Saturday evening while also hoping Inamona overcome Clonlara for them to advance to the last eight.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Ballyea boss Robbie Hogan outlined that they will endeavour to bring everything they can to the table in Newmarket-on-Fergus on Saturday (16:30). “We don’t have full control going into the final round but we still have something to play for. What we can control is our performance against Doora/Barefield so we’ll go wth the best possible attitude for that and hope others can do us a favour along the way too”.
Leading by two points with sixty six minutes played, Ballyea were left frustrated with the amount of additional time played by referee John Bugler as they let their lead slip to surrender a draw to Clonlara.
Five minutes of additional time were signalled by the referee but a row between both sides extended the allocated time, when play resumed Ian Galvin narrowed the gap to a point but while Mossy Gavin did well to defend a goalmouth scramble, he conceded a sideline cut which saw Micheál O’Loughlin find Aidan Moriarty who scored the equaliser.
Hogan was frustrated they didn’t hold on for the win. “When you’re a point up and there’s seven extra minutes played at the end, having been told five initially, we were obviously hoping to hang on but look a quality team like Clonlara were always going to right to the bitter end. Look we came in just looking for a performance and go back up the dual carriageway with lads having given everything and in fairness I could have asked for anymore from them from an effort point of view. Credit Clonlara too they made a great game of it and we knew it was going to be close because there are real quality players on both sides”.
Yet to record a win, the character is still clear to see within their side, Robbie maintained. “There’s great character in our lads and we managed to stay in front against the wind in the second half. We were actually playing up the hill and against the wind and thought we might snatch the two points but it just wasn’t to be. So we have to knuckle down again now quickly as there’s another game to be played and we’ll work out the permutations when we can recover from this one first”.
