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*Michael Collins made his Clare SHC debut for Clonlara. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
CLONLARA’s quest to win back to back Clare SHC titles for the first time began in emphatic fashion when overcoming Ballyea by eight points.
By Gerry Quinn
Kicking off their attempts to emerge from the Group of Death, the reigning champions dominated an uncharacteristically tame Ballyea to record a 1-28 1-20 victory.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Clonlara boss Donal Madden admitted he could not have forecast a winning margin of eight points when facing off with Ballyea. “I think that the scoreboard flatters us a bit. I think it was a much more even game than that and you know Ballyea are a serious side, they have some serious hurlers, great guys and look it, they have the greatest hurler Clare has ever had, in Tony Kelly. Just watch him down there signing autographs and posing for videos with kids.
“He’s a credit to his club and his family and everybody else. Shane O’Donnell did it, Peter Duggan did it for his club, Johno (Conlan) did it, Iano (Galvin) – we are just delighted”.
Scoring six unanswered points in the first half defined a real purple patch for the winners, it was a very pleasing period, Madden flagged. “Our work-rate was pleasing and our tackle count was pleasing and then we dropped that a bit in the second half and let them into it. So that won’t do the next day. To beat Éire Óg we will have to play much better than that”.
While Éire Óg impressed in their opening round with a one point win over Clooney/Quin, the manner of Clonlara’s victory certainly earmarks them as the leading contenders to lift the Canon Hamilton.
Madden said, “Every game is different and every game takes a life of its own. We came in today to get over the line by one point and we did that. So we’ll take it from there”.
