*Ballyea’s Gearoid O’Connell. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
AFTER letting an eleven point lead slip in round one it is now “win at all costs” for Ballyea.
The Clare Echo’s online coverage of the Clare SHC is with thanks to The Temple Gate Hotel.
In the last of the second round TUS Clare SHC game this weekend, Ballyea square off with Scariff, both sides aiming to bounce back following first round losses to Kilmaley and Cratloe respectively.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Ballyea manager Robbie Hogan noted they in must-win territory. “This really focuses the mind now but regardless of the result, we knew that we still had to beat Scariff in the next round, that’s just the way this group is. It’s a win at all costs now for both clubs and being the last game of the weekend I’m sure that there will be a bit of an edge to it”.
Reflecting on their 2-20 3-16 loss to Kilmaley, one which seemed inconceivable after they held a 3-9 0-7 advantage. “It’s tough to take. I mean a draw would have been nice there for a finish but in reality we owned the ball for twenty minutes, they [Kilmaley] owned it for twenty minutes and for the other 25 minutes, it was a fair scrap and a fair tussle and after all that one point separated us. So look, we’ve to take the positives and the good aspects from it. Look, Kilmaley are a top class team so we were expecting a battle like that. They were the only team to beat the county champions Feakle last year and had beaten Éire Óg in a first round a few years ago too so they are always dangerous and able to hurt teams and unfortunately it was us”.
Hogan admitted there was a tinge of concern with how far they were ahead in the first half. “It’s funny I turned to one of management in the first half and said this is a great lead but it’s too early in the game. There are numerous examples of that, even on the biggest stage most recently where the momentum swings and when the pendulum goes against you it’s very hard to get a foothold again”.
Though disappointed with the result, he praised the manner in which they got back on level terms twice even after losing centre back Jack Browne to a second yellow card. “I felt that we showed good battling qualities too for a finish. We went behind to that Conor Cleary goal, we also went down a man but still managed to claw them back twice in the closing stages so the boys worked really hard but we just beaten by that last free at the end.
“We headed down to the ‘Bridge with a lot of questions about ourselves. Collectively it was out first time playing together as a full group as we had players like Daragh Moylan and Daniel Costelloe stepping up and it was also Fiachra Kirby’s first start. So you’ve a lot of new blood in so we were happy with their contributions and the overall effort of the team and it was just disappointing not to get the result. I mean there’s no point winning the first half, it’s being on top at the end of the second half that ultimately counts. However, there were positives too and we have to focus on those now,” Hogan added.
