*Paul Flanagan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
BALLYEA sealed their place in the Clare SHC semi-finals at the expense of Clonlara, experience told with one match-winning performance in particular for Robbie Hogan’s side.
The Clare Echo’s online coverage of the Clare SHC is with thanks to The Temple Gate Hotel.
Ross O’Donoghue dissects the performances in our player ratings.
Ballyea:
1: Barry Coote – Made himself big for the O’Loughlin save. Okay return on puckouts
Rating: 7
2: Peter Casey – Played it safe with the ball played out in front of him.
Rating: 7
3: Paul Flanagan – A match winning performance in defence.
Rating: 9
4: Morgan Garry – No goals conceded and he popped up at the other end to score a goal of his own. A good day out for Ballyea’s full back line.
Rating: 7
5: Gearoid O’Connell – A wide in each half. Solid otherwise.
Rating: 7
6: Jack Browne – Hoovered up loose ball.
Rating: 7
7: Daragh Moylan – Looked to use his pace when the pass option wasn’t obvious.
Rating: 7
8: Tony Kelly – Accuracy skewed by a swirling breeze and his own ambition. Scored the hurling equivalent of Marco Van Basten’s goal at Euro 88.
Rating: 7
19: Daniel Costelloe – Knew his assignment. Did the necessary.
Rating: 7
10: Niall Deasy – Always a pass option. Played to his strengths. Did everything right to set up Garry’s goal.
Rating: 7
18: Tadhg Ó hUallacháin – Got the runaround for Clonlara’s first point. Brilliant catch to snuff out a goal chance in the second half.
Rating: 7
12: Pearse Lillis – Took his point handy and linked well with others.
Rating: 7
13: Cian Kirby – Great hunger. Touch let him down at times but took his points well in either half.
Rating: 7.5
14: Cathal Doohan – Stepped up as a leader.
Rating: 7
15: Fiachra Kirby – Grew in confidence after TK backed him to score early in the second half.
Rating: 7
Bench – All brought on to defend a lead, which they duly did. Mossy Gavin did enough to force Michael Collins into shooting wide in added time.
Rating: 7
Clonlara:
1: Alan Murnane – No keeper should get beaten on their near post from a tight angle. Unless Tony Kelly is shooting. Could have calmed things down after the first goal.
Rating: 6
2: Paul McNamara – Brilliant block on a shot that would have buried Clonlara late in the game.
Rating: 6
3: Oisin O’Brien – Stood up to everyone who came at him.
Rating: 6
4: Logan Ryan – Outpaced at times. Won a big free with his side still leading in the third-quarter.
Rating: 6
5: Dylan McMahon – Reliable striker from distance. Clonlara needed more players with his confidence.
Rating: 7.5
6: Aidan Moriarty – Levelled the match with 10 minutes to go but Clonlara didn’t score again. Clonlara needed smarter distribution in the second half.
Rating: 6
7: Paraic O’Loughlin – Had Clonlara’s only goal chance in the first half. Clean catch on a Ballyea puckout in the second.
Rating: 6
8: Colm Galvin – Could have been more influential.
Rating: 6
9: Colm O’Meara – His two wides in the first half were part of Clonlara’s big problem.
Rating: 6
10: Daniel Moloney – Found it hard to make an impression.
Rating: 6
11: Diarmuid Stritch – Stepped up when others couldn’t. Four points from play.
Rating: 8
21: Jathan McMahon – Executed the diagonal ball well. Justified his start.
Rating: 7
13: Michael Collins – The target man in the second half. Four points but four wides too.
Rating: 7.5
14: Ian Galvin – First to react when Dylan McMahon hit the post and duly scored. Not his day otherwise.
Rating: 5
18: Kieran Galvin: Not on long enough to rate.
Bench: Cathal O’Connell was straight into the action off the bench after just 10 minutes. Faded towards the end. Bryan McLeish put himself about.
Rating: 7
