*Michael O’Malley brushes past the challenge of Cathal O’Connor. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
ONLY TWO games may have taken place in the Clare SHC this weekend but Kilmaley’s powerful second half display has put them on the right track to emerging from the group of five.
By outscoring Ballyea 2-12 0-03 in the second half of Saturday’s Clare SHC first round tie, Kilmaley ensured they began their championship campaign on a high and piled the pressure on the three in a row chasing Ballyea.
Kilmaley selector, Conor McMahon told The Clare Echo their win simply came down to “workrate”.
A former member of the Clare senior hurling panel, the ex Kilmaley defender stated, “We weren’t happy with the work rate in the first half. It wasn’t what we had focussed on all year. We weren’t happy with where we were. In the second half we worked harder, we worked like we had trained and that showed on the scoreboard. We missed chances in both halves but the workrate was the big difference”.
Remarkably they limited Ballyea to just three scores in the entire second half, none of which came from play. At the other end, McMahon felt they popped up with their own scores at the right time.
“We got a bit of momentum when we upped the workrate and it seeps through the team. We got a few scores at crucial times. We always looked at this as being a block of two games as we have a break of a month after that”.
Focus for Kilmaley who are coached by Sixmilebridge’s Brian Culbert is now on backing up the result when they face off with St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield this coming weekend. “We are halfway on the block. We have two points on the board, We have a big challenge next week. Doora/Barefield after been beaten by Scriff will come with all guns blazing, fighting for their lives so will just focus on that game now. This is a first-round win and that is all it is”.
For Kilmaley it is just a first-round win and on the flipside, it is just a first round loss for Ballyea but manager Leonard McNamara pointed out that they have a lot of work to do if they are to get back in contention.
He said, “I thought we could have been six or seven points up at half time. We let them back into it before the half time whistle when conceding three or four frees. We were still going well in the early minutes of the second half but from then on they won the breaking ball, they won the battle really. That’s it and it’s back to the drawing board”.
Their second clash will be against Inagh/Kilnamona in what will be the first outing for the Louis Mulqueen managed side in this year’s championship. There is a lot on the line for the champions. “We have a short time to prepare for next week’s game now and if we are beaten then we are gone. Look these are good lads and I am sure they will give a good response. They are more disappointed than anyone now.
“They know what to do. The second half today wasn’t good enough and there is a lot of work to be done,” McNamara concluded.
