Clare Senior Hurling Championship Final

Ballyea 2-14 Éire Óg 1-16

By Eoin Brennan at Cusack Park

Ballyea fired the last four points to dramatically secure historic back-to-back Clare Senior Hurling crowns by beating newcomers Éire Óg in Cusack Park Ennis on Sunday afternoon.

Level at the break at 1-6 to 0-9, Éire Óg’s luck appeared to turn when a fortuitious David Reidy goal immediately cancelled out Niall Deasy’s 32nd minute bullet before a Gavin Cooney wide was also waved a point for the Ennis side to edge in front for the first time in the 36th minute.

With that, Éire Óg grew in confidence with every passing score as guided by Danny Russell’s placed balls, they eked out a three point cushion entering the final ten minutes at 1-16 to 2-10.

With Ballyea slumping to three successive wides, Éire Óg looked to be on track for a famous first hurling crown in 32 years. However, Ballyea’s recent title winning experience proved crucial in the final moments as substitutes Martin O’Leary and Cathal O’Connor along with Tony Kelly levelled the tie for only the fifth time in injury-time before Niall Deasy converted the winning free from 20 metres.

Ballyea had also started on the frontfoot with Aaron Griffin spectacularly opening the scoring with a fourth minute solo goal. Tony Kelly and Shane O’Donnell both had glorious goal chances to alter the narrative but Kelly did raid for Ballyea’s last three points of the half to ensure that the holders would at least be on level terms by half-time.

Only two minutes into the new half, Niall Deasy snatched a Brandon O’Connell delivery out of the sky and made space to billow the net at 2-6 to 0-9 but from the puck-out, Darren O’Brien’s effort for a point dropped short and was spilled into the welcome path of David Reidy to flick just over the line.

Deasy’s subsequent free was met by four unanwered Éire Óg points, three from the stick of Danny Russell to move three clear by the two-thirds mark, a margin that would remain until the final minutes.

Éire Óg simply couldn’t close out victory and no better team than Ballyea to capitalise, with a superb Tony Kelly hook on Shane O’Donnell as he was about to pull the trigger in the 61st minute a real match-winning moment as directly from that intervention, Cathal O’Connor regained full parity.

Niall Deasy earned and converted a 63rd minute free while in contrast Éire Óg’s last gasp free drifted just wide of the left post for Ballyea to garner their fourth Canon Hamilton trophy in seven seasons.

Scorers for Ballyea: NIall Deasy (1-6, 6f); Tony Kelly (0-4, 1’65); Aaron Griffin (1-1); Cathal O’Connor (0-2); Martin O’Leary (0-1)

Scorers for Éire Óg: Danny Russell (0-11, 9f, 1’65); David Reidy (1-0); Darren O’Brien (0-2); Oran Cahill, Mikey Moloney, Gavin Cooney (0-1 each)

Ballyea: Barry Coote; Brandon O’Connell, Paul Flanagan, Peter Casey; Gearoid O’Connell, Jack Browne, James Murphy; Stan Lineen, Morgan Garry; Niall Deasy, Pearse Lillis, Gary Brennan; Mossy Gavin, Tony Kelly, Aaron Griffin Subs: Cillian Brennan for Garry (23, inj),Cathal O’Connor for Gavin (34), Martin O’Leary for Lillis (54)

Éire Óg: Philly Walsh; Jarlath Collins, Aaron Fitzgerald, Niall McMahon; Ciaran Russell, Liam Corry, Oran Cahill; David Reidy, Cian O’Dea; David McNamara, Gavin Cooney, Mikey Moloney; Danny Russell, Shane O’Donnell, Darren O’Brien Sub: Aidan McGrath for C. Russell (45-47, BS)

Referee: Jarlath Donnellan (Wolfe Tones)