*James Murphy goes to ground. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill

WRITTEN OFF BY ALMOST EVERYONE ahead of their Munster final showing, Ballyea will be proud with their display against reigning All-Ireland champions, Ballygunner.

Seventeen points separated Ballygunner and Ballyea in the 2021 Munster club quarter-final. The gap was reduced to nine points for a finish in Saturday’s final but the largest distance between the sides was four points until the final quarter when a remarkable Ballygunner finish blew Ballyea away.

Reflecting on the occasion in FBD Semple Stadium, Ballyea boss Robbie Hogan observed, “It was a proper game of hurling, the game was a reflection of the occasion, we’re disappointed and gutted, we didn’t come up here to make up the numbers, we game here to put in a performance and to win. Ballygunner are a force of nature in Munster”.

Hogan and his management team of Raymond O’Connor, Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Jude Quinlivan, Alan Duggan and Adrian O’Brien had the unusual scenario of Ballyea being underdogs for the provincial decider. “We were wrote off and it was a great way to come into a game, we tried hard and kept going for as long as we could, they are a real quality team, they are All-Ireland champions and it will take a good team to stop them”.

Surprising the vast majority of neutrals was how far Ballyea were pushing the Waterford side. They took the lead at the beginning of the game but fought their way back to hold a 0-07 0-06 advantage on eighteen minutes before a devastating response of 1-02 in four minutes made it 1-11 0-11 at half-time.

Catching their breath in the dressing room down the Jimmy Doyle side of Semple Stadium, the message from Hogan as always was not complicated. “It was about the next couple of scores, we came out and nailed the first two points but they can just hit you on the counter-attack. We were very calm at half time compared to a reverse of last year when they were well ahead of us, we tried our best and when you come up against a better team you just tip your hat to them and we wish them well”.

They did their utmost to curb Ballygunner but it wasn’t enough with a powerful final quarter seeing them outscore Ballyea 0-07 0-02. “It will take a good team to beat them but there are good teams left in it, they are a force of nature within Munster,” Robbie believed.

Ballygunner’s approach in stopping Ballyea from building momentum was crucial to the final outcome, he felt. “We were never let build our play, we were just pulled down and look that’s the game, they are the rules, it’s frustrating to watch when you can’t get a bit of momentum and a bit of forward play but you just have to roll with it”.

“We won back to back county titles, it’s a hard feat to do in Clare of all counties but we’ll reassess now, Christmas is nearly on us so we’ll take a few weeks and see what happens after that,” the three-time Clare SHC winning manager concluded.

 

Related News

martin conway simon harris 1
Sinn Féin table Dáil motion seeking Harris to make statement on Senator Conway
paul murphy toonagh 1-2
'Move to the town if you want lights outside your home' - says Murphy during 'feisty' Toonagh debate
willie walsh 2
'Willie was a radical in the true sense of the word' - mourners come out in their thousands for Bishop Willie
gerry grady 1
Sixmilebridge native Gerry as selected as Grand Marshal for New York parade
Latest News
doonbeg v st breckans conor shannon 1
Lisdoonvarna's Conor Shannon takes on role of Clare GAA performance & talent lead
martin conway simon harris 1
Sinn Féin table Dáil motion seeking Harris to make statement on Senator Conway
clare v wexford 23-02-25 jack redmond mark rodgers kevin foley 1
Clare player ratings vs Wexford: Ring-rustiness sees Banner wobble as wait for new bright sparks persists
paul murphy toonagh 1-2
'Move to the town if you want lights outside your home' - says Murphy during 'feisty' Toonagh debate
willie walsh 2
'Willie was a radical in the true sense of the word' - mourners come out in their thousands for Bishop Willie
Premium
clare v wexford 23-02-25 jack redmond mark rodgers kevin foley 1
Clare player ratings vs Wexford: Ring-rustiness sees Banner wobble as wait for new bright sparks persists
paul murphy toonagh 1-2
'Move to the town if you want lights outside your home' - says Murphy during 'feisty' Toonagh debate
legal aid 1
Legal aid secured by man arrested at Gardaí when attending family funeral charged with alleged indecent assault
wexford v clare 23-02-25 cian galvin cathal dunbar 1
Clare hurlers on the brink of league relegation after losing out to Wexford
20210625_Council_Clare_Arts_0113 shane talty
'Full facts not provided prior to selection of RRDF projects' - Talty

Subscribe for just €3 per month

If you’re here, you care about County Clare. So do we. Did you rely on us for Covid-19 updates, follow our election coverage, or visit The Clare Echo every week for breaking news and sport? The Clare Echo invests in local journalism and we want to safeguard its future in our county. By becoming a subscriber you are supporting what we do, will receive access to all our premium articles and a better experience, while helping us improve our offering to you. Subscribe to clareecho.ie and get the first six months for just €3 a month (less than 75c per week), and thereafter €8 per month. Cancel anytime, limited time offer. T&Cs Apply. www.clareecho.ie.

Subscribe for just €3 per month

If you’re here, you care about County Clare. So do we. Did you rely on us for Covid-19 updates, follow our election coverage, or visit The Clare Echo every week for breaking news and sport? The Clare Echo invests in local journalism and we want to safeguard its future in our county. By becoming a subscriber you are supporting what we do, will receive access to all our premium articles and a better experience, while helping us improve our offering to you. Subscribe to clareecho.ie and get the first six months for just €3 a month (less than 75c per week), and thereafter €8 per month. Cancel anytime, limited time offer. T&Cs Apply. www.clareecho.ie.