The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
Peter O’Connell in Croke Park
RESULT: Cuala 2-19 Ballyea 1-10. Cuala are 2017 All-Ireland club hurling champions. They were sharper and took their chances. Darragh O’Connell and David Treacy were outstanding. Ballyea gave it their last drop but the fluency just wasn’t there today. They represented Clare superbly though in Munster and in the All-Ireland series.
58 mins: Darragh O’Connell with Cualas 16th point. Mark Schutte adds to it. Cuala 2-17 Ballyea 1-10
54 mins: Jake Malone plants a Cuala goal. Cuala 2-15 Ballyea 1-10. Cuala have one hand on Tommy Moore.
53: Darragh O’Connell replies with a Cuala point. Five in it. There’s still time if Ballyea can lift it.
Cuala 1-15 Ballyea 1-10
50 mins: GOAL. Niall Deasy buries it for Ballyea. Cuala 1-14 Ballyea 1-10. Four point game.
49 mins: Deasy and Treacy trade pointed frees. Cuala 1-13 Ballyea 0-10. Ballyea need a goal.
47 mins: Deasy with his fifth free. A six point game now. Maybe there’s life in Ballyea? Cuala 1-12 Ballyea 0-9
44 mins: Niall Deasy points his fourth free. Cuala 1-12 Ballyea 0-8
41st minute: Is the comeback on? Pearse Lillis points for Ballyea but Colm Cronin replies immediately. Niall Deasy reponds with a Ballyea pointed free. Cuala 1-11 Ballyea 0-7. David Egan replaces Damien Burke for Ballyea.
36th minute: Martin O’Leary replaces Pat Joe Connolly for Ballyea. Cuala 1-10 Ballyea 0-5. Gary Brennan has just pointed for the Munster champions
35th minute: David Treacy points another Cuala free and Con O’Callaghan follows up with a point. Cuala 1-9 Ballyea 0-4. It’s getting away from Ballyea. The need a score quickly.
3.48: Two minutes into the second half: Pearse Lillis misses a one on one goal chance for Ballyea. Could be crucial. Never got hold of it. Cuala still lead by six points.
HALF-TIME: Cuala 1-7 Ballyea 0-4. Darragh O’Connell fired over Cuala’s sixth point and Con O’Callaghan their seventh. Colm Cronin’s 15th minute goal has been decisive so far. Ballyea have yet to really get going and will have to up it early in the second half if this game is not to get away from them.
3.26pm: John Sheanon puts over a point for Cuala who lead by five, 1-5 to 0-4.
3.23pm: It’s a three point game again as David Treacy points his fourth for the Dublin champions who lead 1-4 to 0-4.
Seconds later Cuala hit the crossbar.
3.21: Pearse Lillis points for Ballyea in an All-Ireland club final, 17 years since his club-mate Joe Considine, represented Doora-Barefield on the same stage. Cuala 1-3 Ballyea 0-4
3.18pm: David Treacy points his third score for Cuala who lead Ballyea 1-3 to 0-3.
3.16pm: Stan Lineen wins a free and Niall Deasy puts over his second point. James Murphy follows with a point from play for the Clare men. Cuala 1-2 Ballyea 0-3.
3.15pm: Colm O’Cronin buries a Cuala goal, made by Con O’Callaghan. A long ball in. Cuala 1-2 Ballyea 0-1
3.09: David Treacy puts over a free. Cuala 0-2 Ballyea 0-1
3.08pm: David Treacy points Cuala level, 0-1 each. Gearóid O’Connell flying in the Ballyea half back line.
3.03pm: Gary Brennan is fouled and Niall Deasy points Ballyea into an early lead from the free.
3.01pm: Niall Deasy is down after less than a minute. Didn’t see what happened. Thankfully he has got to his feet.
2.58pm: Both teams line up to meet the GAA President. The talking is almost over. It’s time to start hurling.
2.55pm: Nearly time to go in Croke Park as Ballyea seek to add an All-Ireland crown to their Clare and Munster titles. There is a huge Ballyea following here from all pockets of Clare.
2.30pm: Just half an hour before throw in as Ballyea take on Cuala in the 2017 All-Ireland club hurling final in Croke Park. Conditions are overcast, wet and breezy as both clubs chase their first national crown. There seems to be a huge Ballyea following in Croke Park and around the stadium this morning.
