Clonlara favourites to overcome Ballyea

Ballyea will make their first appearance in the race for the 2010 Clare senior hurling championship title when they take on Clonlara at Shannon this Sunday.

Going on results in both league and championship in recent years, Clonlara will enter this contest as favourites but they have struggled all season to find the form that saw them become such a force in Clare hurling over the previous three years.
They were fortunate to escape with a draw when they played St Joseph’s in the opening round a few weeks back and they are currently sharing bottom spot on the Division 1 league table with Tulla.
In their seven league games this season, Ballyea have won three, lost three and drawn one. Many of their players face two championship outings this weekend as Clondegad open their challenge for intermediate football honours this Friday and there are seven or eight players who are part of both squads.
Paddy O’Connell hasn’t played a match with Ballyea for a number of weeks. He was sent off in a league win over Kilmaley and this ruled him out for a month, while he has been unable to train or play in recent weeks due to illness. He is an inspirational figure in the team and all involved with the side will be hoping that he will be fit to play on Sunday.
Clonlara are not without their concerns either, as their chairman Michael Hogan told the June meeting of the county board last week when he asked to have the game put back for a week.
Five members of their team are part of the Clare senior panel and Domhnaill and Cormac O’Donovan, John Conlon, Nicky O’Connell and Darach Honan haven’t been with them for the past five weeks. Add to this Tomás O’Donovan and Ger O’Connell, who are members of the Clare intermediate side, Cathal O’Connell and Conor Galvin, who are with the Clare minors and one can understand the South East Clare side’s concerns ahead of this fixture.
“Our aim is to get out of the group and into the quarter-finals, where we haven’t been since 2003,” said Michael Hehir of the Ballyea management team. He is joined by Daniel Liddy and Daniel Lynch, with former Wolfe Tones player Gerry McIntyre as team coach.
“We are in a very difficult group with the likes of Clonlara and Crusheen, who between them have contested the last three county finals. St Joseph’s are doing well while Corofin are never easily beaten. There are no easy groups come championship time,” said Hehir.
Former All-star Tony Griffin continues to be a key player for Ballyea, who will also be looking to goalkeeper Shane O’Neill, Niall Keane – a member of the Clare All-Ireland U-21 panel from last year – Paul Flanagan and Cathal Doohan from the Clare minor hurling panel, Gearóid and Paddy O’Connell.
There is no doubt that Clonlara’s preparations have been disrupted by the absence of so many of their players from club training because of their involvement with the county sides and, according to club manager Colm Honan, this is a huge concern.
That said, Clonlara look to have the more evenly balanced and more experienced side and they should be strong enough to win this one.