Clonlara need all ’Gunner’s blazing

Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship Final
Clonlara v Ballygunner (Waterford)
at FBD Semple Stadium Thurles, Sunday 3.30pm (Ciaran O’Regan, Cork)

Momentum is a sporting phenomenon that is impossible to manufacture and easy to lose but when that wave does come, one has to make the most of it.
Undoubtedly, not unlike Ballyea in 2016, the stars have aligned for Clonlara this year as while their potential has never been questioned, their own application and ability to reach that optimum made most including themselves wonder would regaining a first Canon Hamilton since 2008 ever happen.
It’s what has made this journey all the sweeter and heartening as this year’s succession of highs has even surprised themselves at times but scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find that the pieces of the jigsaw have been gradually put into place over the past few seasons.
Experienced stars: John Conlon, Colm Galvin, Ian Galvin, Check.
Maturing youth: The minor class of 2018 please stand up, Check.
Youthful enthusiasm: Ardscoil’s All-Ireland Senior PPS winners Seimi Gully and Diarmuid Stritch, Check.
Dedicated support team: Donal Madden and Co, Check.
Of course, it doesn’t always come to pass, Clonlara know that more than more after repeatedly coming up agonisingly short at the business end and being made to suffer nine championship exits at the penultimate or ultimate stage in 14 seasons.
However, now that they have finally reached the promised land of county senior glory, their ambitions should be to expand that initial objective of avoiding relegation to embracing domination.
Any yet such is the bear-pit of the Clare championship that they may never get back to this lofty stage again so it’s best to make the most of this glorious opportunity. Even allowing for the fact that Ballygunner have gradually made themselves a Munster machine as this is their sixth provincial senior decider, they have already won three and are now bidding to become the first ever club in what is now the 60th year of the competition to soar to a three-in-a-row of O’Neill Cups, Clonlara should only see this as an extra motivation.
After all, with all eyes on the ten-in-a-row Waterford champions who now hold an admirable 53 match winning record domestically, Donal Madden’s side can hurl with real freedom as all the pressure and expectation is firmly on Ballygunner’s shoulders.
If Clonlara can emulate and even surpass their performances over the past seven matches, and they’ve given supporters no reason to doubt them, then there is a real chance of potentially upsetting the odds. However, as Ballyea learned to their cost last year, Clonlara will need to take almost every scoring chance that comes their way, especially goal opportunities and will arguably also need a dollop of fortune to go their way too in order to lower what is a team full of former or current Waterford stars such as Dessie Hutchinson, Pauric Mahony, Philip Mahony, Stephen O’Keeffe, Barry Coughlan, Paddy Fitzgerald and Peter Hogan.
The key for Clonlara is to have no regrets as playing to their maximum means that even if they were to come up short, they would only hold their hands up and admit to being beaten by a better team whereas to not perform would be the ultimate nightmare.
Clonlara themselves have had more than enough past experiences to now embrace the lights and momentum of Christmas and not be forced to endure another harsh winter of introspection.
Their time is now.