Group of Death comes alive

Clare Senior Hurling Championship Round 3 preview
Ballyea v Éire Óg at Cusack Park Ennis, Saturday 5.30pm (Eoghan O’Leary, Whitegate)

It was inevitable from the draw in May that the fate of this neighbours would essentially hinge on this final round showdown. And so it has come to pass as this 2022 final rematch could well eliminate one of these sides depending on the result and in Ballyea’s case, how big the winning margin is.
For the Townies, a win or draw would be sufficient to seal top spot, with a victory for Gerry O’Connor’s side ensuring that the 2021 and ’22 champions would fail to get out of the group for the second successive season, something that hasn’t happened in 12 years.
For Ballyea to keep matters within their own grasp and not have to worry about what’s happening in Sixmilebridge, a six point victory is the target as it would see them leapfrog the Townies even if both are tied with Clonlara at the top of the table.
In that scenario, Clonlara and Ballyea would advance to the quarter-finals, with the defending champions as group winners.
Therefore the pressure is on the Bally Boys to build on their impressive act of defiance against Clooney-Quin last time out and make their biggest statement since retaining the Canon Hamilton at Éire Óg’s expense in 2022.
Both have lost key protagonists since then, with as little as ten players from the team and subs that contested that decider only two years ago expected to line out on Saturday evening.
That’s a huge turnover in such a short space of time, with the biggest omission on the group leaders clearly being National Hurler of the Year in waiting Shane O’Donnell whose hamstring injury against Clonlara will not only leave them devoid of their biggest threat but also removes their main distraction as invariably two defenders will be ear-marked to keep tabs with the All-Star.
They still have great attacking options, with Danny Russell stepping up to the mark superbly against Clonlara in O’Donnell’s absence while recent All-Ireland winner David Reidy and an in-form Darren O’Brien will also seize scoring responsibilities.
The question is what Ballyea have in their locker as while Tony Kelly and Niall Deasy partnership is still as crucial as ever up front, Jarlath Collins will be expected to shadow four-time All-Star Kelly while either Aaron Fitzgerald or Ciaran Russell will be posted on Deasy so they will need more from others if they are to prevail.
Éire Óg were favourites to edge this after the opening round but even without O’Donnell, the Townies just might have the edge on artillery to shade this heavyweight contest.
Verdict: Éire Óg

Clonlara v Clooney-Quin at O’Garney Park Sixmilebridge, Saturday 5.30pm (Jarlath Donnellan, Wolfe Tones)

Clooney-Quin’s fate was very much out of their hands a fortnight ago after being frustratingly edged out by Ballyea.
Having only lost to Éire Óg by the minimum in injury-time in the opening round, a similar faltering coming down the final straight in Sixmilebridge looked to have not only ended their Canon Hamilton hopes but also ensured their place in the relegation play-offs with a game to spare.
The only thing that would save them was for defending champions Clonlara to be beaten, something that didn’t appear likely after they had lowered the previous winners Ballyea by eight points in Round 1, not to mention their seven match winning championship run that stretched over two years.
However, Éire Óg did them a massive favour and now while Fergal Lynch’s side are again looking for a Clonlara defeat, this time it’s very much in their own hands this Saturday evening.
In a safety first approach, a Clooney-Quin win allied to a Ballyea triumph over Éire Óg would see them level on points with Clonlara and would send the champions into the relegation series on their head-to-head meeting.
Reaching more for the sky, if Éire Óg are victorious, a Clooney-Quin win by even the minimum throws up a three way deadlock between Clonlara (+8), Clooney-Quin (-2) and Ballyea (-6) which would send Ballyea into the demotion mire while a six point success or more on Saturday evening would actually catapult Clooney-Quin into the quarter-finals.
On the flip side however, a victory of any sort ensures a quarter-final place for Clonlara irrespective of what is happening in Ennis and it allows them to have a sole focus on getting their championship challenge back on track.
After all, Donal Madden’s side looked unstoppable against Ballyea first day out but there was something missing against Éire Óg in Tulla a fortnight ago. A bit like the wild rumours surrounding a Ger Loughnane National League side that they had trained the morning of the game, there was a distinct lack of energy about Clonlara’s performance.
Of course, credit has to be given to Éire Óg for their fearless display but this wasn’t the assuredness and collective drive that the county and beyond had become accustomed to witnessing over the past twelve months.
This can either go two ways as having been humbled by the Townies, either Clonlara will have sharpened their hunger for a major backlash or else Clooney-Quin will see it as chance to put more misery on the champions.
Clooney-Quin would need all hands on deck for that as without John Conneally or Jack O’Neill, it’s the former that’s more likely.
Verdict: Clonlara