Minor hurling championship reaches knock-out stage

Ballyea   2-14

Clonlara   0-12

AFTER last weekend’s games in the Clare Minor A Hurling Championship, the way is clear for the knock-out stage.

The quarter-finals are set for the weekend of October 1 and 2 and Clooney-Quin, Clonlara, Newmarket and Clarecastle will be in action. The pairings will be decided when the result of the Sixmilebridge v Clarecastle game is known.
Ballyea and Sixmilebridge are already through to the semi-finals.
In the minor B championship, the quarter-finals will see Kilmaley play O’Callaghan’s Mills and Inagh-Kilnamona take on Smith O’Brien’s.
Already through to the semi-finals are Scariff-Ogonnelloe-Whitegate and Feakle-Killanena.
BALLYEA extended their unbeaten run in the championship by accounting for Clonlara in their seventh-round tie played in Ballyea on Sunday morning.
The home side were ahead 0-5 to 0-3 after 10 minutes when full-forward Martin Quigley struck for his first of two goals to give his side a five-point lead, with his second goal coming before half-time, which left the interval score at 2-8 to 0-7.
The visitors played better hurling in the second period but poor shooting denied them getting closer to the winners, who were also guilty of a lot of missed chances.
Ballyea had good displays in their defence from Darragh Crowe, Eoin Donnellan, Jack Browne and Joe Neylon. In midfield, Gearóid O’Connell was very prominent and finished top scorer with 0-7, while Stan Lineen got through a lot of work. Up front Martin Quigley had a good game, scoring a brace of goals and he received good support from Niall Deasy, who shot 0-2 and Martin O’Leary, who also scored 0-2.
Ballyea received a walkover from Doora-Barefield on Friday evening.