Clon taught a lesson as Ballinora run riot

Ballinora 1-23

Clonakilty 0-11

NOEL HORGAN REPORTS

A CHASTENING experience for Clonakilty on Sunday in Páirc Uí Chaoimh where they made their exit from the Co-op Superstores county junior A hurling championship at the hands of a much more accomplished Ballinora side.

It’s fair to say this was never a true contest as Clon struggled badly from the outset, falling 1-8 behind before Brian White broke their duck in the 19th minute.

Eoin Ryan, with three points from frees, and Mark White completed Clon’s tally before the break when Ballinora built up an 11-point lead, 1-13 to 0-5.

Considering they had played into a strong wind, Clon, on the face of it, didn’t appear to be completely without a chance of making up the leeway on the resumption.

Ballinora's Danny Dineen and Clonakilty's David Lowney in a race for the ball. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

Regardless of the elements, however, it was glaringly obvious Ballinora were vastly superior in terms of sheer hurling ability, so much so that the number of Clon players who emerged unscathed from the fray in the end could easily be counted on one hand.

The losers’ stand-out performer, without question, was Shane Collins, who excelled between the sticks, denying Ballinora a couple of goals towards the end of the first half, and making three more spectacular saves after the interval.

Wing-back Jack O’Mahony was the most impressive of Clon’s outfield players, with Thomas Clancy another to fare out reasonably well in defence. Niall Barrett had his moments at midfield, but, while none of the remaining Clon players could be faulted for lack of effort, the bottom line is there was a sizeable gulf in class between the teams.

Ballinora's James Lordan defending against Clonakilty's Mark White during the Co-op Superstores JAHC quarter-final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

Powered by a dominant half-back line comprising Mike Lordan, Shane Kingston and Neil Lordan, all of whom got on the scoresheet from play, as did the equally influential James Byrne at midfield, Ballinora piled on the pressure throughout the first half.

Tommy Burns and Alan O’Shea were always to the fore in attack, with the latter shooting the goal that propelled the Muskerry kingpins into a 1-5 lead with just 11 minutes gone.

There wasn’t a hint of a comeback by Clon in the second half when points from play by David Lowney (2), Chris Kenneally, Mark White and substitute Ciaran Crowley, not to mention the heroics of netminder Collins, helped to spare their blushes to some extent.

Scorers

Ballinora: A O’Shea 1-2; J Byrne 0-5; S Kingston 0-5 (3f); T Burns 0-4; N Lordan 0-3; C Quirke 0-2; D Corkery, A O’Sullivan, J Twohig 0-1 each.

Clonakilty: E Ryan 0-4 (f); M White, D Lowney 0-2 each; B White, C Kenneally, C Crowley 0-1 each.

Ballinora: B Crowley; P Fitton, J Lordan, T Forde; M Lordan, S Kingston, N Lordan; J Byrne, D Holmes; T Burns, D Dineen, K Greally; K Murphy, D Corkery, A O’Shea.

Subs: C Quirke for Holmes (inj, 10), A O’Sullivan for Murphy (46), J Twohig for O’Shea (54), R Barrowe for M Lordan (55), C O’Flynn for Kingston (57).

Clonakilty: S Collins; A Cullinane, T Clancy, D O’Sullivan; J O’Mahony, D Lowney, T McCarthy; N Barrett, A Murphy; E Ryan, L O’Donovan, B White; C Kenneally, M White, C O’Donovan.

Subs: C Crowley for L O’Donovan (inj, 22), F McCarthy for Murphy (ht), F Murphy for C O’Donovan (25), D O’Regan for Cullinane (32), K Calnan for Barrett (56).