THE pressure was solely on New- market to perform. It’s been twelve weeks since they last played a championship game, an intermina- bly lengthly period to sift through the wreckage of their disappointing opening defeat to Wolfe Tones and the abject performance that baffled their supporters in the opening game of the championship.
In the interim, there had been several Clare Cup games but this was the first opportunity to rouse their championship aspirations and stake a claim for a quarter-final place that many took as a given at the start of the season.
Ballyea on the other hand had nothing to lose. Ever since the draw was made, nobody gave them a chance in a group that comprised of last year’s county champions Tulla, 2006 champions Wolfe Tones, 2006 finalists Newmarket and the newly amalgamated force of Inagh/ Kilnamona,
And they had this no-hopers tag affixed, despite possessing two- thirds of the side that reached the 2003 county final.
In the end, it played out as expected. Newmarket eased to a seven point victory despite not having to overly extend themselves but while the two points was all that was important on this occasion, they will need to be much more ruthless if they are to emerge from the group.
As expected, Ballyea threw everything at the Blues and indeed
made life difficult for them for long periods but what essentially separated these sides was the extra sprinkling of guile and experience that Newmarket possessed.
Their distribution was slicker, their hurling that bit faster and although this display won’t have © struck immediate panic into their group rivals who were well represented along the barrier in Clareabbey, it was enough to get them on the road and shake off any rustiness that a prolonged break inevitably brings.
Besides that, there was only one real striking aspect lacking in Newmarket’s armoury — the absence of sufficient clinical forwards.
Enda Kelly and Padraig Kilmartin’s movement and_ strength were important, Shane O’Brien impressed intermittently and Colin Ryan looked threatening when introduced but with Paudie Collin’s unerring accuracy propping them up for the majority, there was a distinct staleness to the forward line.
It appeared to hamper Newmarket’s performance over the hour and prevented them from making a real statement of intent in this demanding group.
Fundamentally, the game turned in first half injury time when Paudie Collin’s long free broke in the square and Enda Kelly was the first to react to pull to the net.
Up to that point, Ballyea had matched the Blues point for point despite playing into a slight breeze and if they had held that momentum until the break, it could have inspired
a real battle in the second period.
However, Ballyea tired late in the half and sandwiched by two superb Paudie Collins points from play, Newmarket also fired a warning shot in the 28th minute when a move involving Jim McInerney and Padraig Kilmartin fell to corner-forward Martin Murphy but although his pull beat goalkeeper Shane O’Neill, full- back Kevin Sheehan was on hand to block the shot.
Ballyea didn’t heed that caution however and three minutes later, Kelly grabbed the goal that gave his
side a five point half-time cushion and essential provided the foundation for victory.
Ballyea were always chasing the game after that and with free-taker Ivan Kilbane their main source for scores, they never really threatened Kieran Devitt’s goalmouth. Kilbane put over the opening score of the second period in the 33rd but settled by that goal before half-time,
Newmarket began to stretch their muscles and four unanswered points through Jim McInerney, Shane O’Brien, Dominic McMahon and a Collins free had them eight clear by the 42nd minute.
Ballyea had to reshuffle the pack and cleverly pushed Tony Griffin to full-forward and the county senior almost changed the game.
Griffin won two consecutive frees in a minute that Kilbane converted to reduce the deficit to six but crucially, Ballyea failed to take advantage of a goal opportunity only a minute later when Donal Chambers handpassed over the defence to the onrushing Griffin.
The pass was just too long and Brian Clancy got back to clear the danger and put the ball out for a ’65 which Kilbane converted.
That was as close as Ballyea would get as Newmarket regained control of the game and tacked over four more points to ease their nerves.
Ballyea did have an opportunity to grab a consolation goal deep into injury time when Brian Chambers was fouled and Shane O’Neill came up to take the resulting 21 yard free. However, the goalkeeper’s effort crashed off the crossbar and rebounded high to safety and Ambrose Heagney blew for full-time amid some obvious frustration from Ballyea who are now realistically out of the running for 2008.
Meanwhile, this result means that Newmarket expectantly throw their hat into the ring for qualification but they will realise that they will have to improve considerably for the mammoth impending challenges of Tulla and Inagh/Kilnamona.
The county champions are up next but the Blues shouldn’t require any extra motivation for that tie as it was Tulla who unceremoniously turfed them out of the championship last year. If that quarter-final clash is anything to go by, carrying passengers cannot be an option for Newmarket from here on in.