This article is from page 84 of the 2011-11-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 84 JPG
Minor A Cha mpionship Fina l Sixmilebr idge v Ba llyea @ Cusack Pa r k or Cla r eca st le, Sat ur day 3pm IT MAY be the most inevitable final pairing since the movie Gladiator but it is also the decider that the most neutrals would have wished for from the outset as these kingpins of the championship finally face off.
However, with great expectations also comes great pressure and in such a 50-50 contest, whichever side can overcome the inevitable nerves that will accompany this final should also take the honours. For Ballyea, this is perhaps the club’s best ever chance to garner the top prize in underage hurling as this team have been building towards this day for some years. Equally however, while Sixmilebridge’s pedigree in this competition is far superior, the fact that they have lost the last three deciders will be a cause for anxiety. It wasn’t just about losing those finals, it was more about losing them as overwhelming favourites to underdogs Inagh/Kilnamona, Kilmaley and Newmarket, all of whom had succumbed to the ‘Bridge earlier in the competition.
Perhaps the fact that Ballyea will enter Saturday’s decider as favourites will suit the ‘Bridge more this time around. Ballyea took the hon- ours in the group stages by 2-15 to 1-11 back in August but as the Under 16 championship proved when strong favourites Clarecastle beat the ‘Bridge early on, only to be caught by the same opposition in the semifinal, group losses mean very little in underage hurling.
This final is also noteworthy for the number of county minors on show, with a large chunk of Clare’s Munster minor winning panel in action on Saturday. Ballyea’s contingent consisted of Jack Browne, Gearoid O’Connell, Niall Deasy and captain Tony Kelly but the ‘Bridge was also well represented by Jamie Shanahan, Seadna Morey, Alan Mulready and Brian Carey.
Such potential star quality makes for a thrilling final that could easily go either way. The loss of Martin O’Leary, who also played in the Minor Division 1 football final recently, to injury is a massive blow to Ballyea but in Tony Kelly, they possess the best player in the championship and one with the undoubted ability to win a game on his own No better occasion then to demonstrate that prowess than in his club’s most important decider since 2003 and in such an inch-tight contest, it could well be the the decided edge. Verdict: Ballyea