Ballyea and Kilmaley first to snatch Clare SHC semi-final spots

Tony Kelly was at the centre of the action in Ennis. 

Tony Kelly punished a defensive lapse before unleashing a thunderbolt to the net. Picture Dan Linehan

Neighbours Ballyea and Kilmaley garner the first two Clare SHC semi-final places following a dramatic last-eight double header in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg.

Ballyea, the most experienced side left in the quarter-finals with four titles since 2016, turned their tie with 2023 champions Clonlara on its head at the turn of the final quarter when flipping a four-point deficit into an equivalent lead with a 2-2 blitz in just three minutes at 2-09 to 0-11.

Having trailed for the first three-quarters of the tie, a turnover in Clonlara’s full-back line saw Niall Deasy tee up wing-back Morgan Garry to fire to the net. And with their shellshocked opponents in disarray, who else but Tony Kelly to punish another defensive lapse to cut in from the right corner and unleash a thunderbolt to the to far corner of Alan Murnane’s net.

Game over? Not quite as Clonlara responded with five of the next six points, two from Michael Collins to fully repair the damage by the 55th minute.

However, with the bit between their teeth, Ballyea’s winning knowhow ensured that they were never going to pass up such a glorious opportunity to snatch a penultimate stage berth for the first time since winning it last in 2022.

Fittingly, Tony Kelly arrowed over three successive long range frees to seal a 2-13 to 0-16 victory and reiterate their title credentials once more. Clon’s mistake was leaving Ballyea in the tie as eight first half wides and a spurned Paraic O’Loughlin goal chance only saw Donal Madden’s side take a 0-9 to 0-6 edge into the break.

With Ballyea welcoming the conditions for the new half, it didn’t seem sufficient, and so it proved as Robbie Hogan’s side admirably ground out their 14th knock-out stage win in just 18 matches since their breakthrough crown in 2016.

Kilmaley had only contested one semi-final in the same period but rectified that statistic in style with a real statement 1-21 to 1-08 victory over Sixmilebridge.

Leading from start to finish, the decisive moment of the entire hour came in the 22nd minute when some brilliance from Colin McGuane denied Sixmilebridge a goal at one end, only for a defensive lapse to prove costly only second later as Tom O’Rourke scrambled home his fourth goal in just three matches to power 1-7 to 0-4 clear.

Despite facing into the wind, a buoyant Kilmaley tacked on the last four points of the half, three from captain Mikey O’Malley’s frees to blaze 1-11 to 0-04 in front.

Without a score in 19 minutes, last year’s finalists Sixmilebridge finally stopped the rot through a Jamie Shanahan free but it was merely a temporary reprieve as a rampant Kilmaley’s pace, power and balance proved far too heady a cocktail for a stretched Sixmilebridge to handle.

Indeed, by the turn of the final quarter, Kilmaley were 14 points clear and full value for such a handsome cushion as target man Conor Cleary, Brian McNamara, Mikey O’Neill, O’Malley and even goalkeeper Bryan O’Loughlin got on on the scoring action at 1-17 to 0-06.

Sixmilebridge’s most impressive performer David Kennedy did lessen the damage with a much-needed goal at the three-quarters mark but Kilmaley brushed it off to finish with the last three points through O’Malley (2) and Sean O’Loughlin to secure their first semi-final since 2018.

The last four line-up will be completed tomorrow back in Ennis as Feakle put their title on the line against an unbeaten Clooney-Quin at 3pm before heavyweights Éire Óg and Inagh-Kilnamona conclude the weekend’s action with potentially the most intriguing match-up at 5pm.