Ballyea won the Clare Senior Hurling Championship for the first time in their eighty two year history when they overcame the challenge of Clonlara on the second time of asking in the replayed final.
Clonlara's chances of becoming Clare SHC champions are still alive, their captain John Conlon is understandably delighted to still be in with a shout of raising the Canon Hamilton.
When it looked like Ballyea were about to claim their first ever Clare SHC title Clonlara refused to panic, instead they waited for an opportunity to pounce, their patience paid off as Cathal ‘Tots’ O’Connell hit over an equaliser to send the tie to a replay.
Clonlara and Ballyea will have to do it all again as a last gasp point from Cathal Tots O’Connell means there will be a replay in both the Clare SHC and SFC finals in the same year for the first time since 1982.
He’s in his first year in charge of the Clonlara Senior Hurlers and Damien Power finds himself sixty minutes away from guiding the club to their third ever senior championship title.