GAA club championship RECAP from the provincial action in Leinster and Munster
FULL-TIME REPORT: Ballyhale Shamrocks 1-18 Clough Ballacolla 1-15Ballyhale surived a scare to advance to the Leinster final.With the scores level with five minutes to play, all the momentum was with Laois champs, Clough Ballacolla. But then Ballyhale found their rhythm and their range. Three straight scores gifted them this win.The first half was by no means all Ballyhale. Clough-Ballacolla matched them stride for stride, hurled with ambition, and even held the lead more than once — but Ballyhale’s finishing power and TJ Reid’s unerring accuracy ensured the champions still carried a four-point cushion into the interval, 1-12 to 1-8, on their way to a 1-18 to 1-15 victory.Ballyhale opened sharply, Reid clipping early frees in the 2nd, 4th and 7th minutes for a 0-4 to 0-1 lead, with Evan Shefflin also firing over. But Clough were undaunted. A superb Cillian Dunne sideline cut steadied them before the game’s first major moment in the 10th minute: Richie Reid produced a brilliant block, yet Lochlainn Conway reacted quickest to the breaking ball and rifled home, pushing Clough 1-2 to 0-4 ahead.Stephen Bergin added to that momentum, his point giving Clough a two-point edge by the 13th minute, though Brian Cody immediately trimmed it back. Bergin restored Clough’s advantage from a free, only for Ballyhale to reply in trademark fashion — Niall Shortall gathering his footing after stumbling and finishing decisively in the 16th minute, turning the game again and edging Shamrocks 1-5 to 1-4 ahead.Clough stayed defiant: Bergin levelled and Lee Cleere launched a magnificent score from 65 yards. But as the half wore on, Ballyhale’s response grew stronger. Reid tied it again from a free before nudging them ahead in the 21st minute, and Ronan Corcoran struck two fine points from play to stretch the gap to three. Even when Cathal Dunne denied Eoin Cody a certain goal, Ballyhale kept their foot down. Reid’s 65 sent them in four up at the break.The second half began with Bergin (32) and Reid (33) trading frees before Aidan Corby landed a monster from 79 yards. Bergin added another to leave just two in it, 1-13 to 1-11, before the game tightened into a tense, scrappy stalemate — Ballyhale going 13 minutes without a score.Eoin Cody finally broke the drought on 49 minutes, only for Willie Dunphy to answer instantly. Reid pushed the lead back to three from a free on 51 minutes, but Clough then produced their bravest surge of the day: Dunphy, Corby and Dunphy again firing over to haul the Laois men level by the 55th minute, 1-15 apiece.For a moment, it felt like the upset was on.But Ballyhale — being Ballyhale — found that extra gear. Eoin Kenneally nudged them ahead on 56 minutes, Cody pushed the margin to two, and Reid, fittingly, closed the door with a point from play to seal a three-point win.Clough fought them to the finish, but the champions had answers, depth, and calm where it mattered most. Ballyhale march on, 1-18 to 1-15.
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