JHC Final Replay Clonduff 0-18 Ballela 2-14
It was always going to be an uphill task! The wind was a mighty factor. Clonduff played with the wind in the first half in An Riocht on Saturday afternoon – the replay having been postponed from Friday night. Clonduff,. playing with wind advantage, went in at the break leading 0-14 to 1-3 but an 8 point lead in hurling is not an advantage especially when the opposition have the advantage of the very strong wind and a free-taker of Johnny McCusker’s calibre! And so it proved to be. Clonduff found it difficult to get the ball out of their own half in the second period against the wind and with 10 mins to go Ballela have levelled the score. The Clonduff heads didn’t drop and they kept up the pressure. However in injury time Ballela had moved into a three-point lead and although The Yellas applied the pressure all they could manage was a single point.
We are extremely proud of the efforts of the Clonduff lads and are confident that if they stick together their day will come. Perhaps it’s one they let slip on the first day out! It is disappointing that the re-scheduled game, originally set for the curtain raiser to the Senior Final on Sunday 24th in Ballycran was re-set for Friday 22nd in Pairc Esler, Newry and was then moved to the Bann Road, Castlewellan and then postponed for a further day due to a water-logged pitch. The Manager and a number of players had re-arranged holidays around the Friday night and when this was cancelled the game had to go ahead on the Saturday minus the manager and a couple of players. Many thanks to Francis Quinn for taking on the role of Marty (McNeill) the Manager who delayed his family holiday from Thursday until the early hours of Saturday morning and to full back Danny Nugent who rearranged his weekend break twice to accommodate the replay. Tiocfaidh at la!!! Well done everyone on the journey you have taken us on in 2017!
Back row (l to r): Liam McParlan, Shay Murnin, Jamie Lowry, John Murphy, Jamie Lynch, Shane Murray, Niall Quinn, Rían Branagan, Martin Rooney, Darragh Downey, Ptrick Branagan, Paul Bloomfield, Shay McPolin, Dylan Downey; Front row (l to r): Chrissy Brown, Danny Nugent, Fionnbharr Murphy, Rhys Ward, Christopher Hynes, Lorcan Branagan, Sean Downey, Chrissy Young, Declan Rooney, Christopher Lynch; Missing from photo: Chris Young, Mark Downey, Pearse Branagan, Gerard Coughlin.
