Race For Canon Hamilton Heating Up

The race for the knockout stages of the Clare senior hurling championship is thundering along after a weekend of action played in mixed conditions.

Champions Ballyea, Smith O’Brien’s, Clonlara and Clooney-Quin were among the teams who proved they can handle the heat of championship battle

After the third round of games, at least three of the four groups look destined to be decided by scoring difference.

CONTINUE READING BELOW

That includes Group One, where Clonlara’s battling victory over Whitegate saw the south-east Clare men claw themselves back into contention for a quarter-final spot.

Elsewhere in that group, there was late drama as a Killian Bane goal with the last action of the game saw Feakle clinch a crucial point against Newmarket.

It means that four of the five teams in the group are still in with a shout of the knockout stages, with Whitegate looking destined for a relegation battle.

Group Two has a much more settled look about it, with Ballyea and Cratloe in the driving seat for the top two spots.

Holders Ballyea made it three wins from three after edging out Clarecastle in an often dour derby contest

Meanwhile Cratloe ran up another impressive score to overcome Broadford, with 2-23 on the board for Conor Earley’s side, who are now all but guaranteed a quarter-final spot.

Group Three saw one of the shock results of the weekend as Clooney-Quin powered past Kilmaley, with Tommy Corbett’s side registering a 14 point victory.

Elsewhere in Group Three, Eire Óg saw off a stubborn challenge from Scariff to seal a 4-16 to 2-16 win, which means the final round of games will decide the final standings.

The same is true in Group Four, where the biggest shock of the weekend arrived in the opening game, as last year’s intermediate champions Smith O’Brien’s beat last year’s senior runners up Inagh-Kilnamona.

There was late drama in the other Group Four game, as a late goal from veteran Daithi O’Connell and a 66th minute free from Ben O’Gorman saw Wolfe Tones beat Crusheen by the minimum.

It means all four teams are still in contention for the knockout stages ahead of the final round of games.

You can hear post match reaction from all this weekend’s games below

Meanwhile in the intermediate championship, there were wins for Tubber, Newmarket, Sixmilebridge, Parteen, Tulla and Bodyke.