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4th November 2018
05:16pm GMT
Lads like these are a joy to watch all through the year for their counties but it's even better watching them for their clubs. That's because the weight of a parish lies in the grains of their hurl, the curves and swerves of their wrists and the tune of their hurling brains on a day like today.
If they don't play well, their club haven't a chance. They all played well in Walsh Park.
For Ballyea, Jack Browne pucked more balls than most hurlers would in a wall-ball session. Tony Kelly galloped past more bodies than a thoroughbred racehorse coming from behind and Niall Deasy was accountable for more points (15) than most lads would be in an entire year of hurling.
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Ballyea's players stood up and they can hold their heads high after this 80 minute slug fest in the not-so-sunny-south-east. The only thing that bet them was that Ballygunner have better players around the edges than they do. But as the gritty Bally boys kept on hanging on for more, even a lack of strength in depth struggled to beat them with the clock reaching ungodly hours on a day they were punching above their weight more than Floyd Mayweather would be if he knocked out Anthony Joshua.
They nearly had them in the hour.
In fact, Ballyea were the better team over the first two rounds of hurling and they looked home and hosed up until seconds after the allotted injury time had been played. Then hero Philip Mahony volleyed in a leveller just as the fat lady was about to get going.
And even though that broke Clare and Ballyea hearts, it would be impossible to begrudge Ballygunner. They've suffered more than anyone in Munster hurling over the last few years so we wouldn't complain. More of this to watch on our teles or from the stands. No harm.
Tony Kelly and co. legged it into the dressing rooms in a show of courageous spirit. You always felt as though Ballygunner had them now though.
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Ballyea kept on going. They kept on somehow coming up with scores to keep themselves alive, but Ballygunner had better subs to bring on, they'd more strength in depth.
The first period of extra-time went to the second and there was still nothing between them. The fifth half of hurling went to the sixth and eventually Ballygunner pulled away to win by three, 2-26 to 2-23 the final scoreline.
By the end of it, Ballyea needed a goal to level it again but there was no way they were going to get it. Their players had left everything they had on the Walsh Park pitch and they could hardly move with the clock passing 80.
Yes, they'll be disappointed tonight but they gave their all, they played to their potential and that's all they could ever hope to do.
On the final whistle, two of the game's best players Tony Kelly and Pauric Mahony shared a warm embrace. Kelly smiled and Mahony smiled back at him. Smiles of admiration.
Losing is a killer but when you put up the best fight you possibly could, when you've been a part of a game like that on a winter's Sunday in November, you can only be proud of that and you can only say well done to those who were good enough to beat you.
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Maybe there shouldn't have been extra, extra-time, maybe there should have been a replay next weekend. Whatever the wrongs and rights of it, there's no doubting that Ballygunner deserved the win and they deserve their Munster final place and there's no doubting that Ballyea will be back.Explore more on these topics:
