Reigning Laois SHC champions Clough-Ballacolla will start the search for a new manager after Barney Naughnane stepped down from the position after their drawn game with Camross on Saturday.
Naughnane, a Tipperary native, admitted that a difference of opinion was at the heart of his decision to step down. "I was asked up to train Clough-Ballacolla and after one session I was asked to stay on as coach, but after a few weeks there was a di
fference of opinon. In the time that I was there we played four league games and won them all, but after the weekend I decided to withdraw my services.
"I would like to wish the players the best of luck though, they gave me huge commitment while I was there."
Clough-Ballacolla chairman Danny Hanlon admitted it was a hurling decision which led to Naughnane leaving, as the club were not happy with the manner in which he was training the team. "He wanted to train the team a bit differently than the way we wanted him to train them, and some were questioning his ability to train the team, so we came to the conclusion that he was not the man for our job. Some will be happy and others will be sorry to see him go, but we parted in good company."
Hanlon also confirmed the search for a successor has already started, and the club have held discussions with a number of potential candidates already, as they hope to be closer to an appointment in the next week or so. Liam Dunne and Shane Corby will take control of the team until a new manager is in place.
Clough-Ballacolla had seemed in good shape coming into the championship, with an impressive end to the league seeing them qualify for a second successive ACHL Division 1 final. Camross needed an injury time free from Zane Keenan to snatch a draw from the Group A clash, but there were obviously problems behind the scenes.
The club have taken the novel approach of appointing managers late in the season, having only appointed Ramie Ryan towards the end of last year's league campaign, before he then guided them to their first senior title in over 90 years. Having had success with that formula last year, things haven't gone so well this year, but they still look in good shape to progress to the knockout stages of the SHC, and with Ballinakil's collapse against Rathdowney-Errill at the weekend, will be hot favourites to make it back-to-back Division 1 titles.
