Clough/Ballacolla make it two wins from two in a five-goal thriller against Camross

Clough/Ballacolla made it two wins from two in Division 1 after overcoming Camross, where both teams served up a classic in Ballacolla on Sunday morning.

​It was looking likely that Camross were going to take the points as they led for the majority of the game, and also had a five-point lead with less than twenty minutes remaining in the second half.

But the home side had different ideas and turned the game on its head after a six-minute blitz scoring 2-4 without reply, and they never looked back and played some outstanding hurling in the second half. It did go down to the wire as Camross went in search of a goal to equalise, but it wasn’t to be as Clough/Ballacolla stood firm to see out the game.

There were some brilliant performances on both sides, but Stephen Bergin and Zane Keenan were a class apart for their sides.

Camross elected to play with the wind in the first half and made use of it as they went 0-4 to 0-2 up with points from Keenan, who landed a brace, while Tom Cuddy and Ciaran Collier got the other points, while Bergin kept Clough/Ballcolla in the game.

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Camross soon extended their lead, hitting three in a row through Keenan, Darren Drennan and Gearoid Burke to open up a five-point lead. Bergin again would reply, but Camross were really making use of the wind and hit another three in a row from Dwane Palmer, Daniel Delaney and Keenan to extend their lead.

Bergin and Keenan traded points before Padraigh Brennan hit the last score of the half for Clough/Ballacolla to leave the score at 0-11 to 0-5 in favour of the away side.

Daniel Delaney opened up the scoring for Camross, but the home side would start to kick into gear and hit two points in a row through Bergin and Kevin Hyland. Both teams would trade points through Darren Drennan and Keenan for Camross, while Clough/Ballacolla’s points came from the hurls of Bergin and Kevin Mulhall.

Then Clough/Ballacolla blitzed Camross in the next six minutes, hitting 2-4 without reply to establish a four-point lead, which was the winning of the game.

Bergin got a point from play, and his side soon had a goal through John Dwyer, which was finished brilliantly. In the next attack, they would find their second goal through Bergin after his long ball deceived the goalie and found the back of the net.

They would add three more points through Mark Hennessy, Bergin and Kevin Hyland to leave the score at 2-12 to 0-14.

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Keenan landed two more scores, but Bergin pointed in between Keenan’s brace. It was then game on again as Camross found the back of the net through Ashton Keenan to level up matters.

The victors hit their third goal of the game through Mark Hennessy, who kicked it to the back of the net to regain the lead.

Kevin Mulhall and Zane Keenan would trade points again, but Clough/Ballacolla kicked on again and scored the next three points through Mulhall, Bergin and Hennessy, and it looked like the contest was over.

For the last time in the match, Keenan and Bergin traded points again as the time ticked on, and Clough/Ballacolla led 3-19 to 1-19.

Darren Drennan found another goal for Camross, and they desperately went in search of an equalising goal. They did have one chance from a Zane Keenan free, but Clough/Ballacolla held on for a valuable win, their second of the campaign after an opening round win over Abbeyleix.

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Round 3 will see Clough/Ballacolla travel to Castletown, while Camross will play host to Abbeyleix. Those games are scheduled for Sunday, April 19.

FINAL SCORE

Clough/Ballacolla 3-19

Camross 2-19

SCORERS – Clough/Ballacolla: Stephen Bergin 1-10 (0-5 frees), Mark Hennessy 1-3, John Dywer 1-0, Kevin Mulhall 0-3, Kevin Hyland 0-2, Padraigh Brennan 0-1. Camross: Zane Keenan 0-10 (frees), Darren Drennan 1-2, Ashton Keenan 1-1, Daniel Delaney 0-2, Tom Cuddy, Ciaran Collier, Gearoid Burke and Dwane Palmer 0-1 each.

CLOUGH/BALLACOLLA: Peter Rafter; Cormac Hogan, Darren Maher, Emmet Saunders; Kevin Hyland, Ronan Broderick, Joe Corby; Kevin Mulhall, Padraigh Brennan; Robbie Phelan, Mark Hennesy, Colm Brennan; Gary Whelan, John Dwyer, Stephen Bergin. Subs: Sean Corby for Whelan (47 mins), John Coogan for Hyland (56 mins).

CAMROSS: Cillian Tiernan; Aaron Carroll, Dwane Palmer, Kevin Byrne; Bryan Bredin, Cathal Cuddy, Tom Cuddy; Zane Keenan, Geraoid Burke; Ciaran Collier, Daniel Delaney, James Cuddy; David Mortimer, Ashton Keenan, Darren Drennan. Subs: Andrew Collier for Burke (38 mins), Ryan Cuddy for Mortimer (42 mins).

Referee: Anthony Stapleton (Rathdowney-Errill)