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04th Nov 2018

Tony Kelly does it again

Niall McIntyre

A first touch from the Gods.

We shouldn’t really be surprised by anything Tony Kelly does with a hurley anymore. This is a man who’s made the amazing things the standard thing over the last couple of years.

He’s sold the dummies, he’s shown off the first touch, he’s burned them with the pace, he’s killed them with the points. He does it in a Clare jersey every summer. It’s winter now and it’s club time, it’s Ballyea’s time, it’s Tony Kelly’s time.

Sunday in Walsh Park and Tony Kelly is doing Tony Kelly things.

Ballyea are back on a magical journey again. Two years after they won the county and the Munster for the first time ever, they’ve won the county again and now they’re hunting for a Munster for the second time.

Time passes, but some things never change. Tony Kelly is again their leader, Tony Kelly is their main man.

He’s scored 3-32 from play from the start of the Clare championship to now. He’s breaking opposition hearts and he’s still up pucking balls every morning before he even eats his breakfast.

Ballyea were slow off the mark in the Munster semi-final against Ballygunner down in the Déise on Sunday. They were struggling with the wet conditions and their touch was off.

Tony Kelly stood up, Tony Kelly settled them into it with the type of point that we’re used to seeing from him now.

The ball breaks around the midfield. This is Tony Kelly territory. He bursts onto it like a train and flicks it into his path, one handed while picking up the pace all the way.

He bursts through the gap, leaves men in black jerseys for dead as if they weren’t there, and sticks it over the bar.

Then he adds a sideline a few minutes later.

Then, Ballyea are on their way.

The FootballJOE quiz: Were you paying attention? – episode 10

Topics:

Clare GAA