Laois SHC final: 'It’s all about who performs on the day'- Clough-Ballacolla selector Mick McEvoy

Clough-Ballacolla selector Michael McEvoy highlighted the mental resilience shown by his team in overcoming Camross in the semi-final. After suffering defeat to the same side at the same stage in 2023, getting over the line was a vital moment for Clough-Ballacolla. 

Keep an eye on the Leinster Express/ Laois Live website and social medias across the week as we bring you interviews from the players competing in the SHC and PIHC County finals.

“It was important for them to show that mental strength, but I think they've shown it numerous times over the last number of years,” McEvoy said. “They've been involved in a lot of big games, obviously they narrowly missed out last year after a penalty shootout, which was an awful way to lose a game. I suppose there was always going to be a bit of rust in us at the beginning of the game, given that they had been without a championship match for seven weeks, so it was great to get rid of that dirty diesel out of the system and power on then for the rest of the game.”

Reflecting on the semi-final, McEvoy downplayed the idea of revenge, stating that their focus remained on reaching the final regardless of their opponent.

“Camross were the county champions, they had been hurling very well, so it was great to come out on top of that,” he noted. “It didn't really matter if it was Abbeyleix or Camross or Rathdowney-Errill, it was always about us getting back to a final, so we're concentrating very much on ourselves this year. It wasn’t a revenge mission by any means, it was just about us getting to a county final.”

The mixture of youth and experience in the Clough-Ballacolla squad has been crucial in their journey to the final. McEvoy pointed out the blend of experienced players with emerging talent.

“For any team or any club, it's really important to have that mixture of youth and experience. Obviously, there's lads there with a lot of experience behind them, but they need that injection of youth and pace. Joe Corby, Kevin Mulhall, Cormac Hogan, Cillian Dunne have all come through this year, with Joe Pearson, Emmet Sanders, and Podge Brennan there on the bench really driving things,” McEvoy explained.

One of the major challenges the team faced this year was a seven-week gap between their Round 2 game against The Harps and the semi-final against Camross. Despite the lengthy break, McEvoy credits the team’s preparation for helping them navigate the layoff.

“Challenge matches and we went away for the weekend as well. It sounds like an awful long time, but it didn't seem that long really,” McEvoy recalled. “Obviously, the walkover was a big disappointment because even though it was going to be a dead rubber match, just the familiarity of a Championship day would have been good, but it didn't come against us in the end, which is important. Thankfully it didn’t count against us.”

Looking ahead to the final, McEvoy emphasised the importance of performing on the day, acknowledging the evenly matched nature of the two teams.

“It’s all about who performs on the day, two good teams, there’s very little between them. Sometimes in a county final, form goes out the window and it really is all about who can handle the occasion best and perform on the day. I'm sure Rathdowney-Errill will be thinking the same,” he said.

As a selector, McEvoy knows the importance of his role in preparing the team mentally and physically, but acknowledges that the players are the ones who will ultimately decide the outcome on the pitch.

“From our point of view, we’re trying to draw on past experiences. We’ve got a number of players who have experienced County Final day. We just draw on that, but at the end of the day, when the players cross the line, it’s over to them. We’re in the background; it’s all up to the lads on the day.”

Finally, McEvoy highlighted the importance of experienced players stepping up in big moments, referencing their semi-final win over Camross as an example.

“That’s what experienced players are for, and that’s why they’re big players  because they step up at critical moments,” McEvoy said. “When the game is in the melting pot Sunday week, we’ll be looking to those guys to step up and deliver like they did in the semi-final. Simple as that.”