Cloughbawn put in a commanding performance to see off Ballyfad in a comprehensive victory that sends them marching on in the competition.
The final scoreline of 4-20 to 0-18 tells the story pretty well. Cloughbawn were simply the better team on the day, and the four goals they managed to put away made the difference between the two sides look even bigger than the point tally suggests.
Ballyfad did their best to keep up, finishing with 0-18 to their name, which is no small feat. But every time they looked like they might be able to close the gap, Cloughbawn had an answer, and more often than not that answer came in the form of a green flag.
Goals change games, and Cloughbawn knew it. Getting four past the Ballyfad keeper gave them a cushion that their opponents simply could not claw back, no matter how many points they tagged on from play and placed balls.
Cloughbawn will now look ahead to the next round with confidence after this kind of display. Scoring 4-20 in a single game shows real firepower, and if they can bring that same energy into their next outing, they will be a serious threat to anyone left in the draw.
Ballyfad, on the other hand, will be disappointed to bow out but can take some heart from their scoring return. On another day, 0-18 might be enough to win. It just was not enough today.
Fair play to Cloughbawn, they looked class out there. Ballyfad never really turned up did they? Probably a good wake up call for them before the season gets serious.