Banner’s shooting stars must sharpen up

COMMENT

HAD former Mastermind host Magnus Magnusson appeared in the Clare dressing-room at half-time, his list of questions would have been lengthy but pointed.

‘How to dominate possession but shoot wides at will’ would have been Clare’s obvious specialist subject choice.
The 8,379 attendance were almost silenced such was their inability to grasp what Clare were at. In the 15 minute spell following the 7.15pm throw-in, Clare contrived to shoot an 10 wides. Had their collective eye been in, Tony Kelly, Conor McGrath, Seadna Morey, Podge Collins, Killian Ryan, Podge Collins and Aaron Cunningham would have shot Clare into a virtually unassailable half-time lead.
Instead they hit those 10 wides in the opening 20 minutes and even contrived to tag on three more before half-time.
Yet even amidst the deluge of wides, Tony Kelly’s class didn’t desert him. He sped away from Tipperary wing-back Brian Stapleton with the ease of a Ferrari accelerating beyond a Morris Minor at a green traffic light.
Still there was no ignoring Clare’s first half profigacy. Quality forwards seemed to have developed a habit that they couldn’t kick. Chances that they would normally fire over without thinking, were heading everywhere but over the bar.
What didn’t help either was Clare’s insistence on instructing Cathal O’Connell to roam outfield. This left Conor McGrath dealing with two and sometimes three defenders, making it virtually impossible for the Clare captain to locate a free blade of grass.
He was man marked by Stephen Maher, while Andrew Ryan was a free defender for a long portion of the first half. When a Clare midfielder or half-forward looked up, McGrath was often surrounded by the Tipperary full-back line.
Clare looked slightly less ponderous in attack when Aaron Cunningham was moved from wing to corner-forward, with Cathal O’Connell stationed full time at wing-forward. Like most of his attacking colleagues, the diminutive Clonara forward wasn’t sufficiently involved in the opening half but he got going early in the second period.
A minute after Jason Forde pointed Tipperary 0-8 to 0-6 ahead, O’Connell shot over two beautiful scores from play.
He was taken off ten minutes from time, which was a brave decision but given who combined to create Niall Arthur’s winning goal, you cannot question Clare’s bench strategy.
While Clare’s inability to convert first half chances was a huge factor in keeping Tipperary competitive, remaining calm when they conceded a superb goal 12 minutes from the end contributed significantly to saving their season.
Instead of allowing Tipp to push on and close out the game, Clare upped the ante with Kelly pointing a long-range pressure free, while McGrath shot over a dead ball after Podge Collins had been fouled.
Those scores and that reaction to conceding the goal, finished sublimely by Tipperary’s John O’Dwyer, kept Clare in it. Had they panicked at that stage or dropped the head, Tipperary could have been four or five points up come injury time. 
For the third time since 1999, when Clare lost an epic Munster final to the Premier County, Cusack Park was throbbing at the end of the hour. Four years ago the throbbing turned a bit heated after that infamous 65’ handed Tipperary the 2008 Munster title.
As hot as the after-match tension ratcheted four years ago, it didn’t match the almost overwhelming tension of ’99.
This time, at least, the explosion was one of ecstasy and not another eruption of anger followed by the Tipperary U-21 team leaving town with a Munster title.
Winning the county’s second U-21 title represented a momentous evening for Clare hurling and one that, if replicated twice in the coming weeks, could herald a second All-Ireland title.
But not if their shooting doesn’t steady up a bit.