Sports

Comment OUCH. Hell surely hath no fury equal to that of a Waterford ‘supporter’ 17 points down at half-time in a Munster final. If those clothed in Waterford jerseys leaving Pairc Uí Chaoimh at half-time had their way, Davy Fitzgerald would have been sacked at 4.35pm.The word ‘supporter’ is used advisedly though. Committed ones would not have left during the interval however bad things were. They would have stayed, peered through their fingers perhaps but not abandoned their county. All of that is not of much relevance to Fitzgerald this week though.He is in the middle of the most challenging fortnight of his management career. Can he somehow lift Waterford between now and Sunday week when they play Galway? The answer is yes, as long as he has the belief and trust of the Waterford dressing room. If he doesn’t, Fitzgerald and Waterford are finished with each other and Waterford’s year will be cut short by Galway.Clare hurling people would …

Kilkenny 2-15   Clare 2-8 Clare’s hopes of reaching the concluding stages of the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship were dashed with a loss to Kilkenny in round five at Nowlan Park on Saturday.It was a must-win game for Clare to remain in contention for at least a play-off place and for Kilkenny to secure a semi-final spot. For 58 minutes, the outcome was in doubt but in the end Kilkenny upped the ante and a goal in the 59th minute decided the game.Kilkenny opened the scoring with a point inside the opening minute before Clare were awarded a free following a foul on Chloe Morey by Kilkenny’s Aoife Neary. Morey dropped her shot into the square and Naomi Carroll was on hand to finish to the net.Kilkenny responded with four points to go back in front by two. Then another Morey free dropped dangerously into the Kilkenny square but Clare were guilty of fouling and the resulting shot down the wing …

When Clare hurled at full pelt in Pairc Uí Chaoimh, the ease of their instant touch, smooth striking and flawless free taking was clearly visible. What was perhaps less aesthetically endearing, yet hugely influential, was Clare’s frantic yet co-ordinated work-rate when Waterford had possession.  Any of the 36,654 in attendance in Cork who couldn’t indefinitely put off a visit to the packed Pairc Uí Chaoimh toilets, could identify with the Waterford minors. Neither the Déise minors nor those queuing to use the facilities had much room to manoeuvre. Clare were much more up for it and infinitely more skilful than their opponents. They even looked imposing in their warm-up routine, with every player getting plenty of striking time. For example they played conditioned games with teams split into five groups of six. Waterford were divided into two cumbersome groups, with many of their players not getting a meaningful touch, as they battled with their team-mates caught in the warm-up bottle …

The minor hurlers won’t know their semi-final opponents or whether they will be playing on August 7 or August 14 until the quarter-finals are decided.The quarter-final pairings were decided on Monday and Waterford beaten finalists will play the Leinster runners up, Kilkenny with Galway taking on Antrim. Both games will take place on Saturday or Sunday week.Clare and Waterford cannot meet in a semi-final just as Dublin (Leinster champions) and Kilkenny can’t meet at that stage. This means that if Waterford manage to beat Kilkenny, Munster champions Clare will be playing either Galway or Antrim in the semi-final.The semi-final pairings will determine which day the games will take place.Whatever about the pairings, not knowing when the game is to be played is a difficulty not just for the team management in terms of their training plans but also for the county board with regard to domestic fixtures.The senior and intermediate hurling championship is set to resume on the weekend of …

TOWARDS the end of May there was much talk in hurling circles that Niall Gilligan might be tempted to return to inter-county hurling and join the Clare intermediate team in preparing for the Munster championship semi-final.The vast majority of supporters didn’t believe that it would happen but intermediate team manager Kevin Kennedy got a resounding yes from the Sixmilebridge man, who has been outstanding in the campaign to date.When he hobbled off the pitch in Sixmilebridge last Saturday in a Clare Champion Cup tie against Newmarket, his chances of playing in the Munster final looked slim but he reported fit for action at Cusack Park  on Wednesday and delivered a five-star display“It’s fierce enjoyable and it was a brilliant game of hurling. This year Kevin (Kennedy) asked me to come in and the club was on a break, so I accepted. There is mighty young talent there and fair dues to Kevin and his team, they got a good mix …

WHILE congratulations were being dished out to all involved in the intermediate’s Munster success, the man most sought out by supporters after the final whistle was team manager Kevin Kennedy.“It’s a proud moment,” he admitted. “I don’t know how many years I have been with this team. I have been with them off and on since 2001. I am glad for the players, those that were used and those in the subs that didn’t get a game and who were with me in previous years. They have given me a lot and I am glad that they now have a Munster medal at this grade. There were times when I had a job to field a team for this competition but tonight we had a perfect panel,” the Ennis-based detective garda said.“Our first half tonight was poor. They pulled a man back as a sweeper and we didn’t cope too well with that. We asked them at half-time if this …

Newmarket 1-16   Sixmilebridge 1-10 IN a repeat of last year’s Clare Champion Cup final, Newmarket turned the tables on neighbours and great rivals, Sixmilebridge on Saturday morning at O’Garney Park.The result ended Sixmilebridge’s involvement in this year’s title race but has kept the Blues in contention for the title.The home side’s hopes weren’t helped by the fact they lost Niall Gilligan after 25 minutes with a hamstring injury. Earlier, defender Robert Conlon had been replaced due to injury, while, in the second half, they lost corner-back Tadhg Keogh with a shoulder injury.That said, they weren’t able to match the play of the visitors, who had some excellent individual performances from Stephen Kelly at full-back and Alan Barrett in the half-back line in particular.Newmarket raced into a five-point lead after 10 minutes with four scores coming from frees by Colin Ryan and one from Martin Murphy. The game was 12 minutes old before the home side opened their account.At half-time the …

ÉIRE Óg caused a surprise in Division 2B of the Clare Champion Cup last Friday evening when they recorded a merited win over previously unbeaten Kilmaley at the latter’s venue.However, despite the defeat, Kilmaley are still through to the semi-final, as they have a superior score difference to Éire Óg and Ruan after the three teams finished on the same points total.The result means Ruan will have to spend another year in Division 2B, as Éire Óg have finished ahead of them on score difference, which will see them promoted along with Kilmaley. Ruan had beaten Kilmaley in the opening round of the competition.Éire Óg travelled to Kilmaley knowing that anything other than victory would see them stay in the division for another term. They took the game to the favourites from the start and were well on their way to victory at half-time when they held a nine-point advantage with the score at 1-13 to 1-4. Thomas Downes scored …