Sports

Clare 3-23 Galway 5-15 WHEN the time comes to review the 2009 hurling season, this All-Ireland U-21 semi-final will be in any shortlist for the title of game of the year. Neighbours Clare and Galway produced a truly memorable contest at Semple Stadium in Thurles on Saturday before 5,741 people and, while there would have been few complaints had the match ended in stalemate, such was the quality of the game, the newly-crowned Munster champions just about deserved the victory. They now qualify for a tilt at the defending All-Ireland champions Kilkenny on September 13.

SATURDAY’S victory over Galway in the All-Ireland U-21 hurling championship semi-final at Semple Stadium in Thurles showed the quality of the team. That’s the view of team coach Cyril Lyons. Standing in the middle of the famed Tipperary venue where he had lined out on many occasions with the Banner county in the ’80s and ’90s, the Ruan man’s immediate reaction after the game was, “What a match, my goodness, what a match.”

CLARE manager John Minogue said he was concerned on many occasions during Saturday’s thrilling All-Ireland U-21 hurling championship semi-final. “In a game like that, you have to be concerned but the spirit of this team stood out. We had a lot of heroes on the day. They stood up. Some guys played well for 20 minutes, got cramp and others then stood up.

THE week leading up to last Saturday’s All-Ireland hurling was an extremely hard week for Galway coach Pat O’Connor. “To be against Clare and, more particularly with Patrick’s involvement, made it twice as hard,” said the Tubber man as he reflected on Saturday’s thrilling contest.

CRATLOE and Ennistymon’s rate of progression on the underage football field will be in evidence again this Thursday evening, when the clubs meet in the 2009 U-21A county final in Cusack Park. The clubs met in last year’s minor A final in Cooraclare, with Cratloe winning their first ever title, at that level, on a 0-11 to 1-6 scoreline. Twelve months before that, Ennistymon defeated the South-East Clare club by a point in the 2007 minor semi-final. They subsequently defeated Kilmurry Ibrickane in the minor A decider.

Liscannor 2-11 Shannon Gaels 4-1 LISCANNOR’S ability to kick points was the telling difference in last Saturday’s Intermediate Ladies’ Football final in Miltown.

COACHING structures within the county, the management of the various development squads, the participation of the various schools within the county in colleges’ competition and the link-up between adult and underage structures in the county, are just some of the areas to be examined by a special committee being set up to look at the state of Clare football. This was the outcome of a special county board meeting held on Tuesday night at the West County Hotel, Ennis.