Clare U-21s all set for semi-final

There will be at least one, probably, two changes in personnel for the Clare U-21 team that will line out in All-Ireland hurling semi-final with Antrim at Thurles on Saturday (throw in 4pm).

It is expected the team will be without Conor Cleary, who suffered a hand injury on Saturday last while playing for Kilmaley in the senior hurling championship. The injury will keep the Miltown Malbay man out of action for a month and he is ‘hoping’ top be back in action for the final on September 13, should Clare, as expected, qualify to play either Wexford or Galway. They meet in the second part of the double-header.

Shane O’Donnell returned to training this week following a hand injury picked up in the Munster final win over Cork at Cusack Park but it remains to be seen if the management team will name him in the starting line up. They may opt to ease him back into action and introduce him during the course of the game.

Jamie Shanahan and Jarlath Colleran have been nursing injuries since the Munster final but both got through their club games at the weekend and are expected to play.

Alan O’Neill is the likely replacement for Cleary at centre back. The St Joseph’s clubman excelled in this position in last year’s campaign which ended with Clare being crowned champions. He was omitted for the Munster final having earlier missed some of the season due to injury.

Another who has missed much of this campaign due to injury is Cathal O’Connell, who was also outstanding in last season’s campaign. He is fit again and played a full part in Clonlara’s weekend victory over Clooney-Quin. It’s thought likely that he will be in from the start this week. Like O’Neill, he shone throughout last year’s campaign and, on form, is a key player at this level.

Should the management team opt to include both O’Connell and Shane O’Donnell, it will be interesting to see who will make way. Its an indication of the talent available at this level that the starting forward line in the Munster final was Bobby Duggan, Tony Kelly, Peter Duggan, Aaron Cunningham, Shane O’Donnell and David Reidy, all members of the senior panel. Cathal O’Connell replaced O’Donnell when the Éire Óg man was injured.
The 1-28 to 1-13 Munster final win over Cork sent Clare fans away from Cusack Park on a high. There was unanimous agreement both within Clare and outside, that the Banner side’s display on that occasion was one of the best seen at this level in the history of the competition.

Clare are red hot favourites to win this week’s semi-final and anything other than a comfortable victory for the holders would be seen as one of the greatest shocks in any championship in quite some time, That said, Clare must be alert from the off but they will have been forearmed after Antrim’s shock semi-final win over Wexford twelve months ago.

Both matches will be shown live on TG4.

By Sports Editor, Seamus Hayes