Deadly Healy shows the way forward

A FORWARD line’s most stringent critics are often their own set of defenders. Viewing from down field, backs are often despairing of the shooting or movement of their attacking team-mates. They often think they could do better themselves if only they were given the chance. For the next couple of weeks and probably for much longer, the Clare forwards will have a new advisor.

A FORWARD line’s most stringent critics are often their own set of defenders. Viewing from down field, backs are often despairing of the shooting or movement of their attacking team-mates. They often think they could do better themselves if only they were given the chance. For the next couple of weeks and probably for much longer, the Clare forwards will have a new advisor.
Normally stationed at corner-back, Laurence Healy played a significantly more attacking role in Ruislip last Sunday. The Ennistymon man was detailed to follow his direct opponent Kevin O’Leary, who although selected at corner-forward, played as an extra London defender. Rather than play a free defender themselves, Clare opted to send Healy upfield and take the game to the home city. What nobody expected was Healy to slot over two points from two shots.
When he played a slick one-two with David Tubridy and then pointed from 40 yards in the second minute, even the Clare management were momentarily stunned into silence. Two minutes from full-time, Healy kicked Clare’s 17th and his second point before nonchalantly jogging back into position as if this was something a corner-back did every day.
“Today could have been my one and only chance,” Healy laughed when asked what he thought of his reinvention as a ruthless attacker.
“I didn’t mind playing up the field. It’s nice for a change. Management had told me that was the role I was going to play. They knew he was going to be tracking back so that’s what we had planned to do,” he added, claiming he didn’t panic when he found himself in front of the opposition goal with the ball in his hands. 
“No. I just hoped for the best,” he smiled, talking to The Clare Champion outside the Clare dressing room in Rusilip.
On a more serious note, Healy acknowledged that London had provided doughty opposition and Clare had to be totally tuned in to beat them.
“That was a tough game. We knew that coming over so we had prepared really well. We didn’t take London for granted at all. They kept going right to the end so we needed to put in a good performance and I think we did that. Definitely, today’s game was very important. We know we’re in a good position now for promotion so we had to win today and not let ourselves down after the good wins we’ve had over the last three weeks,” the Ennistymon defender said.
Clare have a free Sunday this weekend. Their next game will be at home to Kilkenny on April 8, while their potentially decisive league game will be away to Wicklow on April 15.
“We’ll definitely be taking the Kilkenny game seriously and making sure we get the two points there. More than likely, it’s going to be a big game in Wicklow for promotion,” Healy forecast.
The regular message from the Clare panel is that they are enjoying their football in 2012. Laurence Healy echoes this sentiment.
“Everyone is really enjoying it this year. It makes it easier when you’re winning. Everyone’s enjoying the training with the new conditioning coach Micheál Cahill. I think that has made a big difference this year and players have responded in a big way. Everyone seems to be going in the same direction,” Clare’s most lethal corner-back feels.
From now on if Healy throws a few words of attacking advice in the direction of David Tubridy, Alan Clohessy, Shane McGrath or Rory Donnelly, they’ll just have to put up with it and listen, given that he had a 100% conversion rate in Ruislip.