Clare 0-18
Galway 1-13

TWO weeks ago, Clare’s league hopes were seriously dented but they bounced right back into contention by defeating Galway in Round 2 at bitterly cold Cusack Park on Sunday afternoon.
Make no mistake about it, this was a merited win for Clare even if Galway will point to a number of missed chances throughout the tie. Clare displayed the greater determination and hunger for victory on the day and were never in arrears.

 

Clare 0-18
Galway 1-13

TWO weeks ago, Clare’s league hopes were seriously dented but they bounced right back into contention by defeating Galway in Round 2 at bitterly cold Cusack Park on Sunday afternoon.
Make no mistake about it, this was a merited win for Clare even if Galway will point to a number of missed chances throughout the tie. Clare displayed the greater determination and hunger for victory on the day and were never in arrears.

Showing two changes in personnel, one of which was enforced, together with a number of positional switches, Clare tore into the game from the throw-in and never allowed the visitors to settle on the ball.
There were a few anxious moments, particularly in the final quarter when Galway had the assistance of the wind but credit must go to the Clare defence in particular, which was excellent.

With James McInerney ruled out due to a hamstring injury, David McInerney got the nod to fill the full-back role and the young Tulla man continued his impressive form with another excellent performance. Seadna Morey switched to corner-back, while Pat Donnellan and Brendan Bugler swapped positions in the half-back line.

There was a new midfield pairing with Cratloe’s Conor Ryan teaming up with Nicky O’Connell, neither of whom were in the starting team against Waterford. In attack, Fergal Lynch was the player to lose out.
A strong wind blew towards the town goal and Clare had the aid of it in the opening half. They went ahead in the first minute when Colin Ryan pointed a 45m free and they had their first score from play in the third minute, when Shane O’Donnell was on target.

O’Donnell’s point came after Pat Kelly had saved from Niall Healy at the other end. Indeed, O’Donnell troubled the Galway defence quite a lot in the early stages.
Joe Canning opened Galway’s account in the fourth minute, when he converted a 20m free but Colin Ryan from a free and Podge Collins replied for Clare, who led 0-4 to 0-1 after seven minutes.

The visitors had the better of matters in the next five minutes and a brace from Canning and one for Davy Glennon saw them draw level at 0-4 each after 13 minutes.
Five unanswered points from Clare, four coming from Colin Ryan and the other from Podge Collins, had Clare 0-9 to 0-4 ahead by the 20th minute. Galway then missed a great goal opportunity when Niall Healy missed the target after Brendan Bugler had denied Jonathon Glynn.

By the half-hour mark, the home side were ahead by double scores, 0-12 to 0-6 but Galway finished out the half with two pointed frees from their ace marksman Canning to trail by four at the break.
With wind advantage to come for the second period, the visitors looked to be in a strong position but a powerful start to the second half from the home side and, especially, from John Conlon made it clear that the Tribesmen had a fight on their hands.

Conlon had the opening two points of the half and Colin Ryan added one from a free to stretch Clare’s lead to seven, before Galway substitute Aidan Harte signalled his arrival with a good score. Conlon replied with his third but then Galway hit a good patch to get to within a point of the winners.
The game’s only goal came from a Joe Canning 20m free, awarded for a foul on Jonathon Glynn, while the Portumna man added a brace of points to leave the score at 0-16 to 1-12 with 15 minutes remaining.

An excellent Tony Kelly point, following a well-placed pass from Nicky O’Connell, was the home side’s first score in 16 minutes before Patrick Kelly, in the Clare goal, denied Davy Glennon, who looked certain to find the net with only Kelly to beat. From the resultant clearance, the ball was delivered to Clare substitute Fergal Lynch and he stretched Clare’s lead to three with eight minutes still to play.
There was just one further score, a Galway point from a Canning free, but the visitors applied most of the pressure in the closing stages. In the final attack of the game, Joseph Cooney saw his low strike go inches wide of Pat Kelly’s goal, seconds before the final whistle sounded.

Clare defended well with goalkeeper Patrick Kelly and the full-back trio of Domhnaill O’Donovan, David McInerney and Seadna Morey in excellent form. Team captain Pat Donnellan was excellent at wing-back, while Colin Ryan had another superb outing.
Johnnie Coen and Niall Donoghue worked hard in defence for Galway, while Jonathon Glynn and Joe Canning threatened danger regularly.

Clare: Patrick Kelly; Domhnaill O’Donovan, David McInerney, Seadna Morey; Pat Donnellan, Brendan Bugler, Pat O’Connor; Conor Ryan, Nicky O’Connell; Enda Barrett, Tony Kelly, Colin Ryan; Podge Collins, Shane O’Donnell, John Conlon.
Subs: Fergal Lynch for Barrett (55 mins), Colm Galvin for Conor Ryan (59 mins), Jonathon Clancy for Collins and Darach Honan for O’Donnell (63 mins).
Scorers: Colin Ryan (0-8, 7f), John Conlon and Tony Kelly (0-3 each), Podge Collins (0-2), Shane O’Donnell and Fergal Lynch (0-1 each).
Frees for: 14; wides: 7.
Bookings: Pat O’Connor (32 minutes), Brendan Bugler (52 minutes) and Pat Donnellan (66 mins).

Galway: Colm Callinan; Johnnie Coen, Kevin Hynes, Fergal Moore; Niall Donoghue, Joseph Cooney, David Collins; Iarla Tannian, Andy Smith; Tadhg Haran, Joe Canning, Davy Glennon; Niall Healy, Jonathon Glynn, Damian Hayes.
Subs: Aidan Harte for Haran (39 mins), Brian Flaherty for Smith (53 mins) and Shane Moloney for Healy (59 mins).
Blood sub: Tony Óg Regan for Donoghue (64-69 mins).
Scorers: Joe Canning (1-9, 1-8f), Niall Donoghue, Andy Smith, Davy Glennon and Aidan Harte (0-1 each).
Frees for: 19; wides: 8; 65s: 1.
Bookings: Fergal Moore (18 mins), Andy Smith (30 mins) and Tony Óg Regan (68 mins).

Referee: Colm Lyons, Cork.

 

Players stood up to physical challenge

IT didn’t come as any surprise when Clare manager Davy Fitzgerald, during the post-match interview, paid tribute to his players.

“I am delighted with my team because they stood up to the physical challenge because Galway are a very decent team and a very physical and tough team,” he said.
He was satisfied that Clare were the better team. “We had a lot of the play. The frees they got before half-time kept them in the game. If you are looking at the average age of our team and the lightness of our team, you would say that a day like today would not suit us because you needed workers out there. You had that from both teams,” he said.

He felt Clare worked the ball well for some fantastic scores. “It’s a great result but I am under no illusions about the teams we have to play next. We needed that win. We are playing a team [Cork] on Saturday that will run all over the place, run with ball and were very convincing against Tipperary in the first round. We will have our work cut out next week,” he warned.

“We lost to Waterford by a point and you would swear that someone had died around here. I can’t understand it. Waterford drew with Cork today. Everyone is writing Waterford off but I know the lads down there and they have a very good team,” he went on.

“None of the top six are bad teams. There is very little between a lot of them. I was disappointed we lost to Waterford but we were within a point of them. I think a lot of people were very harsh on our players. I am going to keep repeating myself. There will be good days and bad days. This team is learning all the time.

“If you look at the average age, you will see eight or nine U-21s from last year. What do you expect? These lads are giving everything for Clare. They love their county,” the Sixmilebridge man said.
The Clare boss was, clearly, pleased with the support on Sunday. “It was great to have the support. It was nice when our backs were to the wall to have the support we got. These lads will play for our supporters. It’s important to stick with them in the good days and the bad days.

“After the Waterford game, a lot of people were saying we weren’t going to win a game in the league. We have two points now and we might sneak another one or two along the line. Clare have been playing in Division 1B for three years. We have drawn and barely beaten teams.

“We are up with the big boys now. They are all there because they are good. We are going to try our best to compete with them. We were not out of our depth in the first two games.
“We have Cork, Kilkenny and Tipperary to come, three massive ones. We have to try and compete with them and that’s what we are going to do. If we are there or thereabouts, we have made serious progress and that’s what we want to do.”

Asked about the effect the wind had on the game, he said, “I didn’t mind playing into it in the second half. It was a serious breeze. It kinda doesn’t matter the way we play. We just don’t thump balls all over the place.”
Fitzgerald had particular praise for the players who had lined out with their clubs in the U-21 championship the previous day.

“We had four lads who played U-21 championship yesterday and how they managed to go out and play a full game today, I’ll never know. I did not once crib about the club championship being on. We got over it. I tried to see if we could get it moved. I couldn’t and that’s it. There are no ifs, ands and buts from me on that. I was only trying to think of the lads.
“I told them if they weren’t 100% this morning not to play but young fellas being young fellas said they wanted to go out and play. To play two serious championship games within 24 hours is massive and my hat is off to them. They gave everything.

“Do I think they were 100% at their best, probably not. They were tired. I know Tony Kelly was tired, as was Seadna [Morey]. They all played serious game yesterday. I am not giving out. Club hurling is very important to everyone as well. I am a clubman so I understand that,” he concluded.