Defensive weaknesses costly for Clare

Dublin 4-14   Clare 2-17

 

THERE will be much debate for some time to come over two refereeing decisions in the final moments of Sunday’s All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship semi-final but the reality is that Clare should have been sufficiently ahead at the time so those decisions shouldn’t have had any bearing on the outcome.

Opinions are divided as to whether or not Bobby Duggan’s effort from a 50m free on the sideline went between the uprights in the 60th minute but many argue that Jamie Shanahan should have been awarded a free seconds later when he won possession from the puck-out. The referee saw it differently and penalised the Sixmilebridge man and the winning goal came following the resultant free, a minute into injury time.

A two-point lead at half-time wasn’t an accurate reflection of Clare’s dominance in the opening half of the game. They had led by six after 15 minutes but some slack defending proved costly and this is reflected in Dublin’s final tally of 4-14. Their goals, at least two of which should have been prevented, came at vital times on a day when the Clare full-back line struggled.

A superbly-struck penalty by Jamie Shanahan in the 14th minute stretched Clare’s lead to eight points but, a minute later, they conceded the first of four goals, which ultimately cost them a place in the final. Seven minutes later, Dublin struck for goal number two and suddenly Clare’s lead was whittled down to the minimum margin.

The winners were first to score with full-forward Cian Boland pointing after just 30 seconds but within a minute Shane O’Donnell had Clare on level terms. Jamie Shanahan, who was outstanding in the opening half, put Clare ahead and they dictated maters for the next 15 minutes. They went 1-5 to 0-1 in front when Shanahan crashed a penalty to the net, following a foul on Shane Taylor. The first signs of cracks in the full-back line came just over a minute later when Oisín O’Rorke grabbed a Conor McHugh delivery and fired to the net. Three Dublin points to a Jamie Shanahan effort for Clare left two between the sides with 20 minutes played.

A great Shane Taylor effort and another free by Bobby Duggan pushed Clare four clear again but then Dublin hit for goal number two when Caolán Conway gave Eibhear Quilligan no chance with a powerful shot to the corner of the net three minutes after he had forced a tremendous save from the Feakle teenager.
Clare deservedly led at half-time, 1-11 to 2-6, but they should have been further ahead at that stage. Five or six points would have been an accurate reflection on the first-half play.

They resumed with Conor Deasy at corner-forward in place of Alex Morey. Dublin had the opening two points of the half to level the game but Clare’s response was impressive. Three points in as many minutes, two from Bobby Duggan frees and one from Niall Deasy, saw them go three clear and they strengthened their position in the 11th minute of the half when Shane O’Donnell won possession from a Conor Deasy pass and he brilliantly fired to the corner of the net.

At this stage, Dublin made what proved to be a very influential substitution when they brought in Donal Gormley. At the turn of the final quarter, Dublin won a penalty when Shane O’Brien pulled down O’Rorke. While referee David Hughes made the right call in awarding the free, he penalised the wrong Clare defender when issuing a yellow card to Eoin Quirke. However, before the free was taken, O’Brien was shown a yellow card along with Dublin midfielder Cormac Costello, following an off-the-ball incident.

Wing-back Sean McClelland was called up to take the free but his effort for goal was well saved by Gearóid Ryan at the expense of a 65’, which Paul Winters converted.

Four points ahead, 2-14 to 2-10, with 10 minutes remaining, the odds on a Clare win were strengthening but poor defending again proved costly when Colm Cronin easily got through for a Dublin goal with six minutes to play. Cian Boland and Conor McHugh added points and Dublin led for the first time since the opening minute. The lead was shortlived as David Conroy won the puck-out and sent over the equaliser.
As the game entered injury time a replay looked likely but it wasn’t to be and for the second year in succession an injury-time goal, this time from O’Rorke, sent Clare crashing out of the All-Ireland minor championship.

Conor Cleary, particularly in the first half, got through a lot of good work for Clare on a day when Eibhear Quilligan did well between the posts. Over the hour Clare had the better of the midfield exchanges with Jamie Shanahan particularly dominant in the opening half.

Up front, Shane Taylor was Clare’s best forward. Shane O’Donnell threatened on occasions. While Bobby Duggan converted seven frees, he will be disappointed with a couple of missed chances.

Dublin: Cian McGabhain; Eric Lowndes, Cian O’Callaghan, Shane Barrett; Sean McClelland, Robert Murphy, Eoghan O’Donnell; Cormac Costello, Colm Cronin; Conor McHugh, Sean Treacy, Caolán Conway; Paul Winters, Cian Boland, Oisín O’Rorke.
Subs: David Gormley for Treacy (42 minutes).
Scorers: Oisín O’Rorke (2-1), Colm Cronin (1-1), Caolán Conway (1-0), Paul Winters (2f) and Cian Boland (0-3 each), Conor McHugh (0-2), Cormac Costello, Sean Treacy, Sean McClelland and Donal Gormley (0-1 each).
Frees for: 10; wides: 10; 65s: 1
Bookings: Cian MacGabhain (15 minutes) and Cormac Costelloe (48 minutes).
Clare: Eibhear Quilligan (Feakle); Shane O’Brien (Clonlara, capt), Brian Carey (Sixmilebridge), Gearóid Ryan (Clarecastle); Aidan McGuane (Kilmaley), Conor Cleary (Miltown, St Joseph’s), Eoin Quirke (Whitegate); David Conroy (Doora-Barefield), Jamie Shanahan (Sixmilebridge); Shane Taylor (Broadford), Alex Morey (Sixmilebridge), Aidan O’Gorman (O’Callaghan’s Mills); Bobby Duggan (Clarecastle), Niall Deasy (Ballyea), Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg).
Subs: Conor Deasy (Sixmilebridge) for Morey (half-time) and Stephen Ward (Clarecastle) for N Deasy (55 minutes).
Scorers: Jamie Shanahan (1-4, 0-1f), Bobby Duggan (0-7f), Shane O’Donnell (1-1), Shane Taylor (0-3), Niall Deasy and David Conroy (0-1 each).
Frees for: 16; wides: 11
Bookings: Eoin Quirke (48 minutes) and Shane O’Brien (48 minutes).
Referee: David Hughes, Carlow.