Good start essential for Clare footballers in hectic schedule

Colm Collins says the Banner panel are ready to make the most of their opportunities

THE longest winter in GAA history certainly rivalled anything that Game of Thrones could threaten.
However, while spring has been essentially bypassed, it does open up a summer of possibilities albeit that it’s predicated on hitting the ground running, particularly when it comes to football.
With the championship being straight knock-out and the imminent National League halved, Clare have only five guaranteed competitive matches in 2021, something which Colm Collins is only too aware of in advance of his eighth season in charge.
“The games will be coming at us thick and fast over the next three weekends so we just have to be ready and make the most of the opportunity and I think we will, being honest.
“There’s a great energy around the whole camp and that’s to be expected because if you look at it, the majority of them haven’t played a match since they lost in the championship against Tipp last October.
“That’s a long time for fellas who had been used to regularly playing games with either club or county. So it has been tough but thankfully everyone is back now and looking forward to getting back to competitive action.”
The uniqueness of 2020 was not just based upon the restrictions and protocols but the do-or-die championship structure that saw Tipperary and Cavan bridge interminable gaps to claim provincial honours.
In such a cut-throat format, it was their ability to peak at the right time that earned such memorable breakthroughs, according to Collins.
“In fairness, no-one had ever experienced anything like the lockdown in 2020 before but we’ve definitely learned some lessons from last year.
“We, among other teams, weren’t as good after lockdown as we were before it. Just before Covid hit, we were going really well and we just came off a great win against Cavan and the next thing the lockdown came.
“When we came back, I felt we were disappointing in the last two league games and then we were extremely disappointing against Tipperary. And to see what Tipp achieved afterwards, it was fantastic for them and they seemed to hit form at the right time.
“The day they played us they were poor but obviously we were poorer but they got better as the championship progressed and probably had their best game in the Munster Final. And fair play to them, it was huge for their county.
“But we have to feel very disappointed with the way we went out of the championship and hopefully that’s still in the lads’ minds and that they can redress the balance this year because they’re a lot better than the way we finished up last year.”
With an equally scorned Kerry to come in Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney in this year’s Munster Championship, building up momentum in their four match National League campaign over the next five weekends is simply a prerequisite.
“People have been saying that it’s a terrible draw to get Kerry but my argument has always been that if you are to succeed in the championship, these are the teams you’ve got to beat. And if you’re playing football, these are the type of games you look forward to.
“On a couple of occasions, we’ve ran them very close albeit that we haven’t tended to do very well in Killarney.
“So I think it’s important that we get this one right and that we play to our potential down there and give ourselves the best chance of a victory.
“After all, it’s a knock-out championship, so it’s do-or-die and we’ll be well prepared and have a right battle down there, please God.
“But in order to give ourselves the best chance against Kerry, we need to start as we mean to go on in the league.
“As I’ve said a thousand times, the margins in Division 2 are tiny. I mean you could realistically lose a match just by mouthing about a free and seeing the ball being brought forward.
“There have been a lot of one point games in Division 2 so it’s crucial that what you can control, you do control and that you get all the little things right.”
Split into two groupings of Division 2 South (Clare, Cork, Kildare and Laois) and North (Down, Mayo, Meath, Westmeath), Collins and Co are faced with familiar foes but, crucially, start and finish the group on home soil.
“It’s all to play for really. Every team in our group knows each other inside out so therefore it’s great to get the two home games, especially in the context of Covid because you’re 100% certain of the way you run the show in your own ground and are prepared for every eventuality.
“So having two home ties is important to get and I feel that we have an opportunity here that if we could get a couple of wins under our belts, we could get to Division 1 which we’ve always wanted.”
One of the key results that denied Clare promotion to the top flight last year was a minimum margin defeat to Laois in Cusack Park that February, so no extra motivation is required to seek revenge this Sunday at the same venue.
“I feel preparations this year have gone really well and we’re really looking forward to playing Laois again on Sunday.
“Last year, we were very wasteful in front of goal against them so we’ve got to rectify that. And the other major area for us are turnovers as it’s almost criminal to give away cheap ball to the opposition.
“When we tidy up those areas, we can be quite potent and are a match for anyone.
“But that means focusing completely on Laois and getting the best performance we can and I think if we do that, we’ll be fine.”

by Eoin Brennan