Hurlers record unimpressive win

Clare 2-15
Kildare 0-11

CLARE completed their National Hurling League programme with another unimpressive display on Sunday. They struggled against bottom-of-the-table Kildare before emerging as 10-point winners, a result that sees them top the table and complete their programme without defeat.
Already in the final prior to this latest outing, they will face Wexford in Sunday week’s decider after the Slaneysiders booked their spot in the final for the second successive year with a win over Antrim at Wexford Park.
The final is set for 5pm on Sunday week at Semple Stadium in Thurles. The Clare management team continued with the policy of making a few changes from the previous outing and for this one they had Gerry Quinn in the starting line-up for the first time in the league. The Corofin man lined out at wing-back in a line completed by Brendan Bugler at centre-back and Pat Donnellan.
Conor Cooney was at full-back, flanked by Pat Vaughan and Domhnaill O’Donovan. Team captain Brian O’Connell returned having missed the previous three league ties due to a finger injury. He was at midfield with Cormac O’Donovan.
An early goal from Diarmuid McMahon gave the Claremen a cushion but they failed to build on this and missed some good scoring opportunities. At half-time they had a four-point advantage, with the score at 1-7 to 0-6.
They struggled in the early stages of the second half and the home side cut the deficit to the minimum margin at one stage.
The visitors dominated the final quarter and a goal from Colin Ryan helped them to pull away for a 10-point victory without ever really showing impressive form.
Clare availed of the opportunity to use the full quota of five substitutes and Nicky O’Connell showed impressive form on his introduction. The Clonlara man had been out of action for the previous two weeks due to injury.
In his first outing of the campaign, Gerry Quinn impressed while Colin Ryan, the team’s top scorer on the day with 1-4, and John Conlon when he went to centre-forward, were others to impress for Clare.
However, the winners struggled in a number of areas and they will need to improve if they are to achieve their goal of promotion to the top division next season.
“We are pleased to have won the game but we need to up the pace of our game and our intensity if we are to gain promotion. It’s improving in training but we need to bring it into our games. We are hoping to be able to make the step up when we meet stiffer opposition,” selector Danny Chaplin said.
The Sixmilebridge native is confident that they will have a full-strength panel to select from for the final on Sunday week. “Darach Honan should be back in training this week. It’s important that we get everyone back as the championship isn’t that far away either. We set our objectives at getting to the league final and promotion and then turning our attention to the championship. We have reached the league final and our focus now must be on that game,” said Chaplin.

Clare: Donal Tuohy; Pat Vaughan, Conor Cooney, Domhnaill O’Donovan; Gerry Quinn, Brendan Bugler, Pat Donnellan; Cormac O’Donovan, Brian O’Connell; John Conlon, Jonathon Clancy, Fergal Lynch; Diarmuid McMahon, Barry Nugent, Colin Ryan.
Subs: Seán Collins for Lynch (40 minutes), Nicky O’Connell for B O’Connell (48 minutes), Martin ‘Ogie’ Murphy for Clancy (52 minutes), Michael Scanlon for McMahon (54 minutes), Eamonn Glynn for Quinn (60 minutes).
Scorers: Colin Ryan (1-4), Diarmuid McMahon (1-0), Nicky O’Connell (0-3), John Conlon, Cormac O’Donovan, Barry Nugent (0-2); Fergal Lynch, Pat Vaughan (0-1).

Kildare: D Byrne; P Reidy, J Doran, P Curtin; N O’Muineachain, D Kennedy, B White; J Houlihan, D Carter; M Moloney, F O’Muineachain, M Fitzgerald; D Harney, A McAndrew, K Divilly.
Subs: M Divilly for White, C Kenny for McAndrew, P Moloney for F O’Muineachain.
Scorers: Martin Fitzgerald (0-4), David Kennedy (0-3), David Harney, Mark Moloney (0-2).

Referee: Eamonn Morris, (Dublin).