Late late Tubridy show wins it for Clare

Clare          1-13
Limerick    0-15
SATURDAY, June 9 will be remembered as Clare football’s most memorable evening since the county’s 1997 Munster semi-final win over Cork in Ennis.

Yet, had luck not sided with Clare in the Gaelic Grounds, defeat to Limerick would have finished them for 2012 and possibly this group of players and management for good. There is no way they would have rallied for Round 2 of the All-Ireland qualifiers had they lost, having led by 10 points a minute into the second half. It’s worth noting the score at that stage,  Clare 1-10, Limerick 0-3.

In the ensuing 34 minutes, Limerick outscored Clare 0-12 to 0-3. Only David Tubridy stood between Clare and complete capitulation. The Doonbeg attacker kicked Clare’s last three points, the third in the 35th minute to win it. Five minutes earlier, Ian Ryan slotted over his 10th point to establish a 0-15 to 1-11 Limerick lead. Ahead for the first time, Limerick looked as if they were on the cusp of wrangling an incredible win from a most unlikely situation. Luckily for Clare, Tubridy had it in him to step up and deliver. Without him, this week would have been laden with recrimination and questions.

Earlier in the evening, Clare had played with the zip and cohesion of a team laden with confidence and conviction. They bullied Limerick in the opening half, completely dictated the game and kicked some superb scores, with Rory Donnelly, Shane McGrath, Alan Clohessy, Tubridy, Ger Quinlan and the magnificent Gary Brennan all pointing.  The Clondegad man ruled midfield in the opening half, cutting through Limerick straight from the throw-in and setting up Rory Donnelly for the game’s first score.

Substituted after 27 minutes, Limerick midfielder and Clare senior hurling trainer Paul Kinnerk must have regretted throwing his lot in with his county footballers for 2012, such was Brennan’s hold on midfield.

As uplifting as Gordon Kelly’s 23rd minute goal was, it encapsulated Limerick’s fallibility throughout the first half. The Clare centre-back was allowed to slice through the Limerick midfield and half-back line, without anyone laying a finger on him. Kelly rocketed a shot past Limerick goalkeeper Brian Scanlon, with the shot appearing to take a slight deflection.

Although 1-9 to 0-3 ahead at half-time, Tubridy had kicked three first-half wides. He did convert a 45’ and a free won by Shane McGrath. Rory Donnelly, who excelled in the opening 25 minutes, accounted for Clare’s fourth first-half wide.

At half-time, everything was as rosy as could be imagined for Clare. What, one wonders, must have been said in the dressing room during the interval? It was hardly along the lines of ‘where will the Munster final be played?’ Yet for most of the second half, it looked that way as Limerick gained control in nearly every sector. James O’Meara made a massive difference at midfield as Brennan tired, while Ian Ryan kicked eight second-half points, four from play.

Nobody in the Clare full-back line could get to grips with him. Clare dallied on the sideline as well and didn’t take Shane McNeilis off until six minutes from time. The Kildysart man is as committed and wholehearted as anyone on the Clare panel but when it’s not going your way, you’re better off removed from the field. That said, the Clare half-back line were often drawn into the middle third of the field, leaving too much space behind them, which left the full-back line exposed.

If a similar scenario was to arise against Cork in the final, Clare should consider playing Enda Coughlan as an extra defender. Coughlan would be well capable of fulfilling that role, as well as supporting the playout of defence. Management will have to come up with a back-up defensive plan be it new personnel or an altered tactical approach.

Several factors contributed to Clare’s near demise. Limerick won a lot more ball around midfield, their forwards found space, which had been unavailable before that, Clare began to give away soft frees and some of Joe Hayes’ short kick-outs went awry.

What must be admired, however, was Clare’s tenacity. Although struggling badly, they somehow hung in there. They were helped enormously by Ger Collins, who hit the cross bar when the teams were level a minute from time. As for the Clare wide count, Tubridy from a free, Donnelly, Michael O’Shea and John Hayes kicked four second-half wides between them.

In what was a match laced with volatility of the footballing variety, Clare just about deserved their win. To have played so superbly in the first half and lost would have been devastating. Between now and July 8, they will have to apply themselves assiduously in pursuit of a more balanced display.

David Tubridy and Gary Brennan largely pulled Clare through, while Rory Donnelly, Shane McGrath, John Hayes and Gordon Kelly all made valuable contributions, which will need to be more steadfast if Clare are to compete with Cork.

Clare: Joe Hayes (Lissycasey); Kevin Hartnett (Meelick), Shane McNeilis (Kildysart), Laurence Healy (Ennistymon); Martin McMahon (Kilmurry-Ibrickane), Gordon Kelly (St Joseph’s, Miltown), John Hayes (Kilrush); Gary Brennan (Clondegad), Ger Quinlan (O’Curry’s); Shane McGrath (Thomas Davis), Enda Coughlan (Kilmurry Ibrickane), Alan Clohessy (Liscannor, captain); Micheal O’Shea (Kilkee), David Tubridy (Doonbeg), Rory Donnelly (Cooraclare).
Subs: Shane Brennan (Clondegad) for Ger Quinlan (58), Niall Browne (Two Mile House) for Enda Coughlan (61), David Russell (Kilkee) for Shane McGrath (64) andBarry Hartnett (Meelick) for Shane McNeilis (65).
Scorers: David Tubridy (0-5) (1f, 1 45’); Rory Donnelly (0-3), Gordon Kelly (1-0), Shane McGrath (0-2), Ger Quinlan, Gary Brennan and Alan Clohessy (0-1 each).
Wides: 8; frees won: 13; 45s: 1.
Yellow cards: Martin McMahon.

Limerick: Brian Scanlon; Lorcan O’Dwyer, John Riordan, Paudie Browne; Steven Lavin, Johnny McCarthy, Pa Ranahan; Tom Lee, Paul Kinnerk; Ian Corbett, Stephen Kelly, Seánie Buckley; Ger Collins (captain), Seamus O’Carroll, Ian Ryan.
Subs: James O’Meara for Paul Kinnerk (27), Eoghan O’Connor for Steven Kelly (53), John Cooke for Ian Corbett (55) and Jim Donovan for Seamus O’Carroll (61).
Scorers: Ian Ryan (0-10, 5f); Ger Collins (0-2), Seamus O’Carroll, Steven Kelly and Eoghan O’Connor (0-1 each).
Wides: 9; frees won: 11; 45s: 1.
Yellow cards: Ger Collins.
Attendance: 4,446.
Referee: Derek Fahy (Longford).