Lohan Hopeful Banner Can Hit Form In Munster SHC Opener

Derrick Lynch

Clare manager Brian Lohan has outlined that there is some concern surrounding the form of his side coming into Sunday’s Munster SHC quarter-final clash with Limerick.

The Banner will finalise their team for the clash on Friday evening, with recent results in challenge games against Cork and Kilkenny providing plenty for Lohan and his management team to consider.

Five goals were conceded in each of those games as Clare suffered defeat, and the Wolfe Tones clubman admitted that is something they are worried about.

“We have had a few challenge games over the last few weeks and tried to learn a bit from them. We will know Sunday how much we have taken from those matches. In those games we seem to be leaking scores at one end and not scoring at the other end so that is a concern.We are where we are but it is not ideal. We got back in the middle of September but we did not have our whole panel together. There have been issues that we have had to deal with which are not ideal but that is just the way it is”, he stated.

With confirmation coming on Monday evening that the GAA championship season would proceed despite the Level 5 lockdown, it meant that squads could have a clear focus on what lies ahead this weekend. Lohan says the feeling in the Clare camp is that everyone is happy for the season to proceed but outlined that it does bring additional considerations for management teams to handle.

“The GPA survey said that 24 percent of players did not want the championship to proceed. We didn’t conduct a survey amongst our own squad to see what the numbers are like but I haven’t come across too many guys that have major reservations about so I think our lads are happy enough to go ahead with it. The protocols are the big thing and the typical training session that you would have been looking at last year is so different now. All the protocols have to be followed and all the little things like access to the dressing rooms or lads getting physio before matches all has to be taken into consideration now, and where it can be done outside, that is what is being done. The other complication you have now is the weather with tracksuits and stuff getting wet so there is a lot to consider from a logisitical point of view. From the players perspective, players could sit down and have their food after training so as to have nutrition right but now they are essentially bringing away packed meals and eating in the car before they head home. There are a lot of things that you would not have thought about this time last year but that is just the way things are at the moment” he observed.

It will be a much changed Clare side from the one that lined out against Limerick in the Gaelic Grounds last year, with the likes of John Conlon, Peter Duggan, Podge Collins and Colm Galvin all missing this time around. Lohan is hopeful that there are others who step into the breach and reserved praise for the newer members of his training squad. Underage stars Mark Rodgers, Cian Galvin, Shane Meehan and Darragh Lohan are among those called up in recent weeks, with Rodgers expected to be in line to feature at some stage on Sunday.

Lohan also feels that the heavier winter conditions will mean a much different style of game than would be on show with summer hurling.

“We had to call our panel and we brought in a number of lads from the U20 squad. It is a bit different from other years when U21 players were that bit stronger and that bit more experienced whereas now it is at U20 level. There is good potential there and good guys there but they need that bit of S&C work. They have great attitudes, they want to learn and they want to work and they are kind of guys we are looking for. When you are looking at the opposition, there is probably not a bigger team in the country than Limerick so that might not suit us as well as it could have so we will have to see how it goes”, he stated.