Poor defence costs hurlers

Galway 4-25   Clare 0-20

CONCEDING large tallies has been a problem for the senior hurlers all season and it was the case again on Saturday evening at Pearse Stadium.
Despite some changes to the defence since the early stages of the league campaign, the problems remained. As a result, Clare failed to get out of Division 2 and now their championship season is over too.
The writing was on the wall for Clare at sun-splashed Salthill when they conceded two goals in the opening 10 minutes. Eight points adrift by the end of the first quarter, they always struggled.
Being reduced to 14 men five minutes into the second half, when James McInerney was red carded for a clumsy tackle on Joe Canning, killed any slim hope of a fight-back. When Alan Kerins hit the home side’s final goal at the turn of the final quarter, patrons in the 13,011 attendance headed for the exits.
When the team was named on Friday night, it was surprising that there was just one change from the team that lost to Tipperary in the Munster championship, with Caimin Morey called up to replace the injured Darach Honan. The bigger surprise was that the defence, which conceded 4-19 against Tipperary, was unchanged. From an early stage on Saturday evening, it was clear the back-line was in difficulty. Galway’s much-changed attack from their Leinster semi-final defeat to Dublin put down a marker from the throw-in.
Clare did manage the first score, a Nicky O’Connell point from a 50m free, but by the time they scored again in the fifteenth minute, Galway had 2-4 on the scoreboard and Clare were fortunate not to have been further behind.
New Galway captain, Damian Hayes was in sparkling form and he led the way, opening the scoring with a point in the fourth minute before punishing slack defensive play when he raced through for a goal in the seventh. Conor Cooney picked up a yellow for a challenge on the Portumna man as he headed for goal.
Joe Canning, who had seen an earlier effort rebound off the crossbar, created the opening for his side’s second goal in the eleventh minute.
His low shot across the goal should have been dealt with by Philip Brennan but the shot beat him and rebounded off the upright to the waiting Ger Farragher, who had the simple task of putting the ball into the net.
As the half-hour mark approached, Galway were seven points clear when Canning brushed aside the challenge of three defenders to fire home goal number three to lead by 10 points at half-time, 3-13 to 0-12.
With wind advantage to come, Clare fans were hoping to see a bit of fight return. Brendan Buglar was at centre-back, with James McInerney moving to the corner in place of team captain Pat Vaughan, who was troubled by a leg injury.
Points were exchanged twice in the first four minutes before any slim hopes of a Clare fightback were wiped away with the dismissal of McInerney. Points were exchanged on a few occasions after this and, at the turn of the final quarter, the home side were 11 points clear.
Another defensive error was punished when Alan Kerins had the simple task of striking goal number four. The Clarinbridge man was all alone inside the Clare defence when he received a pass from Ger Farragher.
From here to the finish, both sides made changes but the damage was done and Clare were at the receiving end of another disappointing defeat.
In a defence that was in trouble from the start, Cian Dillon battled bravely but he lacked support. Nicky O’Connell got through some good work in the early stages at midfield, while up front Caimin Morey and Conor McGrath were Clare’s best.

Galway: James Skehill; Fergal Moore, Shane Kavanagh, David Collins; Donal Barry, Tony Óg Regan, Adrian Cullinane; Andy Smith, David Burke; Joe Gantley, Ger Farragher, Joe Canning; Damian Hayes (capt), Iarla Tannian, Alan Kerins.
Subs: Cyril Donnellan for Tannian (56 minutes), Barry Daly for Burke (65 minutes), James Regan for Gantley (65 minutes), Aidan Harte for Farragher (66 minutes) and Kevin Hynes for Cullinane (70 minutes).
Blood sub: Damian Joyce for Barry (60 minutes).
Scorers: Joe Canning (1-9, 3f, 1 65, 1 line ball), Ger Farragher (1-4), Damian Hayes (1-3), Alan Kerins (1-2), Iarla Tannian and Joe Gantley (0-2) each, Andy Smith, David Burke and James Regan (0-1) each.
Frees for: 9; wides: 8; 65s: 1
Bookings: Adrian Cullinane (42 minutes).

Clare: Philip Brennan; Pat Vaughan (capt), Cian Dillon, Conor Cooney; Patrick O’Connor, Pat Donnellan, James McInerney; Nicky O’Connell, Jonathon Clancy; John Conlon, Fergal Lynch, Diarmuid McMahon; Cathal McInerney, Caimin Morey, Conor McGrath.
Subs: Brendan Buglar for Vaughan (half-time), Liam Markham for Clancy (43 minutes), Sean Collins for Lynch (48 minutes), Cormac O’Donovan for McMahon (56 minutes) and Gerry Quinn for Donnellan (63 minutes).
Scorers: Nicky O’Connell (0-6, 5f, 1 65), Conor McGrath (0-5, 3f), Caimin Morey (0-3), John Conlon (0-2), Jonathon Clancy, Fergal Lynch, Cathal McInerney and Liam Markham (0-1) each.
Frees for: 14; wides: 11; 65s: 1
Bookings: Conor Cooney (7 minutes).
Sent off: James McInerney (40 minutes).

Referee: Diarmuid Kirwan, Cork.