Questions remain after win

COMMENT

WINNING a championship game can have a huge effect on the psyche of a young team. Almost overnight, self-belief in their collective ability radiates and suddenly they fear nobody. Winning at underage indicates potential but now this Clare panel are on the cusp of delivering where it really counts. For the first time in several years, a Clare hurling team dominated the crucial minutes of a Munster Championship game, although their opening 45 minutes were patchy and definitely not enough to deal with top counties.

 

 

However, some of the younger players including David McInerney, Colm Galvin, Tony Kelly and Shane O’Donnell will have benefited significantly from their own personal displays. All are better versed this week on the no-holds barred nature of Munster hurling and are certain to have garnered added confidence and know-how from last Sunday.

While McInerney had issues under dropping ball with Maurice Shanahan, he stood up manfully on his championship debut in a pivotal position.
As well as Clare started, however, it is of serious concern that they were outscored 1-9 to 0-4 between the seventh and 36th minutes of the opening half. With John Conlon on fire, they tore into Waterford from the off but Pat Donnellan’s under-hit clearance, towards Brendan Bugler, was exactly what Clare didn’t need. Jake Dillon buried a goal on his debut and suddenly Clare were rocking.

A better team than Waterford would have buried Clare but their shooting was poor even if some of that was down to good Clare defending.

It was interesting to note that when Seadna Morey was substituted, he was replaced by a half-forward, Peter Duggan and not by Conor Ryan, who had been selected in the original line-up by Nicky O’Connell. While Clare won and Peter Duggan contributed directly to both second-half goals, Ryan and O’Connell clearly have quite a task ahead if they are to force themselves into the first 20.

From a management viewpoint, the introduction of Duggan, allied to starting a rookie full-back, an U-21 midfield and a 19-year-old inside forward, is brave and praiseworthy. These players are clearly good enough but a more conservative management would not start with so many youngsters.

That said, the total exclusion of Cathal McInerney, man of the match in last year’s U-21 All-Ireland final is hard to believe, while his club colleague Seán Collins has also fallen completely off management’s match-day radar.
With Cork in mind, Clare will work on improving the retention of possession from their own puck-outs. Most of Pat Kelly’s first-half puck-outs were won by Waterford, whose half-back line won the vast majority of breaks. While John Conlon had the run on Kevin Moran in the early minutes, generally, the Waterford half-backs were in control for much of the opening half.

Clare’s insistence on deploying Conor McGrath as what amounts to a fourth half-forward also needs to be reassessed. It’s not a coincidence that McGrath, then at corner-forward, scored Clare’s second goal when he cleverly read a break off Peter Duggan. McGrath is a natural finisher and playing him 40 or 50 yards from goal does not make sense. A fluid inside line of McGrath, Darach Honan and Shane O’Donnell would have the legs on most full-back lines as long as the Clare half-forwards afforded them plenty of space.

Clare are in an excellent position, however, as they prepare for Cork in the fortnight ahead. Competition for places will be intense with some of those on the bench surely believing they are worth their place on the starting 15.
Playing Cork in Limerick will definitely be of some assistance to Clare but what they do on the training fields between now and then will dictate the result.