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Tag Archives: Colm Collins

Clare to make changes for Armagh visit?

UNLESS Clare beat Armagh in Ennis on Sunday, their hopes of having a crack at promotion will splinter beyond rescue. Conversely, a Clare win would be a massive morale boost, backed up by the points that would leave them in a great position, with games away to Limerick and at home to Fermanagh to come. Armagh are top of Division 3, with three wins and a draw. The latter result was at home to Fermanagh last Saturday night, when Kieran McGeeney’s team allowed an eight-point second-half lead to evaporate. Following Clare’s six-point loss to Tipperary, management will have a few decisions to make regarding who to start. Only about six of the starting 15 played anywhere near the required level. Those who did included Cathal O’Connor, Shane McGrath, Martin McMahon, Podge Collins, Ciaran Russell and Dean Ryan. That leaves huge scope for improvement, which will be the minimum demand on Sunday. Management will have to decide whether to give the …

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Clancy wants underage football improvements

SEAMUS Clancy is picking up on increasingly positive vibes regarding Clare football. The Corofin man and 1992 All-Star feels that Clare can build on their 2014 promotion and have a decent 2015. However, he believes that the next step is to beat teams that they are not expected to defeat. “I texted Colm Collins for the new year and I said thanks for what he had done last year. They did lift our spirits. It was unreal. There is certainly high optimism around. The first lift they got last year was a couple of guys, who had won All-Ireland medals, said ‘I want to play football for Clare. It means something to me.’ That lifted everyone in the county involved in football. That was a great lift. There were teams before that who were unlucky but when everything is right within a panel, they get the breaks. They got promoted and for this year the big one is to stay …

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Coach Fitzgerald to focus on basics with footballers

NEWLY-appointed Clare senior football coach, Ephie Fitzgerald  has cited breaking down coaching into particular strands as central to his philosophy. The Cork-based Youth Reach teacher, who deals primarily with early school-leavers, has enjoyed sustained success with his club, Nemo Rangers, while, just last weekend, he led Ballylanders to the Limerick senior football title. They play the Waterford champions in the provincial semi-final, with the winners playing Cratloe at home on November 16. “I’m just delighted to get back into the intercounty scene. I did a year with Limerick a few years back but I was under pressure to come back with the Cork minors. The intercounty scene is where it’s at for me at this stage. I’ve been involved in the club scene for a long time and I’ve had quite a bit of success with Nemo Rangers,” Fitzgerald told The Clare Champion this week. “At the start of this year, Ballylanders asked me to give a hand. I wasn’t …

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Loughnane enters dual player debate

FORMER Clare hurling manager, Ger Loughnane has claimed that Podge Collins was not “half the player” in 2014 that he was in 2013. Speaking on RTE’s The Sunday Game last weekend, he attributed this to the 2013 All-Star playing football for his county in 2014. “You cannot maximise your potential. If you take even one of the stars of last year for Clare, Podge Collins; now why was he so good for Clare last year? Because any time he wasn’t training with the team, he was out on his own practising hurling, with maybe a hundred balls on his own hitting them from all over the field. Look at the way he played,” Loughnane said. “Now, this year, he does half and half and he ends up with nothing. He isn’t half the hurler he was last year. You can do it but how could you possibly be as effective if you just concentrate on one? Remember, all of the …

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Footballers knocked out of All-Ireland qualifiers

(Peter O’Connell) Kildare 0-13 Clare 0-12 NOT scoring in the closing 25 minutes cost Clare a famous win over Kildare in Ennis on Saturday evening. When David Tubridy pointed a free, won by Rory Donnelly, ten minutes into the second half, Clare led 0-12 to 0-6 and Kildare looked seriously rattled. [doptg id=”35″]However the visiting Leinster county, upped their game, made some key substitutions and ran at Clare incessantly. Substitutes Eoghan O’Flaherty and Paddy Brophy kicked critical scores to help sculpt a place in the last 12 for the Jason Ryan managed team. Clare had played exceptionally well at stages during the first half. Points from Enda Coughlan, Podge Collins, Rory Donnelly, Martin McMahon, Shane McGrath (0-2) and a David Tubridy free helped Clare into a 0-7 to 0-4 interval lead. Alan Smith kicked three first half points for Kildare, while Padraig O’Neill added a point. The Clare supporters in the 7,745 attendance gave their team a standing ovation at …

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Clare’s attacking flair must be tempered by improved defence

CLARE’S best displays this year have been when they have played with freedom and abandon. They have totted up significant scores in several games but have conceded far too much defensively. It might seem a bit churlish to point to areas of concern given that they hammered Carlow by 19 points but unless Clare can balance all out attack with a more coherent defensive approach, it is very unlikely that they will come close to matching Kildare. A few things must not happen. Half backs cannot steam forward in front of the ball, while one midfielder must sit if the other attacks either on or off the ball. If a half back or midfielder attacks, one of the half forwards not directly involved in the move will have to drift back to prevent Clare being caught on the break. Players not on the ball will have to be as vigilant as those who are. Kildare will cut through Clare if …

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Clare footballers to take on Kildare in Ennis

THE Clare footballers will play Kildare this weekend in round three of the All-Ireland qualifiers in Cusack Park this weekend. Following their 19 point win over Carlow in Dr Cullen Park on Sunday, Clare could have drawn Kildare, Armagh or Roscommon home or away. While it has yet to be confirmed it is likely that the game will be played in Saturday in Ennis. The time and day of the match will be confirmed this afternoon by Croke Park. Kildare scored a 1-19 to 0-11 point win over Down in Páirc Esler at the weekend. They scored 1-6 without reply in the closing ten minutes when defeating the 2010 All-Ireland finalists. Clare’s win over Carlow was their first All-Ireland qualifier win since 2006 while this weekends game will be their fifth championship outing of 2014. The winners will qualify for the last 12 and a likely meeting with the Leinster or Ulster final losers.  

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Footballers hammer Carlow by 19 points

Clare 4-26 Carlow 2-13 CLARE scored an emphatic 19 point win over Carlow in Dr Cullen Park on Sunday afternoon. Such was their fluency in attack, ten players contributed to their tally. [doptg id=”31″]Clare led by 12 points, 2-15 to 1-6 at half time following a superb opening 35 minutes. Rory Donnelly scored the opening Clare goal after picking up a break off Shane Brennan who scored his sides second goal just before half time after a Shane McGrath pass. Donnelly added two points while Enda Coughlan, McGrath and David Tubridy kicked three points apiece in that opening period. They were dealt an early setback when Shane Hickey had to retired with a gash to his forehead which required five stitches. He was replaced by Dean Ryan at corner back. Clare went on to dominate the second period with Podge Collins and Podge McMahon scoring their goals. While Carlow were poor Clare will be very concerned that they conceded 2-13. …

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