U-21s eager to turn tables on Limerick

CLARE and Limerick will meet in the opening round of the Munster U-21 Football Championship for the fourth year in-a-row. The game will take place next Wednesday evening at the Gaelic Grounds, which was also the venue last year after the previous two meetings had been at Clare venues.

Clare won the 2009 meeting but the Shannonsiders have come out on top for the last two years and Clare will be keen to get back to winning ways next week.
When the sides met at the same stage of the competition 12 months ago, there was heartbreak for Clare. Everything pointed to a Banner County victory and a semi-final date with Kerry when Clare led by three points with the game in the third minute of injury time.
Then disaster struck and Limerick got through for a goal with the second-last kick of the game to force extra time. From there on, Clare were fighting an uphill battle and Limerick went on to win 2-11 to 0-15.
The sending-off of Paudge Collins, for a second bookable offence, just before the end of normal time proved to be a huge blow to Clare. Ironically, the Cratloe player is a doubtful starter for Wednesday’s game due to illness, which has interrupted his training programme in recent weeks. Collins, currently a member of the senior panel, is a key member of the side and Clare’s chances of progress will take a blow if he cannot take a full part in the game.
Collins is one of a number of players from last year’s squad who will be in action again on Wednesday. Stephen Collins (St Joseph’s) and Stephen Tierney (St Breckan’s) were the wing-backs last year and both are in this year’s squad.
The midfield pairing last year was Conor Ryan from Cratloe and Shane Brennan (Clondegad) and both are key members this year. Ryan recently returned to action following a groin injury, while Brennan, like Collins and Tierney, is part of the senior panel. Brennan will captain the side on Wednesday with Tierney as vice-captain.
Another survivor from last year is full-forward Cathal McInerney, who is currently a member of the senior hurling panel also. He has played a number of challenge games with the U-21 side in preparation for Wednesday’s game.
Six of last year’s starting Limerick side are in this year’s panel. They are half-backs Paul Hannon and Padraig Quin, midfielder Tom McCarthy and forwards Patrick O’Donnell, Jack Donovan and Eoghan O’Connor, who formed the full-forward line in last year’s game.
O’Connor is a member of the Limerick senior panel and played against Clare last week. Senior panellists James O’Meara and Ian Corbett are also eligible for the U-21 grade and they played in last Sunday’s league outing. Limerick are under new management this year with John Cummins having taken over from Maurice Horan, who is now the Limerick senior manager. James Kelly, who scored the injury-time goal in last year’s clash, is eligible for this grade again this year but did not commit to the panel.
The Limerick team trainer is Fiach O’Loughlin, trainer of the Cratloe senior hurling championship winning side and trainer of the Clare senior hurlers for the past two years.
“It was a killer blow to lose last year’s game in the manner we did. Hopefully, we won’t make the same mistakes this year,” commented Clare manager Colm Collins this week. The Kilmihil native, who is also the driving force behind football in Cratloe, is again joined by Ger Kelly (Kildysart) and Peter O’Connell (Shannon Gaels), while they have been joined by Kilmurry-Ibrickane’s Michael Considine this season.
According to Collins, Clare have a number of injury concerns ahead of next week’s game.
“Oisin Vaughan, Conor Ryan, Paudge Collins, Colin Smith and Darren O’Neill are all doubtful because of injuries and illness and it will be nearer match time before we know if they will be available. We are hoping that most will be okay but if the game was on this week, they would be out,” the manager told The Clare Champion.
“In addition, there are a number of the players who will have games this weekend. Shane Brennan, Stephen Tierney and Sean O’Driscoll will be part of the senior panel this weekend for the game against Carlow, while Cathal McInerney will be with the hurlers against Antrim. Hopefully all will come through without injury and be ready for Wednesday,” he added.
Collins has no doubt but that Clare are facing a serious challenge. “They are a well coached Limerick team and, in my view, a better team than last year. Indeed, some of their panel from last year did not make it into this year’s squad.”
Colin Smith (Éire Óg) and Wes De Loughrey (Cratloe) are in contention for the Clare goalkeeping position, while likely to be in the backline are Eamonn Malone (Corofin), Seán Malone (Miltown), Thomas Lernihan (Kilmurry Ibrickane), Enda Ralph, Oisin Vaughan (Ennistymon) Martin O’Connor (Lissycasey), Stephen Collins (Doora-Barefield) and Craig O’Brien (Wolfe Tones).
Both of last year’s midfielders, Conor Ryan (Cratloe) and Shane Brennan (Clondegad), are in the squad but either or both could be selected in attack, as others challenging for midfield are Keith O’Connor (Kildysart), Darren O’Neill (Éire Óg), Ronan Linnane (Ennistymon) and the Looney brothers from Cooraclare.
Among those challenging for forward positions are Cathal McInerney, Paudge Collins (Cratloe), Enda Finnucane, Matt O’Shea (Lissycasey), Sean O’Driscoll (Ennistymon), John Looney (Cooraclare) and Paul Dillon (Doonbeg).
Cratloe’s Conor McGrath, a leading light in the senior hurling team, would surely be in the team if he had joined the panel.
“Of course we would love to have him in the squad but, in fairness, Conor has not been part of the development squads or played minor football for the county side. He has confined his football to club level and we have known this from the outset,” Collins said.
Stressing that Wednesday’s challenge is a big one, the manager added, “We have worked hard and if we can keep doing the right things we will have a chance of progressing”.
The winners will play Cork in the provincial semi-final on Wednesday, March 28 and if Clare progress, their game with Cork will be in Pairc Uí Rinn.