FOR TWO players who have won practically everything in the game, the one piece of sliverware that has eluded Clarecastle pair Anthony Daly and Ger O’Loughlin has been the National League. Fittingly considering this weekend’s opponents, Kilkenny have proved a constant thorn in Daly’s side in the National League final of ‘95 as a player and in 2005 as manager of Clare while the Sparrow was on the losing side in both the 1986 and 1995 finals and of course in last year’s Division 2 final against Wexford as manager.
Daly is the first to admit that while National League’s weren’t high on Ger Loughnane’s priority list in the 90’s, the breakthrough would mean everything to his emerging Dublin side this weekend in their first Division 1 final in 65 years.
“It is a little bit weird I suppose not to have picked up a National League after all the success we had in the 90’s. In Clare terms anyway, we had a fair bit of success so it was one that got away, it was one I suppose that Ger [Loughnane] never put massive emphasis on. The biggest disappointment for us in the league was in ’95 but then when we went on to win the All-Ireland, I suppose the league did become secondary.
“This is a bit different for Dublin because it would be a huge one for us to win and it would be a massive boost for hurling in Dublin so we will be going absolutely all out for this on Sunday. To get into the final has been great because it has been such a long time but it will mean nothing if we don’t give a performance so it would be a massive one for us to pull off alright.
“In saying that, we are realistic enough to know it’s going to be very difficult as well. You could see from the last day Kilkenny were anxious to show us that the pecking order hadn’t changed. Now we fought it out well the last day, even though it was only a run of the mill league game for them while for us it was a bit bigger being on in Croke Park and all that. So they will be anxious again to put us in our place and we know that but we will also be anxious to perform anyway, that’s the main thing.
“That may not be good enough to win and if we can say we got the best out of ourselves I’d be happy with that because that’s the way we have looked at it all year. We are not putting any pressure on ourselves to say we have to win the league, we have to win this match or that match. Out attitude is ‘let’s play our best and see where that takes us’, you’d never know where that will bring us.”
If Kilkenny have had a hoodoo over Dublin in the past few years, then Limerick have emerged as Clare’s equivalent this year, having put them to the sword with relative ease in the opening game of the league in February. Clare manager Ger O’Loughlin is confident that Clare can use that disappointment to their advantage when they return to the scene of the crime on Saturday evening for the winner-takes-all decider.
“Without doubt, the lads are motivated to rectify that game this weekend. We have spoken about it at length, we realise what’s involved and we realise that we have to play way above what we have been playing to date against better opposition. But we have our homework done, we are expecting a huge challenge from Limerick because they are the team to beat in it and while we are going in as underdogs, I know from the encounter we had in February that every lad is looking forward to going in and putting the wrong right.”
The one niggling doubt surrounding Clare this year has been their inconsistency, not only from game to game but often within the same game but having gone through similar traits with his Dublin side, Anthony Daly isn’t unduly worried and feels that Clare will never get a better opportunity to get back to the top tier, having received home advantage.
“That fading in and out of games just seems to be a tendency that needs to be ironed out and I think that comes with inexperience of young players. “What will help Clare is that the game is on in Cusack Park. It’s been a massive break for Clare having it in the Park and I’d say, you’ll have 12-15,000 there including a huge Limerick crowd because they are all excited with the Donal O’Grady era starting. I just think it’s a massive chance for our lads to stand up and be counted.
“I have read a bit of criticism and of course it always turns to the management when things are going wrong. I felt sorry for Sparrow, Doyler and Danny for the few weeks there because I know what it’s like myself. The Clare hurling public; the diehards can be great but there is a small crowd there that can be very fickle. I am expecting a huge Clare performance on the night and I’m looking forward to being there myself. I would be very hopeful we can get the win and get back to Division 1.
“For the progression of a young team like we have, getting back up to Division 1 and retaining that status next year is the key. That’s the way you have to build. The fellas who want automatic success or ‘The Keyboard Warriors’ as I call them are not being realistic.
“Most people out there realise it’s a job of work, it’s going to take time and the boys are working fierce hard. I know how much work they are putting in from chatting away to Sparrow every so often and how frustrating it has been for him and how upsetting at times but it is. We [Dublin] know last year that we have no doubt that we could beat Antrim most of the time we play them but on the day they caught us. I have no doubt Clare could beat Laois in championship hurling nearly all the time but on the day they just got caught. What a fantastic chance now for the boys on Saturday and I hope the players realise that.”
Let the games begin.