The Clare People Archive

THE frosty conditions were thawed out by an encouraging display as Clare advanced to the last four of the Waterford Crystal Cup for the third successive year on Saturday.

The uncertainty of the fixture due to sub zero ground frost was best summed up by Clare manager Ger O’Loughlin afterwards who joked that “we are all up from around seven o’clock this morning waiting for this one. It was off, ‘twas on, ‘twas off, ‘twas on, so it was great to finally come down and play.”

And in keeping with the respective managers’ competitive instincts despite the arctic conditions, both sides came out to win in what turned out to be as keenly contested, evenly matched encounter.

In the end, it was Clare’s superior ability to take their goal opportunities that separated the sides, with Diarmuid McMahon (2) and Adrian Donovan scoring three opportunist goals in the final 20 minutes while at the other end, goalkeeper Philip Brennan was in defiant form to keep out goalbound efforts from fellow county men Bernard Gaffney and Martin Duggan.

It may have been a county versus a college side but with 12 of the 17 Clare players used having played at minor and/or under 21 levels in the last three years, it certainly wasn’t lopsided in terms of experience. However, while both Ger O’Loughlin and Davy Fitzgerald will be happy to have got such a competitive game under their belts ahead of more significant competitions ahead, undoubtedly the Sparrow will be the happier of the two.

After all, in total he got to view 24 Clare natives over the 70 minutes including encouraging county senior competitive debuts for Liam Markham, Conor McGrath, Cathal McInerney and Adrian Donovan as well as an outstanding defensive display from LIT’s Patrick Donnellan. In addition, he saw his side improve immeasurably from their ring-rusty first outing against IT Tralee and more importantly, bulked out his op- tions further for the year ahead.

The Cratloe trio in particular added a fresh dimension to the team, corner-back Mark Earley has certainly grasped his opportunity with both hands with another fine display and overall Clare’s winter gym program saw them more than match LIT in the physical stakes.

The Sparrow won’t be getting carried away just yet however as LIT were without Joe Canning and Seamus Callanan as well as Clare duo Sean Collins and James McInerney who in fact was given permission to play with the county in this year’s Waterford Crystal competition.

More than anything else, it was an honest display from both sides with Clare’s added experience from the likes of Diarmuid McMahon, Fergal Lynch, Philip Brennan and James McInerney getting them through, even though the final eight point winning margin is flattering.

If there is one major criticism of Clare at the moment, it’s the inaccuracy from placed balls that has taken some of the sheen from their opening

IT’S rare for a defeated manager to hold a smile at the final whistle; rarer still when taking into consideration the natural competitiveness of said manager Davy Fitzgerald who in his playing career was nominated for nine All-Stars, winning three of those in 1995, 2002 and 2005 as well as two All-Irelands and three Munster titles.

That ferocious will to win hasn’t waned since entering the managerial route in 2008 but with LIT missing several key players and having bigger fish to fry in the Fitzgibbon Cup next week, Fitzgerald was more than happy with his side’s attitude and application on Saturday, despite the defeat.

“I think everyone enjoyed today’s game because it was competitive. We wanted to win, they wanted to win and that’s what you have to have.

“The score wasn’t a true reflection of the game because I was delighted with the performance. I knew that missing the three or four lads we are missing today, it would be very hard for us. Like Clare, if you are on a county panel, you have to be good enough to be on it but on a college team, you might have a good 15 or 16 that are very, very strong but not as strong afterwards.

“When we were missing Seamus Callanan, Seanie Collins, James McInerney and Joe Canning today, you are missing out on four very good lads. I felt that we probably had three or four good goal opportunities that we didn’t finish whereas I felt Clare took the two or three chances that they got. But in fairness to them, I was looking at Clare both last week and this week and there was a massive improvement in their commitment.

“We are delighted with the game because you want to play in competitive games like that. I was delighted to see Clare fighting as hard as that and Clare need those games. You need a bit of fire and I think you’ll see there was a good bit of fire out there today but definitely Clare came on a lot in a week but I expected that anyway.”

Delving deeper into the difference between chance taking, the former Clare goalkeeper offered his opinion on why his side were continually frustrated by current number one Philip Brennan.

“He saved them a couple of times but there is no excuse for him saving them because we should have finished them. You can’t hit the ball hip high at any goalkeeper. Any goalkeeper worth his salt will stop the ball hip high. We have to be hitting the balls down low where it counts but we didn’t do that today but fair play to Clare, they kept the ball out at the back and they took their chances.

“From a Clare point of view looking at it, you’d have to say they worked a lot harder there today and that was a big thing. Fellas got games that hadn’t got games before but as I say we are just delighted we got that game. I didn’t care about winning it because Wednesday week is when we want to win. It was just vital for us to get that game.”

With one half of a potential dream semi-final line-up shattered, at least Fitzgerald has a second bite of the cherry when he brings his Waterford side to O’Garney Park on Sunday. However, with over 20 squad players unavailable for last Sunday’s 1-12 to 0-11 victory over Cork IT, Fitzgerald doesn’t hold out much hope for a repeat of last year’s victory at the same stage.

“If you have to come back here, you have to come back but all I want to do at the moment is get as many games as I possibly can into it. That would be a good game again and if we meet Clare, I don’t think we’ll match them with the squad we probably have at the moment but it will be good for us to give lads a chance because these are the games to try out players.”

GER O’Loughlin and Davy Fitzgerald may be former All-Ireland winning team-mates and business partners but when it comes to facing each other in competitive action, neither is willing to step aside. This was the third such duel between the pair since O’Loughlin took charge of the Clare senior hurling team last year and up to last Saturday, the Clarecastle man had failed to register a positive result, despite contrasting performances.

Almost a year ago to the day, O’Loughlin’s new-look side were humbled by Fitzgerald’s Waterford (1-17 to 0-8) in the Waterford Crystal Cup semi-final in Ballyduff but did restore a huge amount of pride by the time the championship came around in the first weekend of June, only for Waterford’s experienced bench to edge out the Banner (0-22 to 1-15) in Thurles.

So despite facing new opposition, the presence of Sixmilebridge man Fitzgerald in the opposing dug-out, made this an intriguing tactical battle than in the end, broke O’Loughlin’s management hoodoo against his counterpart and pushed Clare further along the track ahead of the National League.

“It was a good workout,” admitted O’Loughlin afterwards,

“It was an improvement from last week and it thought it had a lot more shape to it. 3-14 is a good score and as I said to the lads during the week, we are trying to cut down on the amount of scores we are conceding. There were a few scary moments there today and we have an awful lot of work to do on that side of it but you’d be happy with the improve- ment from last week and the application and everything is brilliant.”

He was also quick to commend his Clare players on both sides of the divide, especially the newer recruits to the squad.

“We got to see Clare players on the two sides and that’s great for us going forward in preparation for the league but I thought up front we moved a lot better today and we looked more like forward which is a bonus. It didn’t look too laboured and overall we looked sharp I thought. Conor McGrath and Cathal McInerney were great introductions for us, Diarmuid [McMahon] and Fergal Lynch fought awful hard while Adrian Donovan came in and got a great goal so that’s great and it augurs well for us. With plenty of work and improvement in sharpness, we’d be hoping that we can do the business in the league and work hard at it. We realise again that we are far from the finished article but we are working hard at it anyway.

“Most of them are strong lads and physically they should be able to hold their own now. It’s just that in my opinion we will have to improve on breaking ball and contesting high ball and I like to see natural forwards wherever possible and I think we got a good blend of it today.

“So as I say if we can build on that, we have quite a number of lads to come back in there like Darach Honan, John Conlon and fellas like that and we will be confident. We will have our ups and downs I’m sure but we are looking forward to the season anyway.”

And after finally getting one over on his former colleague, O’Loughlin and his backroom team will have to face Fitzgerald once more this weekend when his Waterford side travel to Sixmilebridge for a repeat of last year’s semi-final, with the ‘Ballyduff’ debacle still firmly in the mind.

“Those matches are brilliant for us because it just helps our sharpness for the league and with so little time to be able to hurl, the matches are bringing us on and we are beginning to play more as a team. Hopefully now we can step up another level again. If it’s Waterford, that’s one that maybe after last year, we couldn’t be as bad anyway, I’ll tell you that so hopefully we’ll improve on that one.”

St Flannan’s College 4-13 – St Colman’s 2-10 at Dr Mannix Park, Charleville

A DESERVED victory masked by a flattering nine point winning scoreline as St Flannan’s pulled through this tricky assignment on Wednesday.

Occasionally inspiring but unable to maintain that level of concentration throughout, the Ennis school were undoubtedly the more balanced side but just as easily could have been outdone by a relentless St Colman’s side led by the impressive Michael Spillane.

Only a point clear with only minutes remaining, St Flannan’s were on the backfoot and were slow to make changes but received a fortunate yet timely boost when Conor O’Gorman’s effort for a point from 45 metres on the left wing dropped over goalkeeper Darragh O’Callaghan’s head into the net. With that, St Colman’s heads dropped and a rejuvenated St Flannan’s added a further 1-2 to ease up to victory.

A tough game was always on the cards between two of the most suc- cessful schools in the competition, with the Cork supporters in particular bringing an extra audible dimension to proceedings. They were soon silenced by a blistering start by St Flannan’s who hit the first four points of the game through Martin O’Leary, Peter Duggan and Conor O’Gorman (2) and indeed were 1-4 to 0-2 clear by the ninth minute.

Tony Kelly had a shot saved early on but they finally made the breakthrough when the inspirational Conor O’Gorman’s pass inside was gathered well by Jack Browne who turned his man and roofed his shot over goalkeeper O’Callaghan.

The referee’s laboured approach wasn’t doing either team any favours but St Flannan’s simply overcame such adversity to push six clear through a Peter Duggan free in the 13th minute.

The Ennis school took their foot off the pedal though and instead of killing off the game, they allowed St Colman’s back into a game that seemed beyond them in the early stages.

St Flannan’s would only score one further point in the remaining 17 minutes of the half while the Cork side simply grew in confidence through the Spillane brothers.

Full-forward Gerard Hogan almost stole in for a goal before Colm Spillane pointed and in the final minutes of the half, Michael Spillane added a further 1-1 to slash the deficit to only two.

The goal was a well crafted move, stemming from a Kieran Morrisson high ball that was won by Gerard Hogan who in turn played a clever crossfield pass for the onrushing Michael Spillane to finish to the net at the far post.

St Flannan’s freefall continued after the break when Michael Spillane eluded man-marker Seadna Morey once more to score his second goal in the 33rd minute followed immediately by a Bryan Carroll point to push St Colman’s 2-5 to 1-6 clear for the first time.

The fault-lines in the full-back line were widening but with no alterations forthcoming, St Flannan’s were aided by the leadership of Conor O’Gorman and the growing influence of Tony Kelly who both got on the scoreboard to score three points in a five minute spell to reclaim a slender lead.

This blow for blow pattern continued until the 47th minute when Shane O’Donnell put his head down and weaved his way through the St Colman’s defence to score an eyecatching opportunist goal. A minute later, Tony Kelly converted a free to extend St Flannan’s advantage to four, much to the relief of the St Flannan’s faithful.

Far from lying down however, Michael Spillane hit back with three successive points and in truth, the game could have swung either way at that stage.

In the end however, St Flannan’s were saved by that O’Gorman goal while the subsequent nine point victory shouldn’t be taken at face value as they will need a vast improvement if they are to trouble either Árdscoil Rís or Thurles CBS in the semi-final on Sunday, February 6.

St Flannan’s College
Eoin Enright (Kilmaley), Conor O’Loughlin (Crusheen), Noel Purcell (Sixmilebridge), Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge), Enda Boyce (Cratloe), Stephen O’Halloran (Clarecastle), Gearoid O’Connell (Ballyea),Tony Kelly (Ballyea) (0-3 1f), Jarleth Colleran (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield), Cathal Doohan (Ballyea), Martin O’Leary (Kilmihil) (0-1), Conor O’Gorman (Clarecastle) (1-4), Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg) (2-1), Peter Duggan (Clooney/Quin) (0-4 1f), Jack Browne (Ballyea) (10)

Sub
Alan O’Neill (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield) for Doohan (56 mins)

St Colman’s
Darragh O’Callaghan (Watergrasshill), WilliamWalsh (St Catherine’s), Cian O’Leary (Castlelyons), ColmBarry (Castlelyons), Pa Roche (St Catherine’s), Darragh O’Carroll (Fermoy), Bryan Carroll (Castlelyons) (0-1), Eoin Maye (Castlelyons), Nathan Byrne (Kilworth), Michael Pyne (Fermoy), ColmSpillane (Castlelyons) (0-1), Kieran Morrisson (Fermoy) (0-1), Michael Spillane (Castlelyons) Capt. (2-7 2f 3’65’s), Gerard Hogan (Watergrasshill), Jason Mannix (Bride Rovers)

Subs
Daniel Mangan (St Catherine’s) for Hogan (47 mins), Kevin O’Neill (Watergrasshill) for Maye (55 mins), Michael Wade (Kilworth) for Pyne (56 mins)

Man of the Match
Michael Spillane (St Colman’s)

Referee
Fergal Horgan (Tipperary)

THREE games in as many weeks – three victories and a final to look forward to this coming Saturday. No wonder it’s all smiles from Clare manager Micheál McDermott after the Waterford bogey is laid to rest.

Eyes are still fixed firmly on the league opener in Páirc Sean MacDiarmada in Carrick-on-Shannon on Sunday week, but suddenly, with news having come in that Kerry have beaten Cork in the other semi-final, it’s a clash with the 36-time All-Ireland winners that looms larger on the horizon.

“I know it was only in the month of January in the McGrath Cup, but it was important as regards our development,” he says. “To be playing Kerry in the final is great and we’re looking forward to it. Playing Waterford and now going on to play Kerry is great preparation for going away in the first round of the National League.

“It was important to have an away win under our belts. What happened last year with Waterford beating us twice and even beating us five times out of the last six, it was important that we beat them. They’re a proud bunch of players and it’s been quoted locally and nationally that we down in the bottom rung of the pecking order in Munster at the moment and they want to start climbing that ladder again. That’s why beating Waterford may be the start of that climb.”

And, while victory is all-important, McDermott is quick to point out that the quality of the performance is just as significant. “What pleased the management most was our support play and the football we played,” he says.

“It didn’t yield scores all the time and the final pass went astray, but our support play was another notch up on what we produced against UCC and CIT. We seem to be moving in the right direction. The workrate was fantastic by the whole team. When we defended we defended in numbers. When we attacked we broke with numbers. Ger Fannin got on the scoresheet from wing-back, Gordon Kelly got up the field and was unlucky not to score. It’s great to see players prepared to have a go and have no fear of going out and trying to play good, open football.

“The new lads who came in and played their first game with the county have been training away, but they were under pressure. Coming into the county, they want to do well for Clare. Niall (Browne) started well and worked really hard and played a prominent part in some of the moves, while David (O’Connor) showed his natural scoring instincts when he came on. He took his goal very well – even though it was a tap-in, it was a quality score because of the amount of hands it travelled through on the way within a 30 second period.”

SPEAKING ahead of the game, manager Micheál McDermott said he just wanted his players to remember their previous two losing visits to Waterford in both league and championship.

They must have been listening and while the revenge of a McGrath Cup win over the Deise in January is small in the grand scheme of football things, this win was still significant in the Clare scheme of things.

Another game that showcased the prodigious talents of David Tubridy, whose two booming points in the second-half showcased the difference between the sides.

Another victory – the third in as many weeks – and a game in which Clare finally unfurled second generation talent in the persons of David O’Connor and Niall Browne, who more than played their part in teeing up the county’s first McGrath Cup final against Kerry in 14 years.

And, Clare were full value for the three-point win – recovering from a very poor finish to the first-half, when they coughed up three unanswered points to trail by 0-6 to 0-5, to kick on to victory on the turnover thanks to a goal from debutant David O’Connor and Tubridy’s two wonder points.

Waterford were left to rue their profligacy of hitting 12 wides over the 70 minutes, double Clare’s total, but they were always playing second fiddle after O’Connor’s 42nd minute goal drove them 1-6 to 0-6 clear.

The goal was the product of a sweeping move down the field before David Tubridy gave the final pass to the St Brigid’s player, who was only on the field 11 minutes, tapped home from point blank range for a dream start to his inter-county career.

Order was restored after that goal – it was a repeat of the first-half in which they had hit back after early Mike Donnelly frees for Waterford inside the fifth minute saw Clare hit four points from play on the trot to lead by 0-4 to 0-2.

And, it was another one of the imports who got Clare going – Kildareborn Niall Browne when a great run by centre-back and captain Gordon Kelly created the point-scoring opportunity in the 12th minute.

With Alan Clohessy, Rory Donnelly