*Brian Lohan. Photograph: Burren Eye Photography
A GROWING spirit within the Clare senior hurling panel has been hailed as the main positive of their Allianz National Hurling League campaign to date.
After opening round defeats to Cork and Wexford, Clare bounced back beating Offaly and claiming a draw with Limerick on Sunday.
It’s an improvement according to Brian Lohan but he did acknowledge that their 0-18 apiece draw with Limerick should have ended in a Clare win. “Our fellas worked hard against a really difficult opponent, I’m happy enough with the spirit that was there, the opportunity was there to get a win but we didn’t do that. I’m a bit disappointed”.
At times during the game, Lohan voiced his frustration with the decision making of Carlow referee, Patrick Murphy and was seen pleading with him to be fairer in the second half. “We’ve done a lot of work on our discipline and we’ve done a lot of work on our coaching and a lot of time has gone into the frees, we spent a lot of time talking about the handpass, we conceded nineteen frees there and they conceded thirteen frees, I thought he was a little bit hard on us but he has a tough job to do and we appreciate it,” he explained.
Murphy did flash a yellow card to the two-time All-Ireland winner as the tie wore on. The ex full-back said it was his first booking as a mentor, “I was booked before when I played once or twice alright but I haven’t been booked on the sideline before”.
“I got a little bit frustrated with some of the decisions, I thought our lads were trying to make a point of not fouling and showing they weren’t fouling, particularly that last free for Colin Coughlan, I thought our lads defended it as well as they could do, they were very obvious about trying to show that they weren’t fouling but he still gave the free, sometimes that happens but it is frustrating,” he added.
Question marks have surrounded the decision to disallow David Fitzgerald’s first-half goal, the green flag would have put Clare on level terms. “Why was it disallowed, the obvious thing is a square ball but was it in the square? Our lads at half-time were adamant that it wasn’t but I was here watching it, I was eighty yards from it, a key score like that you’re very disappointed when it goes against you,” Brian commented.
He continued, “The name of the game is winning matches, you’re under so much pressure when you don’t win matches, you have to win matches but all of the time thinking what is coming down the tracks and not risking anyone when they don’t need to be risked and hoping injuries clear up but it is a game about winning, if you don’t win you won’t be in the job too long”.
