*Brian O’Connell. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
CLARE’S MINOR hurling manager is determined the county will not be experiencing successive Munster final defeats.
Brian O’Connell’s side advanced to the provincial final for the second time in as many years with a merited six point win over Limerick on Tuesday. The result sees them advance to a final showdown with Cork this coming Tuesday (May 9th), a venue for which has not been confirmed at the time of going to print.
Already this season, O’Connell feels Clare have learned from impressing in the first round against Tipperary with a seven point win and then failing to back it up the next day out when they experienced their only loss of the campaign, a four point defeat at the hands of Limerick.
“We can’t make the same mistake of this year when we played Tipperary in the first round and beat them, the lads were really excited and high after that game but it took us a while to come back down to earth and tune in again, we’ll have learned that lesson and we’ll chat to them before they go home, take the claps on the back but it’s next Tuesday night again and we don’t want to be going there and losing two years in a row, that is not on the upward curve at all,” he stressed.
Famously, that encounter with the Premier County in the Gaelic Grounds last year was the first inter-county final in the GAA where the winner was decided following a penalty shootout. “As long as it’s entertaining as that game last year, I think everyone enjoyed it in Limerick that night, at the end of the day that’s why sport exists and teams play, it’s to entertain and we’ll be looking to be part of that because a Munster minor hurling final is a big occasion, we’re really looking forward to it,” BOC added.
Tuesday’s opponents Cork will have benefited from not having to play a semi-final, the Clare manager maintained. “They have a week’s extra rest which is important too, we know going up against Cork is going to be a massive battle. I think all of our players came out of the semi-final okay, we’ve some tired legs, knocks and bruises but no serious injuries so hopefully we are at full health for that game”.
Tulla’s Emmet Mulcahy is the only injury doubt for Clare, the midfielder was substituted with forty three minutes played on Tuesday after it appeared that he strained his hamstring.
