*Wolfe Tones’ Kevin McCafferty. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
WOLFE TONES are planning to use their final round clash with Newmarket-on-Fergus as a stepping stone towards their looming relegation battle.
Eight games take place in the TUS Clare SHC this weekend, the meeting of the neighbours Wolfe Tones and Newmarket-on-Fergus in Clarecastle on Sunday is the only ‘dead rubber’ and indeed the one tie of the round that will not be broadcast on Clare GAA TV.
Speaking to The Clare Echo following their ten point loss to Cratloe, Wolfe Tones manager, Conor Dolan reflected, “We didn’t come out of first gear being honest about it and credit to Cratloe, they were completely deserving of their victory. We have no complaints about Cratloe’s win, I mean if we can’t get up and raise a fight for a big derby like that, we’re in serious trouble”.
Bringing the levels on the training field to the pitch of championship has been a struggle for the Shannon side, Meelick native Dolan admitted. “This is two days in a row that we’re saying the same thing. The lads effort in training has been fantastic but it looks like we’re just freezing on the big stage when it comes to championship. Any setback at all and we seem to fall apart on the field a bit so we obviously have to regroup fairly quick and get the heads back down because we’ve a serious battle up ahead of us in the next few weeks”.
Dolan outlined that they will be treating the showdown with Newmarket-on-Fergus as central to their preparation for the relegation series where two teams will drop down to the intermediate grade. “We’re going to have to use the Newmarket game now as a stepping stone towards this relegation battle. Maybe change up our gameplan a small little bit in order to come up with a solution which is going to get us out of this mess”.
Newmarket-on-Fergus’ mood is some bit brighter heading into the third round with wins against Cratloe and Clooney/Quin under their belt already securing their place in the quarter-finals. “It’s brilliant to get two wins on the bounce and the bonus that we’re through to the quarter-finals as a result is a huge relief. Usually you’re scrambling in the final round trying to get into the quarter-finals so to be in there with a game to spare is just great for the club,” said Blues boss Tomás Ryan.
On their three point second round win over Clooney/Quin, Ryan stated, “The game was kind of funny in that there was a strong breeze and was a dogged enough game. The fact that we had the wind in the first half meant that we did build up a bit of bad and maybe we lucky once or twice. So I think we did dominate the first half but the wind was very strong too. In the second half then, they [Clooney-Quin] inevitably came back at us but we held them at arm’s length until the end and then lost our way and shape in injury-time and nearly let the lead slip completely. The most important thing was that we held out though but it was a strange game.
“Even though we’re though to the quarter-finals now, we’ll be treating Wolfe Tones like any other championship match. We have our same routine prepared for the next two weeks just like all the other games so far so we’ll be treating it just as serious. There is a tight panel there but there is competition for places too so while we have one injury, we’ll be going at it with the same intensity,” he added.
