*Doonbeg manager, John Keane. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
DOONBEG’s most recent outing may have been a six point loss but they head into Sunday’s Clare SFC play-off with their heads high.
Defeats to St Joseph’s Miltown and Éire Óg plus a draw with Clondegad have seen the Magpies avoid a relegation battle and instead given them the opportunity to make the quarter-finals. To get there, they must overcome Lissycasey in Cusack Park this Sunday.
Speaking to The Clare Echo following their 0-13 0-07 loss to Éire Óg, Doonbeg manager John Keane admitted, “It is a strange one insofar as we’re happy in defeat, disappointed to lose the game by six but we’re still in the championship, we’ve a play off against Lissycasey so it’s great to be getting ready for that”.
A defensive approach from the West Clare side limited the three in a row chasing Éire Óg to their lowest return in this year’s championship. “We were definitely happy at half time, in the second half we didn’t go after the game enough, there was an element of nervousness in it. We all know how good Éire Óg are, they are county champions but we could have gone after the game a bit more in the second half, we had chances but we missed a few frees but look we’re still there which is the main thing”.
Once again, Keane was frustrated by their inability to take all goal chances that fell their way. “We felt we needed to score goals so we’re a bit disappointed in that we didn’t create more goal chances, we’re savage proud of the lads, they have put in a savage work rate, we’ve injuries and lads not making it, Darragh Burns was a big loss to us and he came on at the end”.
Ex Clare U20 defender Tadhg Lillis is among those losses and he is not expected to feature for the club in 2023. “I don’t think Tadhg (Lillis) is going to play any part this year for us, he is a huge loss to us, Eoghan Tubridy has a hamstring issue and Brian Behan another hamstring issue. When your panel is small all those injuries take their toll, it’s a 20 man game and there is huge demands on fitness levels”.
Of some consolation to John and his management which includes club stalwarts Padraig Gallagher, Conor Whelan and Kieran O’Mahoney along with former Clare midfielder David Russell has been the form of their younger players such as Gavin O’Shea, Eoghan Killeen and Cathal Killeen. “We have a relatively young team and those young lads are starting to really open up and adapt to senior football, they all played exceptionally well today so we’re immensely happy with them now”.
Doonbeg returned to training on Tuesday night firmly focused on taking down Lissycasey to seal the last Clare SFC quarter-final place. “We will be ready for Lissycasey which is another massive game, there’s a quarter-final spot on offer so that is what we have to go after”.
