*Clare’s Andrea O’Keeffe in action. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
QUALIFICATION for the All-Ireland senior camogie quarter-finals is still “within our own hands,” Clare’s manager has said.
Speaking after their draw with Limerick, Banner boss John Carmody expressed satisfaction with the team’s second half performance when noting “it’s a game we probably should have won”.
“Limerick were exceptional in the first half. We have played Limerick teams down through the years, it’s a local derby and there is nothing between the sides. The pleasing thing for us today was the character we showed in the second half into the breeze”, the manager said.
He went on to point out that “Limerick beat Wexford by three points and we beat them by the same margin” when noting that “there were comments going from some people during the week that didn’t take note of those results”.
The Kilmaley clubman agreed that “Limerick were in the driving seat at half time but we bossed the second half. We will regret the amount of wides we had in both halves and the goal we conceded was a crucial score”
Qualification for the knock ou stage of the championship is, according to the Clare manager “still in our own hands. We thought we would have a quarter final spot nailed here today but we haven’t. It’s still within our own grasp, it will probably be scoring difference now but hopefully we will beat Tipperary in the last game”.
Clare’s next game will be away to Cork who, according to the Clare boss, “have taken the game to a new level this year. We will go down and compete as best we can. We have to compete for every ball now as the group is going to come down to scoring difference. We showed that we can battle”.
Concluding he said, “it’s a learning curve all the time. We are pleased with the second half performance today but we must learn from the first half. It’s a game we probably should have won. Hopefully we won’t suffer as big a defeat against Cork as Limerick did”.
