*Feakle captain, Oisin Donnellan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
COUNTY CHAMPIONS Feakle are braced for “a crunch game” with Newmarket-on-Fergus in the second round of the TUS Clare SHC.
The Clare Echo’s online coverage of the Clare SHC is with thanks to The Temple Gate Hotel.
An opening round draw with Wolfe Tones has the East Clare side in need of a victory to get their campaign up and running while the first round results mean Newmarket-on-Fergus must win to stay in the championship.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Feakle manager, Ger Conway stated, “We have to get ready now for Newmarket in two weeks time and see who we can get off the treatment table and back on the field. Newmarket will be hurting after their first round loss. It will be a crunch game”.
Injuries kept both Steven Conway and Eoin Tuohy out of the starting team for Feakle’s 0-19 1-16 draw but they were both introduced in the closing stages. They are both expected to line out this Friday evening in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Cíosóg while there are serious doubts on the availability of Eibhear Quilligan, Conn Smyth and Martin Daly.
“It was up and down and we are lucky to come out with a draw, we had a couple of chances so had Shannon. It’s the first round of the championship and it’s hard to know what to expect. We had a few injuries going into the game and we have a few more now. Eibhear (Quilligan) looks to be in a bit of trouble and Martin Daly had to leave the action.. that’s what panels are for I suppose and we have to try and deal with it,” Conway said.
Leading marksman Shane McGrath once again set the tempo for Feakle and finished with a personal haul of 0-12. “Shane is just Shane, everyone knows what Shane is capable of. He has a brillint attitude, he is a brilliant striker of the ball. He gets the majority of our scores every day,” the Feakle manager reflected.
