*Clare’s Jennifer Daly. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
CLARE will be in Croke Park for the All-Ireland senior camogie quarter-final “barring we get the plague,” manager John Carmody has said.
By Therese O’Callaghan.
“A battling performance” was how John Carmody described Clare’s 1-9 to 0-21 defeat to Cork in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday.
Jennifer Daly’s early goal kept Clare just three points adrift of the All-Ireland champions at half time. “We had an outstanding first half, went toe-to-toe with them. We knew the Cork girls would come strong and lost our way maybe for a while. We’re the first team this year that has pushed them so we are kind of proud of that”.
Two late goal chances from Clare were saved which would have reduced the final deficit. “What a team, Cork. They showed their quality there in the second half with some outstanding scores. But we settled again and we finished strong, which pleased me. We left two goals after us in the end, so yeah, pleased”. He added, “You have to be putting those goals away,” he said. “But look, we’ll work on that. We created the chances and if we create them again against Tipp hopefully we will put them away.
With one win, one draw and a defeat to their names, Clare are practically in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie quarter-finals. The only caveat is they must avoid losing to Tipperary by a margin of sixty points in the final round, next weekend. “This result means we are in Croke Park,” Carmody said following Saturday’s draw.
Clare asked questions of Cork which shows they have a right to be in Croke Park, the Kilmaley man maintained. “Next weekend against Tipperary will settle second or third. Tipperary will be raging hot favourites but we will use the game as a stepping-stone to Croke Park. That’s the way we approached today. We said if we are going to Croke Park we have no business going there unless we can try and ask some questions of an outstanding Cork team. And I thought the 20 that played did that”.
Carmody continued, “We certainly brought the fight and showed plenty of quality as well. We got some great scores. Obviously not as many as Cork but you are playing one of the greatest teams of all time out there, going for three-in-a-row and they will take some stopping. Scoring difference was the thing coming down here today. Cork had beaten us by 18 points the last time we played them and it was nine points today and the two goal opportunities at the death would have made it three points if converted”.
Slight niggles saw Carmody and his management decide not to start captain Áine O’Loughlin and Zi Yan Spillane. “For us, five of the starting forwards are U21 players. We’re developing young players and a panel. We probably have two or three girls disappointed not to get on today. We haven’t had those options in the past. We were able to rest Zi Yan Spillane and Áine O’Loughlin (back injury), we’re looking at it over three weeks and using our panel to the maximum.
“We’re going to have headaches during the week to pick a team for Tipperary and that is the way we wanted it. Barring we get the plague we will be in Croke Park. That was our goal at the beginning of the year. At senior level we have never played in Croke Park and that is going to be a huge occasion for the girls and the county,” he concluded.
