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*Broadford’s Cian Mulqueen. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
BROADFORD are not looking beyond their first round tie with Clooney/Quin but they have an ambition to do better than last season which means they want to qualify for the knockout stages.
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Broadford Factfile:
Management: Paddy Meehan (manager), Ger Hickey (coach/selector), Ian Doyle (coach), Martin Conlon (S&C), PJ Moroney (selector)
Captain: Padraig Taylor
Vice Captain: Paddy Donnellan
Key player: Eoghan Gunning
One to watch: Michael Vaughan
Fresh blood: Michael Vaughan, Darragh Whelan
Departures Gate: Stiofan McMahon (emigrated)
Treatment table: None
Titles won: None
Last year’s run: Failed to qualify from the group
Schedule of games:
Round 1 vs Clooney-Quin on Saturday July 26th in Shannon at 13:30
Round 2 vs Corofin on Saturday August 9th in Cusack Park at 17:00
Round 3 vs Inagh/Kilnamona on Sunday August 24th in Cusack Park at 14:00
Championship power ranking: 6
Broadford are another of the clubs that have produced some exciting young players in recent times, players that have shown their skills at inter county level.
Eoghan Gunning has lit up the inter county scene at minor and under 20 levels over the past four years while Niall O’Farrell has done likewise. Paddy Donnellan is another who has impressed in the saffron and blue of Clare and this trio will be hoping to lead the charge in the domestic competition and strengthen their claim for more inter county game time.
This year they are again managed by Sixmilebridge man Paddy Meehan who is no stranger to being part of winning management teams.
A championship winner with his native Sixmilebridge he has also been part of a number of his native club’s championship winning teams and he is well versed on what is required to get over the line.
“Our whole focus is on this weekend’s meeting with Clooney/Quin. We are facing a major task as they have a number of key players while they have a lot of exciting young players coming through”, commented Paddy this week as he put the final touches to preparations for the weekend’s game in this his second season in charge.
While stressing that he is not looking past their meeting with Clooney/Quin, he agreed that their target is to qualify from the group for the knock out stage of the competition.
They were somewhat unlucky last year in not qualifying as they had a win and a draw to their credit from their three group games.
They started last year’s campaign with a good win over their neighbours and great rivals O’Callaghans Mills and they then played a draw with another neigbouring side in Scariff before going down to Inagh/Kilnamona
In this season’s senior hurling league they had mixed results which included draws with both Inagh/Kilnamona and Sixmilebridge and a victory over Cratloe but they suffered losses to Crusheen, St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield and Feakle
Like all teams taking part in the TUS Clare SHC, they will agree that a win in the opening round is a huge lift and while it won’t guarantee qualification for the knock out stage, it will ease the pressure somewhat.
The aforementioned players along with Eoin Donnellan, the Chaplin brothers, Cathal, Craig and Darren, Oisin Kavanagh and the Moloneys will be hoping that they can curb the influence of Peter Duggan, Ryan Taylor and company in the Clooney/Quin line up.
They face a difficult test but Broadford have shown in the recent past that they can match the best.
