*John Carmody. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
CLARE camogie manager, John Carmody is pleading for patience as his side head to Kilkenny for the second round of the National League.
Nine points separated Clare from Galway in their opening round loss last weekend and their trip Noreside is expected to be another tricky encounter as new players continue to make the step-up to senior level.
Speaking to The Clare Echo following the first round, Clare manager Carmody stated, “We’ve lots to work on obviously and I’m not pleased with the result but there’s plenty of character there and plenty of quality at times too. We were unlucky not to get a goal or two there which would have made all the difference on the scoreboard so all-in-all, as a first day out against one of the top two teams in the country, I felt that we fought the good fight. Ultimately we want to be closer to Galway but we have to be realistic too as we’d nine debutantes out there today and they didn’t look out of place”.
Carmody confirmed that Clare “hadn’t played a challenge match” prior to the Galway clash. “This was our first game. We allowed our girls to focus on their colleges so we did pick up some injuries like Lorna [McNamara] and Zi Yan [Spillane] didn’t start today. So overall I’m very pleased with the performance, a nine point margin I feel is flattering on Galway. I thought we matched them for effort, it was just that bit of extra quality up front that proved the difference in the end. But we have players to come back in so as a starting point, I’m very, very pleased with that.
“I mean normally you’d have three or four challenge matches played before the first round of the league but we didn’t have that luxury coming in today. Regardless, we’re using this league to run the panel and to get experience for the All-Ireland Championship so from that perspective, I’m very pleased with what I saw out there today,” the Kilmaley man added.
Supporters of the team must be patient, he stressed. “I’m asking for patience. We have to have patience because getting up to the pace and intensity at this level won’t come overnight. As well as that then, a lot of players were playing together for the very first time so it’s going to take a few months to bed in and as the players get used to playing with each other and understanding each other as a team, get used to what run to make or what option to take at the top tier will come. We’ve huge work to do over the next four and a half months, we know that but we’ve a group there that are willing to work so we’ll keep at it”.
