*Conor Cleary was solid in defence for Clare. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
FROM being in ‘Newbridge going nowhere’ to eventually turning the tide, Clare are now on the brink of a return to the top tier of the National Hurling League following a fourth consecutive victory.
Clare 0-27
Kildare 3-14
Venue: St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge
It was a far from straightforward assignment though as Kildare demonstrated the huge strides being incrementally made by the county following back-to-back championship ascensions and brought a real air of defiance and physicality to proceedings.
Allied to the incessant rain, mud bath-like pitch, some erratic refereeing and two early Kildare goals, the hosts led at half time.
Crucially, Clare persisted with captain Tony Kelly leading by example with a superb eight point haul from play, Conor Cleary, Diarmuid Ryan and Ryan Taylor got struck in as did newcomers Diarmuid Stritch, Dylan McMahon, Senan Dunford and Niall O’Farrell.
However, the half-time introduction of David McInerney and Cathal Malone really turned the screw on their plucky hosts who despite leading by four points either side of the break would see their threadbare side, led outstandingly by centre-back Cian Boran, falter under the fresh legs from the visitors.
Nine second half wides from the flagging home side didn’t help as Clare first wiped out the deficit before hitting the front decisively at the turn of the final quarter with a six point unanswered blitz through Kelly (2), Mark Rodgers (2), Ryan Taylor and substitute Jack O’Neill at 0-24 to 2-12 entering the final ten minutes.
Kelly and Rodgers actually stretched Clare’s newfound gap to seven in injury-time but there would be a merited final sting in the tail from Kildare after chief marksman Jack Sheridan flashed a 20 metre free to the net.
Brian Dowling’s side also began with that assurance in front of the posts as they welcomed the conditions to hit the 2024 All-Ireland champions with both barrels. Their incessant pressure coughed up a fourth minute goal for Cathal McCabe which sent Kildare’s self-belief into overdrive as a second major, this time a brilliant one-touch move involving four players ended with Jack Sheridan billowing the net at 2-3 to 0-5.
A shell-shocked Banner kept the scoreboard ticking over through Tony Kelly and Mark Rodgers but their own hopes of a goal would be dashed in the 20th minute when Shane Meegan hit a tame effort at goalkeeper Paddy McKenna.
Tony Kelly would unleash an equally ambitious attempt ten minutes later than McKenna relished while a subsequent great move involving Shane Meehan and Colm O’Meara was spilled by David Fitzgerald at the vital moment as Clare let their hosts off the hook.
Shane Meehan and Senan Dunford did fire the last two points of the half to slash the interval arrears to just two at 2-08 to 0-12.
However, Kildare weren’t content tov rest on their laurels as they resumed with the first two points of the new half through Sheridan and Muiris Curtin to restore their four point advantage.
Kildare’s radar did falter though as Clare began to find their feet with Kelly (2), Dunford and Diarmuid Stritch grabbing successive points to regain full parity by the 44th minute at 2-10 to 0-16.
Twice Kildare resisted but without an impact from the bench, the home side couldn’t sustain that resilience and would be overpowered in the final quarter as Clare outscored the Leinster side by 0-9 to 0-2 by the end of normal time.
Sheridan’s consolation goal would paint a fairer picture on proceedings to give Kildare a worthy moral victory but on a night when only the result ultimate mattered, Clare had more than enough soldiers in their trench to potent their perfect start ahead of another arduous trip to Carlow next Saturday night.
Scorers for Clare: Tony Kelly 0-8, Mark Rodgers 0-7 (6f), Senan Dunford 0-3, Ryan Taylor 0-3, Diarmuid Stritch 0-2, Cathal Malone 0-2, Shane Meehan 0-1, Jack O’Neill 0-1
Scorers for Kildare: Jack Sheridan 2-4 (1-3f, 1’65), Gerry Keegan 0-3, David Qualter 0-3, Cathal McCabe 1-0, Cathal Dowling 0-1, Simon Leacy 0-1, Paul Dolan 0-1, Muiris Curtin 0-1
All photographs by Gerard O’Neill.
Clare
1: Eamonn Foudy (Inagh/Kilnamona)
2: Dylan McMahon (Clonlara)
3: Conor Cleary (St. Joseph’s Miltown)
4: Conor Leen (Corofin)
5: Diarmuid Ryan (Cratloe)
6: John Conlon (Clonlara)
7: Niall O’Farrell (Broadford)
8: Diarmuid Stritch (Clonlara)
9: Ryan Taylor (Clooney/Quin)
10: Colm O’Meara (Clonlara)
14: Tony Kelly (Ballyea)
12: Senan Dunford (Tubber)
15: David Fitzgerald (Inagh/Kilnamona)
14: Mark Rodgers (Scariff)
13: Shane Meehan (Banner)
Subs
17: David McInerney (Tulla) for Conlon (HT)
18: Cathal Malone (Sixmilebridge) for Fitzgerald (HT)
23: Jack O’Neill (Clooney/Quin) for O’Meara (45)
19: Ross Hayes (Crusheen) for Leen (49)
22: Ian Galvin (Clonlara) for Dunford (64)
Kildare
1: Paddy McKenna (Clane)
8: Simon Leacy (Naas)
3: Rian Boran (Naas)
2: Liam O’Reilly (Naas)
5: Paul Dolan (Éire Óg Corrachoill)
6: Cian Boran (Naas)
9: Conan Boran (Naas)
4: Dan O’Meara (Maynooth)
7: Daire Guerin (Naas)
12: Jack Sheridan (Naas)
10: Cathal McCabe (Maynooth)
15: Gerry Keegan (Celbridge)
14: Muiris Curtin (Moorefield)
11: Cathal Dowling (Naas)
13: David Qualter (Maynooth)
Subs
19; James Dolan (Celbridge) for Curtin (18-38, BS)
20: Alan Goss (Celbridge) for Guerin (48)
26: Conn Keogh (Moorefield) for Dowling (60)
25: Richy Hogan (Naas) for Keegan (69)
Referee: Brian McKeon (Galway)
