*Michael Neylon. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
THERE are few people better positioned to offer a view on how the 2024 Clare senior football championship might pan out than the county’s under 20 manager, Michael Neylon.
He is eagerly looking forward to this year’s race for the Jack Daly cup and he expects there will be plenty of twists and turns before champions are crowned.
“All teams will be ambitious and I expect some very tight games in this weekend’s first round. Teams may be a little rusty and there will be opportunities for everyone”, he told The Clare Echo. “Availability of players will have a huge bearing as many clubs will be missing players for the opening round due to travel and injury,” the Miltown Malbay man explained.
The clash of Éire Óg and Kilmurry Ibrickane in this Friday’s opening round is one of the games football followers across the county have been looking forward to since the draw was made. “It’s the experience of Éire Óg against the youth of Kilmurry. A lot may depend on how near to full strength the teams will be. It may be that it will be in the later rounds that Kilmurry will be seen at their best”.
Neylon expects the meeting of Lissycasey and Kilmihil to be “a really good game”.
Based on “experience and performances so far this season”, he gives the nod to Éire Óg and Lissycasey to qualify from the group as the top two teams with Kilmurry Ibrickane to get through in the play-offs.
Group 2 includes St Breckan’s, St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield, Kildysart and Corofin and Michael believes “this group is impossible to call and it could be the group where there will be a lot of drawn games. Doora/Barefield are going well, I like what I see and hear about them but it’s hard to wager against the experience and ambition of St Breckans. They want to be back in the county final but this Doora/Barefield team could create a lot of trouble for opponents”.
He continued, “Kildysart may edge Corofin this week but it’s hard to call what two teams will emerge from the group. The round one games are vitally important as I expect teams to take points off each other in rounds two and three. Teams that pick up points in round one will be in the driving seat. It’s dog eat dog and this could be the most exciting group of all”.
Turning to group 3 which includes champions Cratloe, St Joseph’s Miltown, Ennistymon and Doonbeg, Michael believes “a lot will depend on the availability of players here. The absence of the Cleary twins Eoin (in the US) and Conor (injured) is huge as they can potentially swing a game but Miltown are ambitious and will feel they could have been in the county final last year. If Cratloe have everybody, it could be decisive in this round one contest”.
Looking at the Doonbeg v Ennistymon clash Michael says “Doonbeg are a noted championship team, as evidenced by their performance against Éire Óg last year. They have a recent O’Gorman Cup win under their belts. They are young, very united as always and they will cause a lot of trouble for Ennistymon who will need to improve a lot from their Cusack Cup final performance. Ennistymon have had a lot of injuries and whether or not they will have a full team available will be crucial. I won’t be surprised if Doonbeg edge this one”.
He gives the nod to Cratloe to emerge from the group “but it’s a toss up between the other three as to who will qualify. It won’t be decided in round one and the key games will be in rounds two and three as I expect teams to improve significantly”.
Asked what impact the dual player issue will have he said “it’s not an obstacle when you have a younger team, but the age profile may have a bearing”.
Clare’s U20 manager believes “Doora/Barefield and Lissycasey will have a huge say. Lissycasey have extremely talented forwards and teams will struggle to hold all of them. I am really looking forward to what they and Doora/Barefield will bring to this championship”.
Overall he says, “Éire Óg will want to bounce back from last year and they do have the players to win. They will be focussed. Look every team has the players and ability to go and progress”.
