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*Cathal McInerney. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
CRATLOE’s senior footballers are in “must-win” territory following their “comprehensive” drubbing to champions Éire Óg in round one.
Three teams will emerge from the seeded Group 1 to make the Clare SFC quarter-finals meaning Cratloe need to get points on the board this Saturday when they face St Joseph’s Miltown in Páirc Finne (17:00).
For Cratloe, a huge improvement is needed following their 1-17 0-4 loss to Éire Óg a fortnight ago. “We knew we were in trouble but I didn’t think it would be as comprehensive as that. Fair play to Éire Óg, they were very clinical, every chance and turnover they punished us so credit to them, a good win for them but we have to regroup and try our best to put in a performance the next day,” manager Colm Collins told The Clare Echo.
In his twenty year stint in charge of the Cratloe footballers, the hour on the sideline watching Éire Óg ease past them was among the longest hours that Collins endured. “I knew we were in trouble, we were down five starting players, you don’t replace five starting players too easily. With the format of the championship now, if a fella gets injured now he could miss the whole thing, we’ll see how we go, hopefully we’ll have a few back in two weeks time and put in a better performance”.
Páirc Finne was the setting when Cratloe defeated Ennistymon in extra time in last year’s quarter-final, they return to Corofin now seeking to revive their chances of reaching the knockout stages. “We must win from now on, there’s no messing about it, concentration now is our next game against Miltown and putting in a good performance, that is it and that is all we can do”
Hindering their cause against Éire Óg was the absence of Podge Collins (hamstring), Rian Considine (groin), Cathal McInerney (calf), Tadhg Lohan (hand) and David Collins (hamstring).
Both Podge and Rian returned to action for the Cratloe hurlers in their second round draw with O’Callaghans Mills last Saturday but the timeframe for McInerney and Lohan is a bit longer. “David is nearly there, Tadhg Lohan will be a couple more weeks and I’d say it will be the latter stages of the championship before we have Cathal back,” Collins confirmed.
