*Adam Hogan battles with Shane O’Brien. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
CLARE are “still in the championship” and are determined to bounce back, defender Adam Hogan has said.
Like all of those involved, players and backroom members, Adam was “hugely disappointed” with Sunday’s Munster final result as Clare lost out to Limerick on a score of 1-26 1-20, the third provincial final in a row that Brian Lohan’s side have lost to the Treaty County.
Young Hurler of the Year in 2023, Hogan explained that Clare had earmarked trying to curtail Limerick in certain ways but that matters didn’t go according to plan. “Preparing for this game we looked at Limerick’s power play and we tried to slow their momentum. Sadly we didn’t manage that and, in the first few minutes of the second half, they struck for four points”.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, the Feakle man acknowledged that the concession of those scores at the start of the second half after they had been boosted by a Peter Duggan goal in the final play of the opening half “put us on the back foot straight away and we had to fight back again”.
Hogan was hoping to pick his first Munster SHC medal, not doing so of course was a difficult pill to swallow but there was fight in Clare’s display, he felt. “We didn’t drop the heads when we were down six points early in the second half. We had a goal chance which, if converted, would have closed the gap. We knew the fight was there and we never gave up”.
He is confident Clare can bounce back in the All-Ireland series to potentially line up another shot against the reigning All-Ireland and Munster champions. “We are still in the championship and hopefully in two weeks time we will right the wrongs and hopefully go on to meet Limerick in the All-Ireland final”.
“We have learned for the last few years, and hopefully we will get it right. Wexford or Laois will be tough. We were here for the last few years and hopefully we can drive on. We need to get over the line against Wexford and then Kilkenny who we haven’t beaten for the last two years,” the Mary Immaculate College student stated.
