*Kevin Hehir is challenged by Páraic O’Loughlin. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
TWO of the leading contenders for the Canon Hamilton face off in the Clare Cup final this weekend.
With the opening round of the senior hurling championship just three weeks away, Inagh/Kilnamona and Clonlara will be hoping to get a timely boost when they clash in the willwego.com Clare Cup (Division 1 league) final at Dr Daly Park in Tulla on this Sunday at 1pm.
As has been the case throughout the campaign both have to plan without players due to travel, holidays and injuries and Clonlara look to be to more seriously hit in this regard.
For their semi-final clash with Sixmilebridge they were just able to name a panel of twenty one players.
Defender David Fitzgerald is out for the season having suffered a cruciate knee injury a few weeks ago in the competition quarter final. Oisin O’Brien, Ian and Kieran Galvin, Michael Clancy, and Eoin Begley are all injured while Micheál O’Loughlin and Brian McLeish are away for Sunday’s final.
Manager Donal Madden is keeping his fingers crossed that Colm Galvin will be able to play this week. He was replaced in the closing minutes of their semi-final win over Sixmilebridge due to injury. He is also hoping that Cathal O’Connell will be able to play a part this week having missed recent games due to injury. Dylan McMahon is expected to return having served a one match ban in the semi-final.
“While we have a lot of injuries at present, the league has been beneficial to us as we have got to use thirty seven players throughout the campaign. We have managed to expose a number of players to what is required at senior level and I am looking forward to another good competitive game”, Madden told The Clare Echo.
Inagh-Kilnamona have never won the Clare cup and are hoping to go a step further this year. They lost last year’s final to Newmarket-on-Fergus and will be appearing in the final on Sunday for the fifth time.
For Sunday’s final they will be selecting from the same panel they had available for their semi-final against Crusheen.
“Conner Hegarty, David Fitzgerald and Sean Rynne are overseas while Keith White, Shane Woods and Josh Guyler are on the injured list. This competition is good preparation for the championship and it provides a great focus. The championship is the most important and this is a nice lead into that competition and we are delighted to be involved at this stage”, Inagh/Kilnamona manager Tomas Kelly explained.
Eamonn Foudy, Aidan and Jason McCarthy, James and Fred Hegarty will lead the Inagh/Kilnamona charge while Clonlara will be looking to the experienced John Conlon, Colm Galvin, Aidan Moriarty and young star Diarmuid Stritch.
It has all the makings for a lively contest and should attract a big attendance to Tulla on Sunday where the throw in time is 1p.m. with Sixmilebridge man Kevin Corry as referee.
