*Brian Cahill will be a vital player in the middle third for Kilmaley. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
FRESH from winning the Clare Cup title, Kilmaley who have only lost one competitive game so far this year have strengthened the argument for those who view them as championship contenders.
Kilmaley face into the 2022 Clare SHC without a number of players who were part of their panel last year when they lost out at the quarter final stage to the eventual winners Ballyea.
Eoin Enright, Eamonn Bracken, Kenneth Kennedy, Shane Darcy and James McGuire will miss this year’s campaign due to travel, retirement and injuries. In addition Tom O’Rourke, Aidan Griffey and Cathal Darcy will miss the early stages of the campaign as they are currently in the US on J1 visas.
“We have been without a good few of last year’s panel in the recent cup campaign and that gave us an opportunity to try out players. While it was good to win that competition, we will be judged on the championship. Winning the cup doesn’t entitle us to anything”, manager Conor Clancy said this week.
Reflecting on last year he said “we were unlucky last year. We were in a group of five and we ended up with injuries to key players which included losing our two freetakers in the Clonlara game. We lost two key players, Cathal Darcy and Aaron Moloney to cruciate injuries. Like everybody else, out aim is to get as far as possible. It’s a very even championship with little between most of the teams”.
Clare’s All-Ireland winning full forward from 1995 and 1997 feels that “Éire Óg will probably be favourites as they have been very close for the last two years. When all their inter county hurlers and footballers are available they will be difficult to beat. Physically they are very strong and they are one of the form teams so we will have our work cut out”.
Clancy is happy that there is “certainty around the fixtures and it was good to get the Cup played off before the championship. It would be better to have all groups of four and, going forward, we need to get the championship to sixteen teams so that all clubs would be on the same level in terms of the number of games. The extra games can have an impact if there are injuries. We will have a game less this year and that can be an advantage if we can get out of the group”.
As they put the final touches to preparations for their clash with Éire Óg, there are doubts about the fitness of Michael O’Malley and Daire Keane. O’Malley hobbled off midway through the first half of the cup final against Clonlara with an ankle injury and it will be close to match time before a final decision is made on whether or not he will be able to play a part.
Daire Keane missed the closing stages of the league cup but he did play the closing minutes of the final and all involved in the club are hoping that he will be able to line out against Éire Óg.
Management: Conor Clancy (manager) Colin Lynch (coach), Martin Meehan (selector), Martin Enright (selector), Kieran Murphy (selector); Trevor Slattery (S&C); Dermot Maher (goalkeeping coach), Eanna Murphy (stats), Eva Moynan (Physio).
Captain: Mikey O’Neill
Key Player: Conor Cleary
One to Watch: Tommy Barry
Fresh Blood: Brian McNamara;
Departure Gate: Eoin Enright, Eamonn Bracken, Kenneth Kennedy, Shane Darcy; James McGuire, Tom O’Rourke, Aidan Griffey, Cathal Darcy
Titles won: 2
Last season’s run: Finished second in their group before losing quarter final to Ballyea by minimum margin
Schedule:
Round 1 v Éire Óg;
Round 2 v Clooney/Quin
Round 3 v Scariff
