*Diarmuid Ryan fires over a point. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. DIARMUID RYAN and the Clare senior hurlers are expecting “a massive battle” to kick off their championship campaign against Waterford but are hopeful of a long year ahead.
*David Fitzgerald. Photograph: Ruth Griffin. FIVE CHANGES have been made to the Clare senior hurling team for Saturday’s fourth round of the Allianz National Hurling League against Kildare.
*Robin Mounsey is among the Clare injuries. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. CLARE’S Mid-Term break in the Allianz National Hurling League has been focused on getting players back to full fitness.
*A delighted Diarmuid Ryan at the final whistle. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. CRATLOE edged out Ennistymon following extra-time in the most exciting of the TUS Clare SFC quarter-finals.
*Cathal Doohan holds off the challenge of Cratloe’s Tadhg Lohan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. IT WAS a a complete role reversal for Ballyea as this time the 2022 champions turned up the heat in the second half to produce a stirring revival of their own and advance to the last eight of the Clare SHC.
*Kilmaley’s Conor Cleary. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. THERE MAY have been confusion over the actual score at half-time when the sides were level but the scoreboard suggested otherwise and there were no such queries by the final whistle as Kilmaley romped to a twelve point victory over Cratloe with a powerful second half display.
Diarmuid Ryan accepts his prize from David Noble, Lending & Business Development Officer with St Francis Credit Union. A COMMANDING display at centre-back has resulted in Cratloe’s Diarmuid Ryan winning the St Francis Credit Union/The Clare Echo player of the week.
*Diarmuid Ryan catches the sliotar. Photograph: Joe Buckley DAIRE NEVILLE was among the young Cratloe brigade to lead the line scoring three points in the final ten minutes as John O’Gorman’s side edged out Scariff in the opening round of the TUS Clare SHC.
*Cratloe’s Conor McGrath. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. HAVING come within a whisker of reaching last year’s decider, Cratloe will be hoping to redress the balance this time around.
*Clare manager, Brian Lohan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. COMPOSURE and an awful lot of intelligence saw Clare’s lift their game in the second half of Sunday’s Munster SHC first round to secure a draw with Cork, manager Brian Lohan has said.