*Dylan McMahon is staking a claim for a spot in defence. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
CLARE’s hurlers have no choice but to find players for the attrition of the modern game, manager Brian Lohan has stressed.
Four wins from four has Clare on the cusp of an immediate return to the top tier of the Allianz National Hurling League.
Lohan stressed that none of the games in Division 1B are easy. Diarmuid Stritch, Dylan McMahon, Senan Dunford, Niall O’Farrell and Shane Meehan are among the non-established players getting their opportunity in the second tier but the jump required for Munster championship will be a big one.
Kildare certainly put it up to Clare on Saturday evening and led by four points at either side of the half-time break. Tony Kelly’s eight point haul coupled with the half-time introductions of Cathal Malone and David McInerney helped to stem the tide in the Banner’s favour to leave Newbridge with a 0-27 3-14 win.
Results are of most importance to Clare, Lohan outlined. “The aim is to get back up to the top division so it’s all about getting results at the moment. These are tough games in tough conditions against tough opposition so it was put up to us to see if we could respond and thankfully we did. It’s in games like that, that you do learn about your team so we definitely learned a bit this evening and we have to take those lessons and move on because the next game is just around the corner”.
He maintained such encounters were useful in finding new talent. “The bottom line is that we need to find players. It’s a very attritional game in these conditions so we’re carrying a lot of injuries at the moment so we need everyone available to contribute. “Hopefully we can get a few guys back on the field in the next few days and keep building up our options as we inch closer towards the championship”.
Introducing David McInerney at half-time was planned in advance of the game, he confirmed. “Tony Kelly was excellent tonight while David McInerney and Cathal Malone came in at half-time and did very well. Look we have quality and those guys are serious quality. It was great to get David Mc [Inerney] back on the field. It was planned that he come in at half-time so we were delighted to see him back out there”.
Brian added, “We can’t do anything about the weather or refereeing decisions, things that we have no control over but it was great for our lads to answer how did. Keep the scoreboard ticking over, keep their heads down and keep working and we eventually turned the tide to get the result in the end”.
Support and backing from the Clare faithful was acknowledged by the two-time All-Ireland winner. “We had great support tonight again so fair play to anyone that came out. This team have always had brilliant support. We had a great crowd above in Antrim and it was the same this evening as it was great to see so many Club Clare hats in the stand on what was a wet Saturday evening in Kildare. So the crowd do respond to them, they give us great support and we really do appreciate that. None of these games are easy and it’s under lights next Saturday again so we look forward to taking on Carlow in what should be another tough test again.”
