*Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
CLARE’s U20 hurlers are looking “more threatening” while management for the first time in this year’s championship have opted against any changes as the side bid for a fourth successive victory.
Páirc Uí Chaoimh is the setting this evening (Wednesday) as Clare look to leave Leeside victorious for the second year in a row.
Captain Eoghan Gunning who was replaced with injury has been given the all-clear to start while there is further positive news on the injury front with James Hegarty taking his place among the substitutes for the first time in this year’s campaign and Ronan Keane has also recovered from a knock which kept him sidelined.
Their returns have resulted in Newmarket-on-Fergus’ Michael Power who started in the second round win over Limerick and Daire Neville of Cratloe missing out on a spot in the matchday twenty six.
After three games, Clare are currently top of the competitive provincial round robin series with maximum points, Cork and Tipperary are on four points each following two wins and a defeat. All three counties are guaranteed of a Munster semi-final, at least with Limerick and Waterford out of the reckoning.
Should Clare overcome the Rebels, then they advance directly to the Munster final and would give Tipperary home advantage in the Munster semi-final against Cork. A draw in Páirc Uí Chaoimh would also see Clare progress to the decider as they have Tipperary on head to head. If Cork win and Tipperary beat Limerick then Clare, Cork and Tipperary are level on points meaning scoring difference will decide the outcome.
Scoring difference before the final round has Cork on +10, Clare on +5 and Tipperary on +2 meaning Tipperary would need to defeat Limerick by eight points more than Cork beating Clare.
Character of the Clare side was praised by manager Terence Fahy following their dramatic injury time win over Tipperary when they came back from seven points down with two minutes remaining to record a memorable 2-15 2-14 win. “That was a special finish. That game looked gone from us but in fairness to the lads they kept at it and we came at them in waves for the last couple of minutes there. Look, being honest we rode our luck a little but crucially we got the scores.
“We looked more threatening today which was another plus. The forwards combined excellently and created more goal chances and we didn’t get them early in the game as we were denied a few times but ultimately we took them at the right time when there were no chance of a reprisal,” he added.
Fahy told The Clare Echo, “We believe that there’s great character in this team. And not just in this team but in the overall group. We’ve a big panel with a big capacity so we’ve used different lads in all three matches who have had telling contributions and today was no different. We’re all about the group as we’re seeing how the group is impacting in a 20 man game so it’s probably no coincidence that this team finishes strong.
“We’ll be parking this result fairly fast and moving on. This is a relentless round-robin so we’re back on the road next Wednesday and we won’t be dwelling on this result too much. What it means will only emerge at the end of round 5 next week so it’s all about rest and recovery again and getting the heads and bodies right for Cork,” the Whitegate man added.
Clare
1: Mark Sheedy (Sixmilebridge)
2: Eoghan Gunning (Broadford)
3: Robert Loftus (Éire Óg)
4: Joe Casey (Kilmaley)
5: Jamie Moylan (Cratloe)
6: Ryan Hayes (Tulla)
7: Matthew O’Halloran (Sixmilebridge)
8: Daniel Costelloe (Ballyea)
9: Graham Ball (St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
10: Michael Collins (Clonlara)
11: Ronan Kilroy (Banner)
12: Fred Hegarty (Inagh/Kilnamona)
15: Paul Rodgers (Scariff)
14: Thomas O’Connor (St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
13. Sean Boyce (O’Callaghan’s Mills)
Subs
16: Cormac Doyle (Bodyke)
17: Jack Mescall (Inagh/Kilnamona)
18: Harry Doherty (Clarecastle)
19: Ronan Keane (Killanena)
20: Marco Cleary (Éire Óg)
21: Darren Moroney (Éire Óg)
22: Sean Arthur (Newmarket-on-Fergus)
23: Daire Neville (Cratloe)
24: James Hegarty (Inagh/Kilnamona)
