*Colm Collins. Photograph: Martin Connolly
Beating Waterford on Saturday was a case of job done for Colm Collins and the Clare senior footballers but it won’t come close when it comes to Kerry according to the Banner boss.
They may not have set the world alight in the first half of their championship opener but it was enough to hold a six point advantage, that lead would be whittled down to a single score as the game progressed with Waterford piling the pressure on the hosts.
For thirty six minutes in the second half, Clare went without a score allowing their opponents get a foothold in the game as Collins said, “I think the biggest problem was we didn’t keep the scoreboard ticking over, any chances we created we squandered and that gave encouragement to the opposition, championship is championship, this isn’t the first time this has happened, Galway and London last weekend says everything, Limerick third from bottom in Division 4 beat Tipperary tonight, we’re just happy to have won”.
“It is frustrating, we were in a fantastic position at half-time and didn’t drive on. In 2014 we were lucky to draw here so happy enough we have got the win and looking forward to playing the Munster semi-final on the 1st of June”. He added, “We missed a lot of chances but I’d rather be in this position than Tipperary’s position”.
Over the next three weeks, Clare will be aiming to make a significant improvement before their semi-final meeting with Kerry. “Nobody would be under any illusions, that performance won’t get you inside the gate on that day, we’ve a lot to day so we’ll get on with it,” the Cratloe club man stated. For that tie, he has confirmed David Tubridy and Sean O’Donoghue will be available for selection
