*David Reidy and Jathan McMahon get tangled in possession. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
COUNTY CHAMPIONS, Clonlara face the prospect of being “a quarter-final or in relegation trouble,” manager Donal Madden pointed out following their loss to Éire Óg.
Dr Daly Park in Tulla played host to a fine contest on Sunday with the TG4 cameras in East Clare to showcase an excellent advertisement for the club game in the county.
For Clonlara it was their first defeat in the Clare SHC since September 2022 after they came out on the wrong side of a 1-23 1-20 scoreline.
Round three is “a huge game” for the club, manager Donal Madden outlined. “We were part of a great game but at the end of the day it’s about winning and they probably out worked us on the day. We have not become a bad team overnight. We have to go back now and prepare for what is a huge game against Clooney/Quin”.
Éire Óg were the sharper team on the start of the second half, the 1997 All-Ireland minor winning hurler felt. “They really went after us after half time when we were slow out of the blocks and let them back into it. We thought we were in good shape at half time but fair play to them. We have to see can we do better the next day. We wasted a lot of chances in the first half, took the wrong option a few times and conceded a few handy scores in the second half. It was a hard day for shooting with the conditions”.
Pride on the effort of the Clonlara was once again voiced by the secondary school principal. “We could either be in a quarter final or in relegation trouble. We have to perform the next day. They are great guys and we are still proud of them today as we were when the won the county final”.
