*A dejected Diarmuid Ryan at the final whistle. Photograph: Ruth Griffin.
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CLARE manager Brian Lohan said they received 110% effort from their players but needed 115% to take down Limerick.
A two point loss to Limerick in Sunday’s semi-final saw Clare exit the All-Ireland SHC at the penultimate stage.
Speaking following the game, a dejected Brian Lohan outlined, “It was very difficult out there for both teams. We had our peaks and they had their peaks and they probably got a little more from their peaks than we got from ours. Our endeavour and our work rate was excellent and I couldn’t fault anyone but sometimes maybe you have to give a bit of credit to the opposition”.
Heading into the game, Clare were overwhelming underdogs but there was a confidence within the camp with training going very well in the build-up to the semi-final. “We had a really good week in training, there was a whole load of energy, a whole load of ambition and desire in the group, knowing that we would have to get everything right and give 110% or 115% or whatever it was. Our lads, as they generally do, gave everything they had and it was just a smidgen short”.
First half match-ups where Conor Cleary nullified Gearoid Hegarty, John Conlon operated at midfield and Tony Kelly ran riot at full forward saw the Clare management get a lot right. “We spend a lot of time on match-ups, we have a really good backroom team, we have a really intelligent bunch of players who spend an awful lot of time not just on their technical skills, their physical skills and mental skills but they do an awful lot of analysis as well. We worked as hard as we could to get the most out of ourselves in the way we play. I can’t fault any of our guys”.
Cleary’s substitution was forced with the Kilmaley clubman at risk of receiving a second yellow card, the manager confirmed. “We were told he was on a yellow and noted so it wasn’t really left in our hands”.
Nickie Quaid’s foul on Peter Duggan which led to Tony Kelly scoring a penalty on fifty six minutes was a major talking point in the game. Referee Thomas Walsh opted to give the Limerick goalkeeper a yellow card, had Duggan been in possession then a black card would likely have been issued. “Those calls are tough calls to make, I will take your word if you think he got it right. We are not going to have any complaints. We came up and gave everything we had. We felt we needed 110% from all of our players and we probably got 110% but we probably needed 115%. It was one of those kind of days, one of those kind of performances so we have to congratulate Limerick and we look forward to the All-Ireland final now”.
When asked if the referee was influenced by comments during the week with regard to short and quick puckouts he said, “I don’t know what was said. Refereeing at this level is not influenced by punditry” before adding “they probably did well on the free count”.
Scoring only a point from play in the second half and failing to score after Kelly’s penalty was costly to Clare’s cause. “It’s not what we would have liked. They didn’t do brilliantly in the first half but they were able to turn that around. Sometimes it’s hard to digest everything that is happening, we could have been better, that’s something to work on going forward”.
John Conlon started to make his seventy fourth championship appearance. Of his input, Lohan said, “John is almost like the heart and soul of the group, he just keeps coming back for more, he has given everything on and off the field, He is just a brilliant leader. We are so proud of him. He owes the county nothing. He is a big part of the group”.
When asked about the contribution of Shane O’Donnell who announced his inter-county retirement before Sunday’s semi-final, Lohan stated, “we have spoken in our group, we have 39 and every one of them is an absolute pleasure to deal with, they give everything for the group, our marquee guys are our marquee guys and they are just exceptional. I have nothing but praise for all of those guys”.
Expanding on what the message was in the Clare dressing room following a gut-wrenching loss, Brian stated, “just thank them, thank them for what they have done for the county, that is what I do after every single game. We are just so appreciative of how they play and perform”.
