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*Ennistymon’s Diarmuid Fahy is expected to return to their first fifteen this weekend. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
ENNISTYMON are putting all their energy into securing top spot in Group 2 of the Clare SFC.
Qualification to the quarter-finals of the Clare SFC has already been achieved for Ennistymon but Saturday’s clash with Kildysart (17:00) in Cooraclare gives them the chance to finish top in the group stages for the first time since 2022.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, manager Declan Downes outlined they are intent on making it three wins from three. “We want to put three wins back to back but that’s not going to be easy as Kildysart are a good team who have a lot of talented forwards. Guys with inter-county experience and well able to score so it’s going to be a good challenge. We want to win every day we go out, it doesn’t matter whether it’s the first game or the last game in the group so that’s what we’ll be going out to do”.
Having been overturned by Kilmihil in round two last year, losing by three points, Ennistymon righted some wrongs when blitzing their opponents 1-19 0-6. “We’re happy to keep winning now. We’re on a journey and it is only game two of at least two more to come now that we’re through to the next phase. The scoreline looks a bit one-sided but after last year’s defeat to Kilmihil, we treated them with the utmost respect. They gave us a lesson here last year where they ultimately outfought us and showed the greater desire around the dropping ball which we paid the price for in the result. We weren’t going to let that happen again today so we prepared well for today and treated it with the respect it deserved”.
Kilmihil native Downes is hopeful his club will avoid a relegation battle. “Kilmihil are a proud club and it’s genuinely tough to have to go out and face your own club but all you can do is go out and prepare the team that you’re involved with to the best of your own ability, treat the opposition with respect and that’s what we did. I do wish Kilmihil all the best for the rest of the season and hope that they can get that victory somewhere along the line that maybe gets them right for the rest of the season”.
Implementing a new style of play with Ennistymon will continue to take time, he flagged. “All teams now are into their second year of the new rules and it really does take time to develop a system of play that suits each team. It was also the first real wet day of the championship so there was a bit of ball being spilled and kicks dropping short that we wouldn’t be happy with. Overall it was a good performance but the bar needs to go higher now as we’re into the knock-out stages now almost from here on out”.
