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*Adam Mungovan battles with Cathal ‘Tots’ O’Connell. Photograph: Ruthie Griffin
ST JOSEPH’S Doora/Barefield have no choice but to regroup and go again in the Clare SHC, manager Damien Kennedy has said.
Level heading into additional time, St Joseph’s conceded four points to Clonlara to come out the wrong side of a 0-22 0-18 scoreline in Shannon on Saturday evening.
With twenty one minutes played, Doora/Barefield took the lead for the first time landing four points on the bounce but four in a row for the second time to trail 0-10 0-8 at the break.
A determined start to the second half saw The Parish regain the lead with four unanswered points.
When Pádraic O’Donovan levelled matters for the twelfth time as the game was entering additional time, it looked like Doora/Barefield could hang on for a valuable draw but the 2023 champions produced the stronger finish to emerge as the winners.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Doora/Barefield manager, Damien Kennedy outlined, “Look, this could have gone either way. All I can say is we asked those lads to go out and give a performance for St. Josephs today and by God they did it. I know we came out the wrong end but it wasn’t a four point margin, it could have gone any way. What more can I say”.
Coming close was of no consolsation for the youthful Parish side, he said. “We have to look at the bigger picture. We are not here for moral victories. We might be young but we are not happy with that result. We are sickened over it. There was, at the very least a point for us there. It didn’t happen but these lads are going to have to bounce back. We have another massive game in two weeks against Inagh/Kilnamona and we have to regroup”.
He continued, “It’s hard to take this but we have to regroup, It will be hard. We know these lads can hurl, there are no issues from a hurling perspective. We just have to get them over the line. We have to regroup. This is history now and has to be parked. We have to re-group and go again, it’s as simple as that”.
