*Clare’s senior football panel. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
WHILE happy that his charges had recorded a third win and run up an impressive tally in the process, Clare football manager Mark Fitzgerald readily accepted after Sunday’s victory over Wicklow that “there’s lots to work on”.
“We scored 2-15 and conceded just 0-8 and I am happy with that and where there was a game we were decent without being brilliant but we were guilty of a lot of sloppy turnovers. We got the goals and they gave us a little bit of comfort”, he told The Clare Echo shortly after the team’s latest victory.
“Look there’s lots to work on. We are taking it game by game and we have a six day turnaround now which won’t be easy”, he said in relation to their next fixture which will be against neighbours Limerick, a side he managed last season, on Saturday next in Rathkeale.
The Kerry native agreed that Clare had “a slow enough start until we got the goals. We were a big shakey, we were sloppy, creating silly turnovers high up the pitch and we were getting caught out of position. There’s learning there”.
Continuing he said “you saw it there, a little bit of inexperience when we started creating crazy turnovers and there was no need to do it. A more experienced team would not do that. There’s lots to work on”.
Fitzgerald said that Clare “have never spoken about that (relegation) or about promotion, it’s just game to game and I keep saying Limerick won’t be easy”.
He added, “there are a lot of new fellas in the panel. Today we were seven up at half time and we have not been in that situation before and there is a learning in that in how to control a game and get better at doing that. The only way to get experience is by playing games”.
“For now we are facing another game in six day’s time and it won’t be easy in Rathkeale. The challenge for us is can we keep it going. Limerick is the focus for the next couple of days”.
