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*Inagh/Kilnamona’s Darren Cullinan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
QUARTER-FINALS of the Clare SHC signal “a new championship” where desire will dictate who prevails according to the Inagh/Kilnamona senior hurling manager.
Eugene Cullinan is in the first year of his second stint in charge of Inagh/Kilnamona steering them to top spot in Group 1 of the Clare SHC but now the business end of the campaign awaits.
First up in that new phase is a Cratloe side who progressed to the last eight in dramatic circumstances when Cathal Lohan’s last-gasp winner send them through and eliminated Feakle. The sides face off in Cusack Park on Saturday at 17:00.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Cullinan outlined, “All I know is that it’s a new championship now and it’s whoever wants it the most that’s going to win it”.
Unbeaten thus far in championship for Cullinan’s second coming following wins over Ballyea and St Josephs’ Doora/Barefield and a final round draw with Clonlara.
That third round tie with Clonlara saw The Combo fall eight points behind by the twenty third minute but they turned the tide ahead when firing three points in as many minutes to go two points up by the sixty first minute, only for Clonlara to rescue a draw.
Reflecting on their most recent outing, Cullinan stated, “We really struggled at the start. Clonlara were on top all over the field and we were just trying to put fires out everywhere in the first 15 minutes. Ian Galvin was on fire, Michael Collins and John Conlon were getting a few scores and we struggled. But once we got on top and got our structure in place, we began to hurl and I think we only went in four points down at half-time which was big considering all the hurling that Clonlara had done.
“So we felt that we were in a reasonably good spot and while it took us time to finally get on top, I thought we could have held out for a finish. But look Clonlara are probably saying the same so we’re delighted to have gotten such a big test as it was a very even game. Obviously for the first 15 minutes Clonlara had the greater hunger so we’re going to have to address that and make sure that it never happens again. We’re going to have to fight on out backs for every ball and every position so we’ll have to sort that out before we take to the field again,” he added.
As the only side qualified before a ball was pucked in the third round, Eugene admitted, “The fact that we had already qualified left us in a really tricky spot as we found it hard to have the same desire as if we had to win the game to qualify. Look, the bottom line is that after 15 minutes, we did improve a lot and got to grips with it and I thought we hurled well for the remainder. It’s nice to be qualified though and looking forward to a quarter-final. I don’t know how beneficial finishing top is as there are no easy teams left in this now”.
