On the past Saturday, Thurles welcomed four squads, but it is Clare that will journey to Croke Park filled with buoyancy. Brian Lohan, the manager of Clare, should be applauded for ushering his team out of a gloomy Munster final. He dared to give his team a week’s rest, altering his strategy and team composition.
In comes Aron Shanagher, who adds an entirely unique dynamic to the team. He always impressed me as a player, his manner of securing the ball poses a significant threat to the opposition. His one-dimensional playing style sometimes dulls the flow of the game, but he introduced an unexpected variety to the game on Saturday. With David Reidy energised and receiving excellent support from the defence and Shane O’Donnell performing at his peak, Clare was formidable.
O’Donnell’s goal was phenomenal, wrong-footing the goalie and beautifully finishing off the play. Considering for him, “nothing is a lot to do”, it took a great effort to score. Currently, he’s in his prime form and high spirits, brushing off attempts at fouls from defenders. Ever since his return in spring, he has been an imposing figure on the field and we ought to cherish his presence while it lasts.
Significantly, Tony Kelly, in the first half, was much more his usual self. Though he seemed out of sync in the Munster final, he was in top form on Saturday, securing 0-5 before half time, four of which were from play. Each point was confidently scored, cleanly flying over the bar.
When the scoreboard read 0-6 to 0-1, Clare’s unexpected determination had me concerned for Wexford as it seemed like the Munster final was already a distant memory for Clare. Lee Chin, Wexford’s crucial player, seemed to be hindered by an injury, affecting his fluidity on the field. Additionally, with Liam Ryan absente and Jack O’Connor wounded, things seemed arduous from Wexford’s perspective.
Amid all these challenges, Rory O’Connor, their top performer, got himself dismissed. As a seasoned player, his decision to play recklessly, leading to a second yellow card, was surprising at best. The first yellow may have been soft, but the second was almost indisputable.
Clare’s tendency to exhibit inconsistent play proved to be their Achilles’ heel. Despite leading 0-12 to 0-5, they found themselves rattled when Wexford, sparked by Damien Reck, made an unexpected comeback. Narrowing the score gap with a penalty and a few well-placed shots, Wexford managed to level the playing field.
Diarmuid Ryan’s performance was especially indicative of Clare’s situation. While his exceptional block on Rory O’Connor avoided a sure goal, he neutralized this success by making two terribly wide shots. However, his ball handling significantly improved in the second half.
Manager Brain Lohan bravely turned around the team post the Munster final, admitting to their faulty strategy. The change was unexpected yet fruitful, as the team showed significant improvement and appears invigorated for the semi-finals.
On the other hand, Cork’s manager Pat Ryan opined that the midday start of the quarter-final with Dublin led to low energy levels in both teams, a factor that reportedly brought down the overall quality of the match.
The game, already experiencing a lack of vigour due to the missed shots from both teams, further suffered as Dublin played passively for 67 minutes showing little belief in their chances of winning. Only towards the end, when they realized Cork’s vulnerability, did Dublin gain momentum but they were too far behind.
Cork’s situation was strange as they held a five-point lead at half-time and swiftly added another four points to lead by nine. However, despite having Shane Kingston and Robbie O’Flynn in reserve, the promise of a thrilling climax was misplaced.
Dublin managed to recover some points but didn’t let Cork take a nine-point lead again. The match fizzled out into a non-event and slowly it dawned on Dublin that Cork was not as fearsome as expected and they could gain some ground if they increased the intensity of their game. Their goal attempts were not clear, but they managed to take shots that seemed impossible at earlier stages of the match.
The genie of Cork, seemingly breaking free from its confinement during the overnight match at Páirc Uí Chaoimh — giving Limerick a thrashing with an energetic play in front of a boisterous crowd of fans, and following it up with a grand victory over Tipperary — now seems to be more of a mirage.
Subsequent events have cast doubts over the two high-profile performances: Tipp maintaining competitiveness during the early rounds and the question of whether Limerick were undergoing intensive training during that period – as they have shown much greater dynamism in the games that followed.
Small victories were achieved, like when Robbie O’Flynn displayed strong determination upon his entry to the game, but otherwise, for the second consecutive match, Alan Connolly failed to score and those who did manage to put points on the board, Declan Dalton and Shane Barrett, also conceded two successive game-halting wides.
Cork as a team flourish on self-belief but it’s uncertain how much of that they managed to retain from their visit to Semple Stadium. The odds in favour of Limerick seem to have hardened since the Saturday morning showdown.