This article is from page 95 of the 2007-03-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 95 JPG
SUNDAY has to count. To get any- thing from this league Clare knew at the start of the year that two home wins were vital. In reality, Wexford should have been a banker. It wasn’t. Clare looked stale and had no appe- tite for the two points in a game that was surely earmarked as a chance to return to on-field matters. Because of all that’s gone on, this is vital to Clare but already the fizz is going out.
As a buffer to the sideshow of Feb- ruary, the party line was thrown out that training was tough but go- ing well. It didn’t look that way last Sunday week and now the task of beating both Waterford and Cork in Cusack Park is on Clare’s shoulders. It weighs heavy.
The scribes who openly stated that Tony Considine wouldn’t see out his two-year term as manager of Clare had the first domino fall their way. While a home defeat to Wexford – considering the injuries Clare had and their previous tepid challenge of Down – isn’t a league breaker, it will become that should Waterford arrive in Ennis and take the points.
And that’s the likely result. All the momentum is with the visitors. They travelled to Wexford for their league
Opener and destroyed them by Il points. On Saturday they played Cork in the re-fixture and looked comfort- able throughout with four points to Spare at the end, Ken McGrath and Eoin Kelly backboning things.
Clare had a run out themselves at the weekend. Travelled to Na Piar- saigh on the Ennis Road in Limerick and had five points to spare over a Limerick side that had a number of new faces.
Clare, on the other hand, had some familiar names and gave starts to Fer- gal Lynch, Gerry O’Grady and Frank Lohan after injury problems. And at least the presence of the latter two on Sunday, should they start, will be a
calming influence in the full back line. It was a sector Tony Considine was quick to take the carving knife to against Wexford, hauling in Colm Forde after just 15 minutes.
The form of Tony Carmody should be on the up as well. He’s had three games for Clare since he was talked back into the set-up by a group of sen- ior players, scoring well throughout. At times against Wexford he showed flashes of what he’s capable of but a flicker of sharpness was missing. He bagged four points against Limerick at the weekend and the extra game should propel him further again.
Diarmuid McMahon and Barry Nu- gent were both missing against Lim- erick with injuries, but the problems seem to be abating generally.
It’s not yet crunch time for Clare, but it’s approaching. Two back to back losses in Cusack Park would be a tough one to swallow and Water- ford come with the scent of blood on i eCod Dam BT ON
The bottom line is simple: just like the last time, Clare need a win and a performance against Waterford. If not, their backs are to the wall.