This article is from page 83 of the 2007-03-27 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 83 JPG
NO excuses. That was the message coming from Clare co-manager Joe Garry after Saturday’s crushing de- feat to Tipperary.
Clare’s poor showing, particularly in the first half, when they leaked three goals was the source of 1m- mense disappointment in a sombre dressing room afterwards.
Clare fans travelled in more expec- tation than hope following the stir- ring quarterfinal victory over Kerry but then watched on in abject frustra- tion as Clare capitulated.
“It was bitterly disappointing. I know that a lot of people travelled down and were very frustrated watching in the stands but if you can imagine that disappointment and multiply it by ten that’s the way it was in the dressing room afterwards. It was no way reflective of the talent that’s in that team. We hadn’t done ourselves a bit of justice. It wasn’t that we underestimated them in any way. If anything we had prepared
more diligently than the Kerry game. We had a free reign in terms of inju- ries, we knew Conor Howley wasn’t going to make it”.
The physical nature adopted by Tipperary certainly upset Clare’s rhythm but Garry said he had no complaints about the robust nature of the contest.
“We have no problems whatsoever with the ref. There’s no excuses, none at all. We were just that bit flat on the day. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. We made too many mistakes. There was a great bounce around Clare football in the last week or so, and it’s all down to those lads. There’s quite a few of the lads underage for next year, but that’s a poor consolation right now.”