This article is from page 87 of the 2008-01-08 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 87 JPG
WHAT a difference a year makes. This time last year, Tony Consid- ine began his tenure in earnest with a three point victory over UCC but that day events off the field proved to be just as important than those on it as before the game a number of non-players including sponsor Pat O’Donnell were asked to leave the dressing room. In hindsight, it was a storm in a tea cup but it did prove to be the beginning of the end of an ar- duous and controversial reign for the Cratloe man.
A year on and Mike McNamara and his new management team have learned the lessons of their predeces- sors. It may have been the same result in the same venue but it was a much more satisfying win for the county as a fresh, young Clare side recorded a four point win over UL. The result was always going to be important but not as crucial as the performance. Despite the poor weather, it was a jo- vial Mike McNamara who addressed the waiting media to evaluate Clare’s first competitive game of the year.
“It’s always nice to win but I sup- pose the manner of the victory was
probably more pleasing. To know that some of the younger players have what is required even in Janu- ary 1S very pleasing and the fact that UL put up the challenge they did, made it a nice game.”
In addition to a confident, hungry performance, Clare scored 20 points over the hour, an impressive tally on any day but especially so against such a talented side as UL, something that McNamara also noted.
“Well, you have to be talking about a 20 point tally if you want to win matches in the league and further down the road in the championship. Twenty points in an hour is a good tally but we have a lot of work to do, of that there is no doubt. If we could pick real pluses from today, it was that nearly all of the new boys were the fellas who performed well on the day.
“By this time next year, they won’t be new boys anymore so they will have to take a step forward now but we will be using the competition for that purpose.
“Again we have quite a large panel so it’s important that fellas are allowed a chance
to show what they have before we have to reduce the panel. It is vital that newer members get experience which will benefit them a year or two down the road.”
While McNamara was obviously impressed with Clare’s display, he was also quick to praise UL who put up such a strong challenge over the tolune
In particular, the two Clare players who represented their college over county as part of the competition MUN she
“The college players are the stars of the teams, you only have to look at the line-out of UL today to see that they are starstudded. Everyone in their own right will play a part in their own county including our own few out there today who were promi- patos 01d
With that a wry smile broke out on his face as he quipped: “So eve- rything about it was pleasing and I suppose the fact that we can get away without controversy was pleasing as well.”