NATIONAL HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION ONE: Dublin 0-15 Clare 0-15: STRANGE HOW a little desperation can bring out the best in people. At several key phases in this mostly ordinary game, both Dublin and Clare played as if their entire league season depended on it, which to some extent it did.
In the end, a draw was a fair result, but not enough to provide either of them what they had come for – Dublin needed the win to keep alive whatever chance they had left of making the league final; Clare needed the win to stay in Division One. No prizes for guessing which team looked the more disappointed at the 5pm whistle.
Yet, it was Dublin, with this new-found self-belief, who were pressing hardest for victory at the death – and probably should have won had two last-gasp chances not gone astray. Clare only scored one point in the last 20 minutes and that more or less explains why they’ll be playing Division Two hurling next year.
Still, it must have been bittersweet for Anthony Daly, the former Clare captain and manager, to have ultimately sealed the fate of his native county. Naturally, he wasn’t to blame – and he probably wasn’t just offering consolation when suggesting Clare should still be a force come the Munster championship.
“Well, sure it’s not because of this,” said the Dublin manager. “This is their best result in the league” – and that much is true. Clare are the only Division One team without a win this season.
“It was a bit weird when the match started. Ollie Baker, Alan Cunningham and Mike McNamara down the line opposite you. I’m not used to experiencing that. But Clare didn’t become a useless team overnight. Every time they’ve come up here for the last 10 years they’ve won easy. I’ll tell you they’ll still be a force in the Munster championship. I don’t have any doubt. They only need a break to get going again.”
Clare played the best in the first half, and moved four points clear on two occasions. Dublin’s problems started early when they lost full back Tomás Brady to a hamstring injury after seven minutes, and centre back Ronan Fallon, to a yellow card, on 20 minutes.
On 20 minutes Clare were up 0-8 to 0-4. Caimin Morey was starting to settle well at full forward, only to find himself yellow-carded on 30 minutes for an off-the-ball incident with Maurice O’Brien. From there, the Clare attack was ragged at best, and otherwise inconspicuous.
Dublin were relying on the superb placed-ball talents of Alan McCrabbe, who also contributed plenty from play, to keep them in touch. The young forwards David Treacy and Liam Rushe weren’t getting a look in; Treacy, who scored 3-2 in Thurles last Sunday, was taken off 15 minutes before the end here, scoreless.
David O’Callaghan only woke up in the second half, and had the game’s only true goal chance – which was well stopped by Patrick Kelly. Dublin didn’t play as well as a team as some recent matches and Daly didn’t have think hard as to why. “I don’t thing we handle this favourites thing too well,” he added. “Every paper tipping us, nearly. And I just thought this morning there was a small little bit of laxness in the heads. We can’t afford that any day. But sure it’s all a learning process.
“I mean, we’d still rather be winning, only a couple of points down at half-time, with the wind to come. But Clare dropped a man back, shored it up there, and it was very hard to get goals.
“We didn’t get chances, really, because the full-forward line weren’t getting any good clean ball. But it was another day where we were out there battling it out with a top team, a top drawer team for a lot of years.
“We would have liked to have made a league final. Just a couple of results. A draw, two-point defeats. Small things that could have gone either way, and might have pushed us over the line.”
Tipperary’s win over Galway means the league final was already decided (as they’ll now play Kilkenny). Still, Dublin gave themselves every chance of winning their fourth game from six. Clare turned around two points clear, 0-10 to 0-8, and although they went four up on 50 minutes (thanks to substitute Niall Gilligan) they wouldn’t score again until the last minute.
That allowed Dublin to claw their way back. O’Callaghan hit two fine scores, Shane Durkin added his second, and with McCrabbe keeping things ticking over, up stepped Stephen Hiney to fire over the equaliser – as the call for added time was announced.
Rushe and Shane Martin had opportunities to steal it, but while Clare held on for the draw, they couldn’t hold on to the hope of staying in Division One.
DUBLIN:G Maguire; N Corcoran, T Brady, O Gough; S Hiney (0-1), R Fallon, K O'Reilly; J McCaffrey (0-1), A McCrabbe (0-9, seven frees); D Curtin, L Ryan, S Durkin (0-2); D O'Callaghan (0-2), D Treacy, L Rushe. Subs: M O'Brien for Brady (seven mins, inj), S Lambert for K O'Reilly (half time); S Martin for Ryan (47 mins, inj); K Flynn for Treacy (55 mins). Yellow cards: R Fallon (22 mins, replaced by D O'Reilly).
CLARE:P Kelly; P Vaughan, C Cooney, C McMahon; J McInerney, B Bugler, P Donnellan (0-2, one free); B O'Connell, J Clancy (0-2); C McNamara (0-1), D McMahon, T Carmody (0-1); T Griffin (0-1), C Morey (0-3, all frees), J Conlon (0-1). Subs: A Markham for Vaughan (two mins, inj), B Nugent for McNamara (56), C Hassett for Conlon (61). Yellow cards: C Morey (29, replaced by N Gilligan (0-4, two frees).
Referee:D Kirwan (Cork).
