Clare's hurling manager Ger Loughnane has claimed that figures within the GAA hierarchy do not want his team to win the All-Ireland. In another of his state-of-the-nation addresses on Clare FM, Loughanne also announced that he will not release his team for the All-Ireland semi-final re-fixture in Thurles until 15 minutes before the throw-in on Saturday.

Whereas the broadcast interview wasn't as incendiary as the one given three weeks ago before the first semi-final match against Offaly, it nonetheless included several pointed references to Saturday's match, the media and the failure of centrefielder Colin Lynch's appeal against suspension.

"There is no doubt about it," he said, "no point in denying it, that the powers-that-be in the GAA do not want Clare to win this All-Ireland. You can take that for certain. Everything will be done to stop us from winning on Saturday, and if we get farther than that, and the only way we can do it is by concentrating on the ball on the field."

He expressed the unhappiness of people in the county with the decision of the GAA's Management Committee to reject Lynch's appeal, particularly in the light of Clare's well-regarded acceptance of the refixture after referee Jimmy Cooney's timing error which concluded the match two minutes early.

"After the way Clare behaved last weekend, when all kinds of things were thrown at them, Clare supporters and Clare players, everyone behaved with dignity. Everybody believed that that would be reciprocated by the GAA and then to get it thrown back in our face last night really was unbelievable.

"There is a feeling of shock out there turning to anger. Let's hope that everyone holds their heads and keeps their eye on the ball, keeps their eye on 3.30 on Saturday. That's the most important thing that we don't lose sight of the fact that the only way we can win with these people is if we win the All-Ireland." Lynch's last chance of obtaining clearance in time for the All-Ireland final (should Clare win on Saturday) will depend on the Munster Council which was castigated by Loughnane earlier this month before and after its original decision to suspend the player for misbehaviour in the Munster final replay.

It was confirmed by a Clare county board source that the county has given up any hope that Lynch would be cleared in time for tomorrow's match. On the same radio programme as Loughnane, county secretary Pat Fitzgerald said that an appeal to the provincial council was "an option we're pursuing. But we have the problem that a lot of the officers are on holidays".

This was confirmed by Munster secretary Donie Nealon who refused to comment on the case but said that the council was trying to contact chairman Sean Kelly who is at present on holidays in Rosslare. Any meeting is unlikely to take place before next week. Its purpose would be to hear a final appeal from Lynch that his suspension be reduced from three months to two months. To do this, the council would have to accept a reduced citation - from striking to dangerous play.

Loughnane also announced that his selection for Saturday would not be made public until shortly before the match.

"We will have a team at about 3.15 on Saturday, no sooner than that. With all the injuries we have got and everything else going on, we just cannot decide on what we'll play until the day. . . There will be 15 people out there on Saturday giving their level, level best to get Clare in to the All-Ireland.

"You have to take it on the chin," he continued. "You know we just can't be squealing or complaining. We've had enough of that from other counties this summer. In all the trials and tribulations that Clare have had, we have never complained." Injury concerns surround centrefielder Ollie Baker who has an injured back and is given only a 50 per cent chance of playing, but Loughnane did say that he would play the Doora-Barefield man if Baker were at all fit. Other worries are Anthony Daly who has an injured eye, Fergie Tuohy and Barry Murphy with hamstring injuries and David Forde, who is reported to have mild whiplash after an incident during the replay last Saturday.

"Last Tuesday night, I went up to David Forde," said Loughnane, " . . . and said to him `I'm proud of you that you didn't lie down when you were attacked around the neck'. `Oh,' he said, `it was the actions that should have got him sent off, not me. That's why I was still standing.' That's the kind of person we have. That is why we should all behave in a way that wouldn't let the players down in any way. If other people bring disgrace upon themselves, that's their problem.

"I know that people are enraged by what happened last Saturday. Now that's not our fault, it's the referee's job to control what happens. When it was over we accepted what we got and did not complain about it. That does not mean that we would accept that kind of behaviour again. We don't expect that kind of thing to be tolerated by the referee next Saturday."

Finally the Clare manager was critical of the coverage given by the national media to Lynch's behaviour and what he saw as the reluctance to publicise to the same extent actions by Johnny Pilkington and Michael Duignan of Offaly, both of who were lucky to stay on the field last Saturday.

"I think they (national media) behaved disgracefully after the Munster final and they bear a huge responsibility for the position Colin Lynch is in now. Why haven't they behaved in a similar way when even worse actions than anything that happened in the Munster final happened? "They have to answer that. It's they who have the guilty conscience, we have no guilty conscience, we have behaved with honour on all occasions and that is why we can look ourselves in the face and say we have nothing to be ashamed of . . ."

"There is a certain section which is following a totally different agenda. The agenda is to bring down Clare at all costs. They can continue that if they like. We are concentrating on the game ahead, we are concentrating on getting Clare into the All-Ireland and if we get there we are going to concentrate on winning it."

Kerry (MFC v Laois) - K Cremin; R O'Connor (Ballyduff), S O'Sullivan, K Moynihan; M O Se, L Keane, R O'Connor (Kilcummin); E Brosnan, E Courtney; T Kennelly, P Galvin, S O'Sullivan; R O'Connor (St Michael's Foilmore), L Boyle, K Lynch. Subs: H Shanahan, K O'Connor, C Fitzmaurice, J O'Donoghue, F O'Sullivan, M Burke, R Barrett, A O'Mahony, D O'Flaherty.

Kerry (U21 B HC v Kildare) - J Whelan; T Cronin, M Hannafin, S Harty; G Barrett, P Sheehy, P Deenihan; WJ Leen, C Flaherty; C Harris, I Maunsell, P Galvin; S Twomey, B Darcy, M Regan. Subs: P Corridan, TB O'Connor, J maher, M Murnane, T McKenna, B Fealy, D Leahy.