Waterford travel to Ennis as 7/2 outsiders and without four of the team that rattled Galway’s cage in Salthill last summer. That quartet includes two big leaders in the retired Gary Hurney and cruciate victim Tony Grey.
They only managed two wins and a draw in Division 4 as the game plan only cemented by round five when they took the scalp of high flyers Leitrim. Clare strung together five wins and a draw to gain promotion. Champions Tipperary defeated them twice including an open league decider in Croke Park (1-16 to 1-15). This run featured a convincing 3-10 to 1-9 round one win at Fraher Field where the Banner suffocated a predictable home attack and caught them on the counter punch. That performance left Niall Carew mystified. “I just felt that we seemed to leave it all on the training field” he stated afterwards.
Clare’s successful promotion drive produced an average of 18 points per game. They also slammed eleven goals in eight league outings. Even without Podge and Sean Collins for the league final loss to Tipperary, they still posted 1-15 with David Tubridy, Shane McGrath and Martin O’Leary all on song. By comparison, Waterford returned around 11 points per game and only found the net four times. They generated plenty of possession but moved the ball far too slowly especially in that first league battle with the Banner.
They only managed two wins and a draw in Division 4 as the game plan only cemented by round five when they took the scalp of high flyers Leitrim. Clare strung together five wins and a draw to gain promotion. Champions Tipperary defeated them twice including an open league decider in Croke Park (1-16 to 1-15). This run featured a convincing 3-10 to 1-9 round one win at Fraher Field where the Banner suffocated a predictable home attack and caught them on the counter punch. That performance left Niall Carew mystified. “I just felt that we seemed to leave it all on the training field” he stated afterwards.
Clare’s successful promotion drive produced an average of 18 points per game. They also slammed eleven goals in eight league outings. Even without Podge and Sean Collins for the league final loss to Tipperary, they still posted 1-15 with David Tubridy, Shane McGrath and Martin O’Leary all on song. By comparison, Waterford returned around 11 points per game and only found the net four times. They generated plenty of possession but moved the ball far too slowly especially in that first league battle with the Banner.
“On paper we have lads that can score we just have to move the ball a bit quicker than we did the first day,” Carew maintains. “We were very laboured in what way we moved it and we seemed to move a lot of hand passes laterally. We have stepped on from that. Clare are a very organised unit but I would like to think that we are as well. It’s going to be an intriguing game. They are red hot favourites and rightly so. After beating us by seven points and having us at home as well. We are 3/1 or 4/1 at this stage and Clare are money on. They probably deserve that. It can be all on the day and I think that we are a match for any of these teams if we perform. We have to go and perform now.”
Carew is working from a small panel. He used 28 players during the seven game league campaign. 43 players saw game time in 2013. He has gathered a dedicated bunch that finally assembled some shape to their attacking moves in the last three games of the league. Shane Ahearne, Liam Ó Lonáin and JJ Hutchinson helped out Paul Whyte after the Kilrossanty striker carried the can in the early part of the league.
Containing that Clare forward force is another matter entirely. Breaking even with Gary Brennan on kickouts would be a start. The consistency of Colm Collins’ side during the spring makes them the more assured outfit heading towards this championship opener.
Carew is working from a small panel. He used 28 players during the seven game league campaign. 43 players saw game time in 2013. He has gathered a dedicated bunch that finally assembled some shape to their attacking moves in the last three games of the league. Shane Ahearne, Liam Ó Lonáin and JJ Hutchinson helped out Paul Whyte after the Kilrossanty striker carried the can in the early part of the league.
Containing that Clare forward force is another matter entirely. Breaking even with Gary Brennan on kickouts would be a start. The consistency of Colm Collins’ side during the spring makes them the more assured outfit heading towards this championship opener.
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